Photo: Tier2Cell245 · CC BY 4.05 of the 15 schools around Pembroke teach in French
They are École élémentaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, École élémentaire publique L'Équinoxe and École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, run by CSDC du Centre-Est de l'Ontario and CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontario. Families can pick among four systems here: English or French, public or Catholic. Taken together, Pembroke and its 3 km edge hold 10 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools for 4,950 students.
What stands out about Pembroke’s schools
More Catholic schools
Catholic schools are 8 of 15 here, above the 34% in Ontario, under Renfrew County CDSB and CSDC du Centre-Est de l'Ontario. Who runs them ↓
Results on both sides
4 of the 11 tested schools sit above the middle in Ontario, 5 below it; École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, Bishop Smith Catholic High School and Our Lady of Lourdes Separate School score best. Results ↓
The strongest results
Top of the area: École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie (secondary), its results in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Every figure here sets the area’s schools beside the rest of its province.
Schooling in English and French around Pembroke
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
By name, in French: École élémentaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, École élémentaire publique L'Équinoxe, École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie and École intermédiaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie (CSDC du Centre-Est de l'Ontario and CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontario).
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
4 boards, school by school
The boards and their schools here.
The four systems cover the same streets, so the nearest school may not be the one a family’s system offers: English or French, public or Catholic, each has its own board.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renfrew County CDSBBishop Smith Catholic, Our Lady of Lourdes Separate, Bishop Smith Separate, Holy Name Separate, Cathedral | English Catholic | 5 | 1,570 |
| Renfrew County DSBFellowes, Champlain Discovery, Rockwood, Highview, Renfrew County Adult Day | English public | 5 | 2,175 |
| CSDC du Centre-Est de l'OntarioJeanne-Lajoie, Jeanne-Lajoie, intermédiaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie | French Catholic | 3 | 890 |
| CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontariopublique L'Équinoxe, publique L'Équinoxe | French public | 2 | 315 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Pembroke’s schools do on Ontario’s tests
EQAO’s Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments and the literacy test, 2024-25: each school against every school in Ontario.
Its School Grade is B: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading | 6 | 68% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 6 | 59% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 6 | 68% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 7 | 81% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 7 | 76% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 7 | 41% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 4 | 58% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 4 | 89% | 85% |
On Grade 6 math the area trails, 41% against 51% in Ontario. Above the middle on 3, below on 5: that is the 8 measures. The three-year changes lean upward at 5 schools and downward at 6.
Every school’s results (11)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| École secondaire catholique Jeanne-LajoieSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 82% · OSSLT 93% | Top fifth |
| Bishop Smith Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 58% · OSSLT 94% | Second fifth |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Separate SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 79% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 69% | Second fifth |
| École élémentaire catholique Jeanne-LajoieElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 92% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 71% | Second fifth |
| École secondaire publique L'ÉquinoxeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 58% · OSSLT 85% | Middle fifth |
| Rockwood Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 74% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 71% · G6 math 41% | Middle fifth |
| Fellowes High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 53% · OSSLT 77% | Fourth fifth |
| École élémentaire publique L'ÉquinoxeElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 55% · G3 writing 52% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 81% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 57% | Fourth fifth |
| Champlain Discovery Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 63% · G3 writing 35% · G3 math 41% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 33% | Fourth fifth |
| Highview Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 57% · G3 writing 37% · G3 math 20% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 63% · G6 math 29% | Bottom fifth |
| Holy Name Separate SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading not reported · G3 writing not reported · G3 math not reported · G6 reading 60% · G6 writing 73% · G6 math 20% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 15 schools in and around Pembroke are
Every school as a pin, coloured by system; each opens its own page.
Points from the provincial lists.
Who runs Pembroke’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Counted by who runs them: English public 5, English Catholic 5 and French-language 5.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Pembroke
Catholic schools
The Catholic boards are as public as the others: free, with elementary schools that generally require a Catholic parent and high schools open to everyone.
French-language schools
Eligibility comes from the parents: French as a first language, or French schooling in Canada; otherwise, the board’s admissions committee decides.
