Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0In Sarnia, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
Lambton Kent DSB has 17 of them, and St Clair CDSB, Conseil scolaire catholique Providence and CS Viamonde share the others. Results are mixed: 6 of 28 schools above the middle in Ontario, 14 below it. Within 3 km of Sarnia are 24 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools, teaching 11,200 students.
What stands out about Sarnia’s schools
One big school
With 1,480 students, St Patrick's Catholic High School is the area’s biggest. Every school ↓
The strongest results
The area’s best results are at Cathcart Boulevard Public School (elementary), in the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Every figure here sets the area’s schools beside the rest of its province.
The 4 boards that run schools here
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambton Kent DSBNorthern Collegiate Institute and Vocational, Great Lakes, Cathcart Boulevard, P.E. McGibbon, Rosedale, High Park, Errol Road, Bright's Grove … | English public | 17 | 7,110 |
| St Clair CDSBSt Patrick's Catholic, Gregory A Hogan, St Matthew, Holy Trinity, St Anne, Sacred Heart, St Michael | English Catholic | 7 | 3,610 |
| Conseil scolaire catholique ProvidenceSaint-Thomas-d'Aquin, Saint-François-Xavier, Saint-François-Xavier | French Catholic | 3 | 325 |
| CS ViamondeLes Rapides, Franco-Jeunesse, Franco-Jeunesse | French public | 3 | 155 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Sarnia’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 C−: 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 | 22 | 77% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 22 | 63% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 22 | 61% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 21 | 80% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 21 | 80% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 21 | 47% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 5 | 33% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 5 | 75% | 85% |
Furthest from the provincial middle is Grade 9 math: 33% here, against 55% in Ontario. On 0 of 8 measures the area beats the provincial middle; on 7 it trails. At 12 schools more of the measures rose than fell over three years; at 15, more fell.
Every school’s results (28)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Cathcart Boulevard Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 78% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 96% · G6 math 79% | Top fifth |
| Lakeroad Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 92% · G3 writing 77% · G3 math 85% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 50% | Second fifth |
| Northern Collegiate Institute and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 61% · OSSLT 92% | Second fifth |
| St Michael Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 100% · G3 writing 85% · G3 math 85% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 57% | Second fifth |
| École élémentaire catholique Saint-Thomas-d'AquinElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 79% · G3 writing 79% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 67% · G6 math 47% | Second fifth |
| Gregory A Hogan Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 71% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 91% · G6 math 43% | Second fifth |
| St Anne Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 85% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 49% | Middle fifth |
| Confederation Central SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 68% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 71% | Middle fifth |
| King George VI Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 84% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 64% | Middle fifth |
| St Patrick's Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 56% · OSSLT 87% | Middle fifth |
| Bright's Grove Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 61% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 58% | Middle fifth |
| Rosedale Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 77% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 80% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 47% | Middle fifth |
| Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 74% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 78% · G6 reading 79% · G6 writing 69% · G6 math 48% | Middle fifth |
| Holy Trinity Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 61% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 82% · G6 writing 82% · G6 math 53% | Middle fifth |
| Hanna Memorial Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 73% · G3 writing 47% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading not reported · G6 writing not reported · G6 math not reported | Fourth fifth |
| Errol Road Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 54% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 80% · G6 math 32% | Fourth fifth |
| École élémentaire Les RapidesElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 44% · G3 writing 53% · G3 math 47% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 67% · G6 math 75% | Fourth fifth |
| Bridgeview Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 54% · G3 writing 54% · G3 math 31% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 67% · G6 math 25% | Bottom fifth |
| Lansdowne Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 39% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 75% · G6 writing 55% · G6 math 35% | Bottom fifth |
| London Road SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 50% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 31% · G6 reading 23% · G6 writing 46% · G6 math 23% | Bottom fifth |
| St Matthew Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 56% · G3 writing 41% · G3 math 47% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 77% · G6 math 22% | Bottom fifth |
| Alexander Mackenzie Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | OSSLT 28% | Bottom fifth |
| Great Lakes Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 31% · OSSLT 72% | Bottom fifth |
| High Park Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 40% · G3 writing 23% · G3 math 28% · G6 reading 73% · G6 writing 63% · G6 math 29% | Bottom fifth |
| P.E. McGibbon Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 51% · G3 writing 32% · G3 math 36% · G6 reading 56% · G6 writing 49% · G6 math 12% | Bottom fifth |
| Queen Elizabeth II SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 39% · G3 writing 18% · G3 math 18% · G6 reading 48% · G6 writing 54% · G6 math 32% | Bottom fifth |
| École secondaire Franco-JeunesseSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 30% · OSSLT not reported | Bottom fifth |
| École secondaire catholique Saint-François-XavierSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 33% · OSSLT 75% | 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 30 schools in and around Sarnia are
Every school as a pin, coloured by system; each opens its own page.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Sarnia
Each school by its language of instruction, with the share in Ontario marked.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
Conseil scolaire catholique Providence and CS Viamonde runs the public French-language schools; all 6 are École élémentaire catholique Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, École élémentaire Les Rapides, École élémentaire catholique Saint-François-Xavier and École secondaire catholique Saint-François-Xavier.
