3650 Platinum Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5M 0Y7, Canada
215-2678 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6K 2G3, Canada
3650 Platinum Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5M 0Y7, Canada
215-2678 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6K 2G3, Canada
5,705.0 km
7,663.2 km
1989
2016
500
128
JK to 12
K to 9
Coed
Coed
Day
Day
English
English
Academic
Academic
Traditional
Progressive
14
16
Dedicated gifted school
In-class adaptations
$12,740 to $15,000
$25,092 to $32,607
No
No
0%
0%
None
None
$0
$0
33
13
0%
0%
100%
50%
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
information not available
information not available
Rolling
Rolling
Not available
Not available
Yes: grades JK - 12
Yes: grades K - 9
No
No
information not available
information not available
Sherwood Heights intends to give students a strong foundation for further study, granted through a traditional, content-based academic program. Expectations are clear and explicit, including a demonstrable facility with the core curriculum and the development of watertight study habits. For many families that culture—one in which social currency is gained through academics—is a primary draw. Extra-curricular programs augment the core areas of instruction. The ideal student is one who is academically inclined, operating at the top of their peer group, and looking for an environment that prizes all of that.
View full reportPear Tree is young, and has all the attributes of youth: energetic, engaging, fun. The day program grew out of the Pear Tree education programs, and launched in 2016. So, it’s fresh, and indeed that’s an attraction. The feel is a great one, and that’s not to be underestimated—creating the right environment, the right feel, is important. With Pear Tree, it’s that vibrant feel that creates the first impression. The program is the definition of progressive, with small classes, hands-on instruction, and built around links across areas of the curriculum. Students are required to work collaboratively, solving problems together, and to engage creatively with each other and with technology. Activity is important, as is nutrition, which is just as it should be. The ideal learner is one who will thrive in an active, creative, small-group oriented environment.
View full reportinformation not available
"...our son is able to allow his curiosity to lead his learning whilst being encouraged, challenged and supported not only by his teachers but also by his peers."
Katherine Corden - Parent (May 03, 2021)
We always go back to our son's feedback after his first few weeks at Pear Tree Elementary - 'This sc... View full review
"I'm blown away by the amount of thought and preparation that goes into each of the learning activities."
Elizabeth Dunn - Parent (May 03, 2021)
Our energetic 8 year-old son loves Pear Tree because of the active learning activities, centered aro... View full review
"We’ve created our own parent social committee at Pear Tree, and I’ve seen the school support us at every step."
Gabriela Passano - Parent (May 26, 2025)
We’ve found Pear Tree to be a great choice for our son. The level of personalization achieved with... View full review
"Sherwood Heights School is a leading private school in Mississauga, offering a comprehensive K–12 programme. Motivated students thrive in a structured and supportive environment where small class sizes allow experienced teachers to provide individualized attention that builds strong academic foundations and fosters confidence, knowledge, and excellence. In the elementary years, students develop essential skills in literacy, mathematics, and critical thinking through a rigorous, mastery-based approach that emphasizes problem-solving and clear communication. Learning is supported by both targeted academic support and enrichment, alongside French, science and technology, and integrated computer and business studies. A variety of clubs, events, and competitions further extend learning beyond the classroom. As students progress through middle and high school, they benefit from specialized academic pathways, leadership development, and diverse co-curricular opportunities. With a proven record of admission to competitive university programmes, Sherwood Heights provides a clear pathway to future success."
"Your child won't just study subjects at Pear Tree School — they'll learn through real-world themes that connect math, science, writing, and more into one hands-on experience. That's The Pear Tree Method: a proprietary K–9 curriculum, fully mapped to BC Ministry standards, running in Vancouver since 2016. Students leave with more than grades. They leave with curated portfolios, verified skills, and proof of what they can do. BC-certified. Independently inspected. Kitsilano, Vancouver."
