Schools & childcare
How Toronto schooling works
Eligible children can attend publicly funded schools without tuition. Toronto has English and French systems, each with secular and Catholic boards. Independent schools charge fees and set their own admissions. Childcare and before/after-school care are separate paid services.
- Public-school tuition
- CAD 0
- Junior kindergarten
- Age 4
- School stages
- JK–8 / 9–12
For resident or otherwise fee-exempt pupils; international-fee rules differ.
By 31 December of the entry year; senior kindergarten follows at 5.
Elementary / secondary; individual schools may serve fewer grades.
| Publicly funded board | Language and character | Admission distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto District School Board (TDSB) | English-language, non-denominational; French immersion available | Regular programme normally follows the home address; immersion and specialized programmes have separate entry routes. |
| Toronto Catholic District School Board | English-language Catholic education | Separate elementary and secondary admission processes. Elementary religious eligibility needs board confirmation; newcomer secondary applicants aged 14–20 start at its Orientation Centre. |
| Conseil scolaire Viamonde | French-language, non-denominational | French-language rights holders qualify under the constitutional criteria; other families may request an admissions-committee interview and language assessment. |
| Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir | French-language Catholic education | Language eligibility and Catholic-school commitment apply; secondary schools admit students of all faiths. Non-Catholic elementary admission may be considered. |
Language rights and private-school oversight
Viamonde’s rights-holder categories concern a Canadian parent’s French first language or French-language education in Canada, or a child’s French-language public education in Canada. Speaking French alone is not the entire test. French immersion in an English board is a different programme.
Ontario does not inspect private elementary schools or private high schools that do not grant Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits. It inspects high schools seeking or holding authority to grant those credits. Registration on a government list is not a general quality endorsement.
Sources for this section
- Ontario — public elementary and secondary school directory
- Toronto District School Board — kindergarten ages and French immersion
- TCDSB — elementary registration
- Toronto Catholic District School Board — secondary registration
- Conseil scolaire Viamonde — school registration
- Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir — secondary registration and eligibility
- Ontario — private school oversight and inspections
Secure the right school for your address
Registration documents
Bring age/identity evidence, two accepted address documents and immunization records.
- For TDSB, a lease plus an eligible utility or official letter can meet the two address categories; a health card, driving licence, credit-card statement or mobile bill does not.
- Non-Canadian-born pupils also need arrival information. The board lists routes for permanent residents, refugee claimants and children without immigration status.
French immersion: next entry window
For September 2027 early French immersion, apply 2–27 November 2026.
- Entry is junior kindergarten. Late applications join a central waitlist subject to space.
Newcomer help inside the school
Ask for a Settlement Worker in Schools referral.
- Workers help families understand enrolment, school routines and local support; the school obtains consent before referral.
| Family situation | What to do | What can change the answer |
|---|---|---|
| Moving into the regular public-school programme | Run the exact address through the TDSB locator, then register with the designated school. | A school seen from the apartment window may serve a different boundary or grade range. |
| Parent holds a work permit | Provide the parent’s permit and family/residence documents for the fee-exempt route. | The parent must physically reside in Ontario; TDSB’s listed route covers children under 18, aligned with the permit validity. |
| Parent holds a study permit | Use the board’s non-resident admissions assessment before relying on fee exemption. | An eligible Ontario postsecondary programme and specified study evidence are required; a study permit alone does not settle it. |
| Seeking a different school | Apply through the relevant out-of-area or specialized programme process. | Capacity controls entry; TDSB does not provide out-of-area transport. |
| Child has an existing learning plan | Bring assessments and the plan to the home school; request a special-education meeting. | A previous placement is not automatically transferred. TDSB requires its own identification/placement decision where applicable. |
Status and additional learning support
For the study-permit fee exemption, TDSB requests evidence including an eligible Ontario institution, at least 600 in-class instructional hours and enrolment/tuition/timetable documents. Pending work-permit cases have their own evidence and admission-letter process. Use the board’s category-specific checklist.