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.
Who runs Sarnia’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
The split by system: English public 17, English Catholic 7 and French-language 6.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Sarnia
The neighbourhood school
Each board draws attendance areas: a child’s home address gives a designated school in each system. Families register with the board, and a school outside the area takes a child only if it has room.
French-language schools
The French boards take rights-holders’ children by right and others by committee.
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.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 30 schools in and around Sarnia
High schools within reach of Sarnia
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 6: 3 English public, 1 French Catholic, 1 English Catholic and 1 French public. The shortest trip is to École secondaire catholique Saint-François-Xavier, 0.8 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| École secondaire catholique Saint-François-XavierSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Conseil scolaire catholique Providence | French Catholic | Bottom fifth | 60 | 0.8 km |
| St Patrick's Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | St Clair CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 1,480 | 1 km |
| École secondaire Franco-JeunesseSecondary · Grades 9–12 | CS Viamonde | French public | Bottom fifth | – | 1.1 km |
| Northern Collegiate Institute and Vocational SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Lambton Kent DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,145 | 1.3 km |
| Alexander Mackenzie Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Lambton Kent DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 300 | 2.1 km |
| Great Lakes Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Lambton Kent DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 1,095 | 4 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Towns its size in Ontario
Places of about the same size and their schools in or within 3 km, largest first.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brantford | 123,521 | 50 | 20,085 | 1 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Newmarket | 95,763 | 48 | 27,000 | 2 | 2.2 km |
| Bolton | 90,201 | 86 | 48,920 | 2 | 5.5 km |
| Lindsay | 85,351 | 28 | 9,620 | 0 | 6.2 km |
| Sault Ste. Marie | 81,182 | 36 | 11,455 | 3 | 0.5 km |
| Sarnia | 80,539 | 30 | 11,200 | 6 | 0.8 km |
| Simcoe | 75,618 | 32 | 11,730 | 1 | 5.2 km |
| Georgetown | 68,265 | 44 | 22,165 | 3 | 1.5 km |
| Aurora | 67,385 | 46 | 22,830 | 3 | 1 km |
| Welland | 66,480 | 30 | 10,940 | 8 | 1.3 km |
| … | |||||
| Churchill Meadows | 48,872 | 52 | 27,215 | 1 | 0.6 km |
Set against 29 others, 18 have more schools in reach. A French-language school is within reach in 23 of the 30.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Sarnia
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarnia | 30 | 6 | 10 | 0.8 km |
| Point Edward 3.6 km | 17 | 2 | 3 | 2.8 km |
It outnumbers its 1 neighbours on schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- What isn’t here. There are no inspection ratings to show, and a single year of enrolment gives no trend.
- Bands, not ranks. Ontario’s results are whole percentages with small groups left out, so the page gives fifths, not ranks.
- Boards and systems. Boards are set by language and, in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, by faith: public or Catholic.
- The year. The province’s 2024-25 list.
- The kinds of school. Where a province publishes grades, the card gives them; elementary and secondary follow those grades.
- Which schools count. The page takes in schools within Sarnia and up to 3 km past its boundary, so a school just over the line is still here.
Questions about schools in Sarnia
How many schools are there in Sarnia?
29 in the town, 1 just beyond it, within 3 km.
Is there a French-language school in Sarnia?
Yes, schooling in French is at École élémentaire catholique Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, École élémentaire Les Rapides, École élémentaire catholique Saint-François-Xavier and École secondaire catholique Saint-François-Xavier.
Which boards run the schools in Sarnia?
Lambton Kent DSB (17), St Clair CDSB (7), Conseil scolaire catholique Providence (3) and CS Viamonde (3), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Sarnia?
Each board registers its own students; its website gives the school for an address.
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).