"At Sherwood Heights, we combine academic rigour with personal attention, balancing traditional instruction with purposeful innovation. We emphasize mastery of core subjects through clear expectations and consistent daily practice, while integrating technology across the curriculum to build confidence and digital fluency. Our Careers-in-Focus and enrichment initiatives connect classroom learning to real-world applications, inspiring students to see purpose in their studies. Families consistently note that our blend of structure, enrichment, and warmth is what truly sets Sherwood Heights apart."
"Most schools organize learning by subject. At Pear Tree, subjects organize around themes.
Math, science, writing, and social studies connect inside one real-world project. Students don't switch gears between periods — they go deeper into the same problem from different angles. That's The Pear Tree Method: a proprietary K–9 curriculum with 74 designed themes, every one mapped to BC Ministry standards.
Every teacher holds a Master's degree. Classes cap at 16 students. And students don't just complete the curriculum — they build portfolios documenting what they've actually learned. By graduation they have verified skills and a record of real work, not just a report card."
"At Sherwood Heights, our commitment to a strong academic foundation means we prioritize depth over breadth, focusing on the essentials—language, mathematics, science, and critical thinking—rather than following fleeting educational trends. This deliberate approach ensures that students build lasting knowledge and disciplined study habits. While our structured and rigorous environment may not suit families seeking a fully self-paced or alternative style of learning, our students thrive when they embrace high expectations, consistency, and personal accountability."
"Choosing Pear Tree School means choosing a fundamentally different model. Here's what that costs — and what it buys.
We trade isolated subjects for integrated themes. Your child won't have a math period and a writing period. They'll have a theme — and math, writing, and science will serve it. Some parents find this unfamiliar at first. Students find it impossible to forget.
We trade test scores for portfolio evidence. Assessment is built on what students produce and can defend, not timed performance.
Report cards look different here. What graduates take with them looks different too.
We trade survey coverage for genuine depth. Every theme goes deep. We don't race through content to tick boxes.
If you want a school that feels familiar from the outside, Pear Tree may not be the right fit.
If you want one your child will still be talking about at 25, book a tour."
"Founded in 1989, Sherwood Heights began as a small, independent elementary school and has since grown into a thriving institution with two campuses serving students from Preschool to Grade 12. Over more than three decades, we have expanded our facilities, introduced new academic streams, and enriched our extracurricular programmes to support well-rounded student growth. Our high school facility features modern innovation labs, state-of-the-art science and art studios, and collaborative learning spaces that reflect our ongoing commitment to providing a forward-looking, dynamic education for every student."
"SCHOOL YEAR:
2011/12 - Founding of Pear Tree Education (main organization)
2016/17 - Founding of Pear Tree School (K-7)
2020/21 - Expansion of Pear Tree School
2025/26 - Launch of Middle School Annex (expansion to grades 8-9)"
"Students who thrive at Sherwood Heights are motivated learners who embrace challenge and structure. They approach their studies with curiosity, responsibility, and a genuine desire to achieve their personal best. Within our supportive and disciplined environment, they learn that effort, respect, and achievement go hand in hand. At Sherwood Heights, students value a culture where academic excellence is celebrated alongside creativity, leadership, and good citizenship—preparing them to succeed with confidence both in school and beyond."
"Pear Tree School is the right fit for kids who want to know why — not just what. Students who thrive here are the ones who get absorbed in a problem, make connections across subjects, and want to show what they've built.
It's not the right school for every family. If your priority is a conventional report card and a familiar school structure, we're probably not your best match. We'll tell you that upfront.
The families who love Pear Tree tend to share one belief: that a child who can think across subjects, work with others, and defend their ideas is better prepared for adult life than one who memorised the right answers.
They want proof their child is learning — not just grades that say so.
If that sounds like you, the next step is a tour. Come see a theme in action."
"Sherwood Heights offers a structured and academically focused environment that may not align with families seeking a highly flexible or alternative approach to education. Our programme is designed for students who respond well to clear expectations and steady academic challenge. While we provide individual attention and support, the pace may feel demanding for those who require extensive accommodations. Our priority is always each child’s success and well-being, and we work closely with families to ensure that Sherwood Heights is the right environment for their child to truly flourish."