For a TDSB Identification, Placement and Review Committee decision, the child must be registered and actively attending a TDSB school. Discuss interim accommodations at the home school while that process is arranged.
Sources for this section
- TDSB — find a school by home address
- TDSB — out-of-area admissions
- Toronto District School Board — registration questions
- TDSB — admissions for non-resident students
- TDSB — special education questions for families
- Toronto District School Board — settlement workers in schools
- r/torontomoms — a relocating parent’s school and lease decision
Assess learning, support and the school day
Academic evidence
Use the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) dashboard to compare the same grade, subject and year with board and provincial results.
- Ontario school profiles also show enrolment, grades and demographics.
- Assessment results measure specific learning outcomes; they do not describe every part of teaching, support or student life.
Support your child will actually receive
Discuss language support, learning accommodations and the current school timetable with the principal.
- Bring existing assessments or an Individual Education Plan.
- Ask how progress is reviewed and how bullying or inclusion concerns are handled.
The full school day
Compare before/after-school care, transport, clubs and the admissions terms alongside lessons.
- For a private secondary school, verify its diploma-credit authority and the curriculum offered.
- Request the full fee schedule and withdrawal/refund terms before paying.
Sources for this section
- Ontario — public elementary and secondary school directory
- Education Quality and Accountability Office — school, board and province dashboards
- Education Quality and Accountability Office — interpretation of assessment results
- TDSB — special education questions for families
- Ontario — private school oversight and inspections
- r/askTO — public and private school experiences, named first-person accounts
School fees: public international and private options
Published 2026–27 fees, checked 14 October 2026. The first-year column adds only the listed entry charges; it is not an all-inclusive school budget.
| Day-school route | Annual tuition / listed day fees | Listed first-year subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| TDSB fee-paying international, elementary or secondary | CAD 17,000 | CAD 17,900: tuition + CAD 400 application + CAD 500 mandatory emergency medical insurance |
| Upper Canada College, junior kindergarten–Year 5 | CAD 44,940 | CAD 54,940 including CAD 10,000 new-day-student registration |
| Upper Canada College, Years 6–10 / 11–12 | CAD 46,730 / 48,720 | CAD 56,730 / 58,720 with the same registration fee |
| Branksome Hall, junior kindergarten–Grade 10 | CAD 45,140 | CAD 54,640 including standard CAD 9,500 registration |
| Branksome Hall, Grades 11–12 | CAD 49,210 | CAD 58,710 including standard registration |
Fee scope and extras
TDSB’s international fee does not apply to a child who qualifies for resident or fee-exempt education. Its emergency insurance is mandatory in the international programme, separate from tuition, and is not a substitute for checking the family’s wider coverage.
Upper Canada College lists additional co-curricular and incidental charges. Branksome Hall lists uniforms, materials, technology, activities, meals and trips separately; its registration charge is lower when a sister is already enrolled. These two schools are examples, not a private-school market average.
Childcare: price and a place are different questions
Licensed centres and licensed home childcare are available, including City-operated services. The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care programme reduces fees at participating providers; it does not make every centre free or guarantee a place. Use Toronto’s directory to shortlist the correct age group and hours.
| City-operated care example | Published daily fee | 20 billed days |
|---|---|---|
| Centre: full-time infant, toddler or preschool | CAD 22.00 | CAD 440.00 |
| Licensed home care: under 2, full-time 6–12 hours | CAD 22.00 | CAD 440.00 |
| Licensed home care: age 2 to school entry, full-time | CAD 21.74 | CAD 434.80 |
| Licensed home care: school-age school-year programme | CAD 29.52 | CAD 590.40 |
Billing and availability
City rates were effective 1 January 2025 and remained published on the page updated 15 May 2026, checked 14 October. The City describes these fees as all-inclusive and requires payment for statutory holidays. Twenty billed days is an illustration; actual months and contracted hours vary.
The reduced-fee programme and Toronto’s household fee-subsidy application are different processes. School-age care has a separate rate; kindergarten or school admission does not itself reserve before/after-school care. The City’s childcare directory links provider search and subsidy services.