The neighbourhood school
The neighbourhood school is the one the board designates for the address; choice beyond it depends on space.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 15 schools in and around Pembroke
High schools within reach of Pembroke
The high schools a family here could reach, within 15 km.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 7: 4 English public, 1 French public, 1 English Catholic and 1 French Catholic. For the shortest journey, École secondaire publique L'Équinoxe: 0.4 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| École secondaire publique L'ÉquinoxeSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontario | French public | Middle fifth | 50 | 0.4 km |
| Renfrew County Adult Day SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Renfrew County DSB | English public | – | 140 | 0.6 km |
| Bishop Smith Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Renfrew County CDSB | English Catholic | Second fifth | 700 | 1.3 km |
| Fellowes High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Renfrew County DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 650 | 2 km |
| École secondaire catholique Jeanne-LajoieSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CSDC du Centre-Est de l'Ontario | French Catholic | Top fifth | 220 | 2.9 km |
| École Dr. Wilbert KeonAll grades | Commission scolaire Western Québec | English public | – | – | 10 km |
| Valour JK to 12 School - Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Renfrew County DSB | English public | Fourth fifth | 490 | 13 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Towns its size in Ontario
Towns of a similar population, with their schools in or within 3 km; described, not ranked.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset Park | 24,770 | 92 | 35,510 | 4 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Ledbury-Heron Gate-Ridgemont | 15,610 | 43 | 19,580 | 10 | 1 km |
| East Willowdale | 15,514 | 59 | 24,595 | 5 | 0.5 km |
| Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgans Grant | 15,509 | 20 | 11,635 | 3 | 3.5 km |
| Edenbridge-Humber Valley | 15,480 | 81 | 38,400 | 3 | 1.6 km |
| Pembroke | 15,479 | 15 | 4,950 | 5 | 0.4 km |
| Dorchester | 15,475 | 12 | 4,865 | 0 | 3.6 km |
| Hamilton Road | 15,283 | 52 | 24,190 | 3 | 2.3 km |
| Byron | 15,277 | 22 | 13,050 | 2 | 2.1 km |
| Pleasant View | 15,248 | 83 | 29,030 | 2 | 0.8 km |
| … | |||||
| Cooksville NHD (East) | 9,313 | 59 | 26,020 | 1 | 2 km |
303 of the 382 others have more schools in reach. A school in French is nearby in 297 towns of 383.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Pembroke
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pembroke | 15 | 5 | 8 | 0.4 km |
| Laurentian Valley 4.1 km | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3.4 km |
| L'Isle-aux-Allumettes 9.9 km | 20 | 6 | 9 | 2.2 km |
| Petawawa 14 km | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1.4 km |
Among the neighbours, L'Isle-aux-Allumettes has 20, the most.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Which schools count. Inside Pembroke’s boundary, or no more than 3 km outside it: that is which schools are counted.
- The kinds of school. The levels follow each school’s published grades: elementary below Grade 7 or 9, secondary above, all-grade when it runs the whole way.
- The year. The province’s school list, 2024-25.
- Boards and systems. A public school belongs to a board of one language; in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan a board is also public or Catholic. An independent school runs itself.
- Bands, not ranks. Top fifth means a result among the best fifth of Ontario’s schools on that test; the card shows the average of a school’s fifths.
- What isn’t here. Missing: inspection ratings (no province gives them), enrolment trends and Ontario’s private schools.
Questions about schools in Pembroke
How do I get a place at a school in Pembroke?
Enrolment goes through the board; schools outside your area take students when they have room.
Which boards run the schools in Pembroke?
By number of schools: Renfrew County CDSB (5), Renfrew County DSB (5), CSDC du Centre-Est de l'Ontario (3) and CÉP de l'Est de l'Ontario (2).
Is there a French-language school in Pembroke?
Yes: École élémentaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, École élémentaire publique L'Équinoxe, École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie and École intermédiaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie, the French-language schools here.
How many schools are there in Pembroke?
Inside the town there are 14; another 1 sit within 3 km.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 and school contact list (Open Government Licence – Ontario) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).