Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Teaching in English: 3 of Bristol’s 3 schools
Renfrew County CDSB and Renfrew County DSB runs them: St Joseph's Separate School, Walter Zadow Public School and Arnprior District High School. Within 3 km of Bristol are 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, teaching 1,700 students. With no open results to compare (the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school), there’s no schools grade in Quebec.
Schooling in English and French around Bristol
English, French and other languages of instruction, beside the mix in Quebec.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Quebec.
By name, in English: St Joseph's Separate School, Walter Zadow Public School and Arnprior District High School (Renfrew County CDSB and Renfrew County DSB).
Quebec’s Charter of the French Language sends most children to French-language schools; English public schooling is for children who hold a certificate of eligibility.
Where the 3 schools in and around Bristol are
Each pin is a school, coloured by the system that runs it, sized by its students where the province publishes them.
Points from the provincial lists.
Who runs Bristol’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: the French service centres, the English boards, independent and other schools.
One system runs them: every one English boards.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
The 2 boards that run schools here
The boards and their schools here.
The biggest of the 2 is Renfrew County DSB: 2 schools. The French service centre and the English board cover the same territory, each with its own schools.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renfrew County DSBArnprior District, Walter Zadow | English public | 2 | 1,255 |
| Renfrew County CDSBSt Joseph's Separate | English Catholic | 1 | 445 |
Boards and districts as the provincial lists name them.
How children get a place in Bristol
English schools in Quebec
A certificate of eligibility opens the English public schools; most children qualify for French-language schools only.
The neighbourhood school
A home address sets the designated school in each board’s attendance area. Registration is with the board; a school outside the area admits only where there is space.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 3 schools in and around Bristol
High schools within reach of Bristol
Secondary and all-grade schools within 15 km, by distance.
2 secondary schools are within 15 km: 2 English public. For the shortest journey, Arnprior District High School: 9.7 km.
| School | Board | System | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnprior District High SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Renfrew County DSB | English public | 700 | 9.7 km |
| École secondaire PontiacSecondary | Commission scolaire Western Québec | English public | – | 12 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Schools in the towns around Bristol
Each town’s schools in or within 3 km of its outline; distances as the crow flies.
| Town | Schools | English | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9.8 km |
| Arnprior 10 km | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1.1 km |
| Shawville 12 km | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.8 km |
| McNab/Braeside 13 km | 7 | 6 | 3 | 8.5 km |
| Horton 14 km | 8 | 8 | 4 | 7.9 km |
| Clarendon 18 km | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5.5 km |
Top among the neighbours: Horton, 8 schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The kinds of school. Grades shown are the published range, from junior kindergarten (JK) upward.
- Which schools count. The area is Bristol plus a 3 km margin around it, measured from its census outline.
- Boards and systems. Each public school belongs to a French service centre or an English board, whichever covers its address.
- The year. 2025-26, the latest open list.
- One school, two buildings. Quebec lists each school once per building, so a school with two buildings shows twice, its building named.
- What isn’t here. Provinces don’t grade schools by inspection; class sizes and enrolment over time aren’t in the open lists.
Questions about schools in Bristol
Which boards run the schools in Bristol?
Renfrew County DSB (2) and Renfrew County CDSB (1), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Bristol?
Registration is with the school body, not the school; the neighbourhood school follows the address.
Is there a English-language school in Bristol?
Yes, there are English-language schools: St Joseph's Separate School, Walter Zadow Public School and Arnprior District High School.
How many schools are there in Bristol?
The town holds 0 of them; 3 more are within 3 km of its outline.
Sources: Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, school locations (CC BY 4.0) · 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).