Choosing a private school is one of the most significant decisions a family makes. With more than 50 private schools in the Greater Toronto Area alone, the options can feel overwhelming. Here is what we have learned from twenty years of welcoming new families.
Start with class size. This is the single biggest factor in your child's daily experience. Ask every school: what is your maximum class size? Not average — maximum. A school that averages 22 students per class may have some classes of 28. At Prestige, our maximum is 18. In kindergarten, the ratio is 10:1.
Ask about the curriculum beyond the Ministry requirements. Every accredited Ontario school follows the same base curriculum. The question is: what do they add? At Prestige, students study French from Junior Kindergarten, computer studies from Grade 1, and physics, chemistry, and biology as separate subjects from Grade 4.
Visit during a regular school day. Open houses are curated. A Tuesday morning visit at 10 AM will tell you more than any brochure. Watch how teachers interact with students. Count the hands that go up when a question is asked. Notice whether the teacher knows every student's name.
Look at outcomes, not promises. Ask for university acceptance data. Ask where last year's graduates went. At Prestige, 100% of our graduates are accepted to post-secondary programs — and we publish where they go.
Talk to current parents. The school's website will tell you what they want you to hear. Current parents will tell you what it is actually like. Ask the admissions team to connect you with a family whose child is in the same grade your child would enter.
Trust your child's reaction. After the visit, ask your child what they thought. Children are remarkably perceptive about environments where they feel seen versus environments where they feel like a number.