Explore the world-class facilities at private schools

While the first-rate education provided by private schools in Canada is typically one of the biggest draws for parents, the world-class facilities they offer students are just as impressive. Be it a specialized private school or one that delivers a broader-spectrum education, students attending private schools in Canada enjoy sprawling campuses packed with amenities, allowing them to thrive in and out of the classroom. “Access to exceptional facilities allows students to explore personal passions, develop resilience and overcome challenges,” says Dave Darby, assistant head of enrolment at Lakefield College School, just north of Peterborough, Ont., “preparing them with future-ready life skills to thrive in all aspects of their lives.”

Gorgeous grounds

Private schools in Canada boast expansive, beautifully landscaped properties and green spaces, often with historic buildings or other notable features that enhance and enrich the school experience. “[Our] 315-acre campus—with its waterfront, forests, trails and wetlands—supports outdoor-education classes where students learn wilderness survival skills, environmental responsibility and participate in activities like fall and winter camping,” Darby says.

Davide D’Alessandro, corporate director and founding family member of the Canadian College Italy, a private boarding high school in Lanciano, Italy, credits his school’s location for the one-of-a-kind education students receive. “Lanciano is more than 600 years older than Rome, and our students move through its narrow cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings to get from residence to class or to grab a cappuccino in the piazza with friends,” he says. “It’s pretty hard not to get excited about history, art, politics and science when you’re living in the country of the Renaissance.” He adds that the school regularly takes classes on the road to locations such as Pompeii, Florence, Venice and Sorrento.

Resource-packed classrooms

In-class learning at private schools goes beyond just textbooks and blackboards, thanks to the comprehensive classroom resources available to students. From fully outfitted computer and science labs with top-of-the-line equipment to well-stocked art rooms, creative studios, food-science kitchens, libraries and more, private school classrooms are filled with tools to support academic excellence. “As a school for girls—which is different from a school with girls—our facilities are all designed to support girls and the ways that they learn best,” says Catherine Hant, head of school at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ont. That includes providing students with access to state-of-the-art technology, such as 3-D printers, and having UltraHD 4K digital whiteboards in all classrooms to facilitate real-time collaboration. “We also have STEM and robotics equipment for every age and stage at our school to support coding and robotics as early as junior kindergarten,” says the school’s executive director of enrolment management, Sarah Scandrett. “In fact, every grade in our junior school, which is grades 1 through 5, features a unique robotics or coding experience to build on students’ advancing skill sets.”

Amazing arts spaces

Imagination and creativity are encouraged at private schools in Canada, many of which feature phenomenal visual- and performing-arts creative spaces—including theatres, studios and rehearsal halls—to help students pursue their artistic passions. “Our thrust-stage theatre offers a dynamic space for our performing-arts program, enabling students to participate in dance showcases, musicals and theatrical productions as performers, choreographers and backstage technicians,” Darby says. “This facility nurtures artistic talent and provides opportunities for students to develop confidence, creativity and a variety of industry-related performance-art skills.”

At St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, students are able to hone their skills in myriad ways in the school’s extensive specialized facilities. Students have access to music studios throughout the school day for piano, string and vocal lessons, says its executive director, Geoffrey Rawlinson. “St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, our second home, hosts cantor and organ lessons and is home to our concert series,” he says. “Easy access to these facilities enables students to engage in musical excellence throughout their time at the school.”

Supercharging sports

Many top Canadian athletes attend private schools for the outstanding athletics facilities they offer. From pristine sports fields and arenas, high-quality weights and cardio equipment, swimming pools, ice rinks, trails, complementary treatment rooms for post-game recovery and the wide selection of sports available as a result of the facilities, private schools provide a multitude of opportunities for students to get active. “Our students love having a beautiful natural playground right outside their door. The waterfront is a favourite, providing a natural extension of their day where they can unwind, exercise and socialize through canoeing, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, swimming and paddleboarding,” Darby says. “Students have daily access to cross-country, nature and ski trails, tennis courts, high and low outdoor ropes courses, an outdoor shinny rink and numerous track and playing fields.” D’Alessandro says his campus’s unique location affords students exciting options for outdoor adventure, as well. “Living between the mountains and the sea means we can enjoy the region’s natural beauty,” he says, “and do all kinds of activities, like skiing, sailing, scuba diving, hiking, cycling, camping, and horseback riding.”

Additional A-list amenities

Every private school in Canada has its own extra-special facility or amenity that wows parents and students alike. At some, it might be the student residences, where snack-stocked kitchens, ample laundry facilities and big-screen-TV rooms create a sense of independence. At others, it might be a rooftop observatory to gaze at the stars, a yoga studio to help students de-stress or, in Lakefield’s case, a working farm where students can literally dig in to learning. “At our regenerative-learning farm, students are immersed in experiential activities, learning about food systems, sustainability and developing culinary skills,” Darby says.

Regardless of the type of facilities a particular Canadian private school may have, the benefits are universal across the sector. “In having facilities that allow students to explore everything—whether it’s the arts, athletics, robotics, new cultures or experiences—we give them the opportunity to discover their passions,” says Brad Read, associate head of school at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn, “and to uncover who they are and who they want to be.”