"Pear Tree School isn't the right fit for every family — and we'd rather tell you that upfront than waste your time.
If you want a school where success is measured by test scores and class rank, this isn't it. We don't run that race.
If you want a familiar structure — separate subjects, traditional homework, conventional report cards — Pear Tree will feel different in ways that may not suit you.
If your priority is brand-name prestige or a school that markets itself as an Ivy League pipeline, we're not that school either.
What we are: a school where your child builds real things, connects ideas across subjects, and graduates with a portfolio of verified work.
If that's not what you're looking for, we genuinely respect that — and we'll tell you so on your first call."
"Families choose Sherwood Heights for its rigorous academics, individualized attention, and welcoming school environment that fosters meaningful connections among students and teachers. They value our proven results—graduates who consistently earn admission to competitive university programmes—and the personal care that defines everyday life at our school. With a strong reputation for academic excellence, dedicated teaching, and small class sizes, Sherwood Heights continues to attract families who seek a nurturing and achievement-oriented education for their children."
"Families who choose Pear Tree School usually say the same thing after their tour: "I've never seen kids talk about their work like that."
That's The Pear Tree Method in action. Subjects don't exist in isolation here — they connect inside real-world themes. A child studying urban planning isn't just doing geography. They're doing math, writing, research, and design at the same time.
Every teacher holds a Master's degree. Classes stay at 16 students. And every child graduates with a curated portfolio — documented proof of what they've learned, not just a grade that says so.
Families also choose us because we're honest about fit. We don't take every applicant. That selectivity protects the culture that makes the method work."
"Sherwood Heights is widely recognized within the community as one of Mississauga’s leading private schools, known for combining high academic standards with a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Our reputation is built on exceptional student achievement, the professionalism and dedication of our staff, and the strong character of our students, who embody the school’s core values of integrity, effort, and kindness in all that they do."
"Pear Tree School is known in Vancouver as the school where subjects connect.
Parents who've toured describe it as unlike anything they expected — kids who can explain their work, classrooms built around projects rather than periods, and teachers who know every student by name.
In the broader education community, Pear Tree is recognised for The Pear Tree Method: a proprietary K–9 curriculum with 74 designed themes, fully mapped to BC Ministry standards. It's an approach built from the ground up — not borrowed from another model.
The reputation that matters most: graduates who can think across subjects, defend their ideas, and show what they've built."
"Families are often pleasantly surprised by the warmth and personal connection that define life at Sherwood Heights. Behind every academic success is a dedicated teacher who notices the small details, offering encouragement, guidance, and mentorship along the way. This genuine focus on relationships—built on care, respect, and support—is one of the school’s greatest strengths, shaping an environment where students feel seen, valued, and inspired to do their best."
"Parents often notice the themes. What they underestimate is the architecture behind them.
Every theme at Pear Tree is built from a proprietary curriculum document that maps each project to specific BC Ministry learning outcomes. This isn't creative teaching that hopes to cover the standards. It's a designed system where the creativity and the rigour are the same thing.
74 of these themes run across K–9. Every one has been built, tested, and refined. That's not something a good teacher improvises. It's what makes The Pear Tree Method a method — not just a philosophy."
"Many new families are pleasantly surprised by the advanced level of study at Sherwood Heights, even in the early grades, and by how quickly students rise to meet those challenges with confidence. They also appreciate the wide range of opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, including clubs, robotics, music, athletics, and leadership activities, all of which help students develop a balanced set of skills and discover their individual strengths and interests."
"Most parents arrive expecting an alternative school. They leave surprised by just how rigorous Pear Tree is.
The themes look creative from the outside. Inside, students are doing real math, writing research reports, building physical models, and presenting their work to adults who ask hard questions. The bar is high. Kids rise to meet it — because the work is worth doing.
The other thing that surprises families: how much their child talks about school at home. Not about what happened socially — about what they're building, what they figured out, what comes next."
"In recent years, Sherwood Heights has enhanced every aspect of the student experience. Our high school facilities now feature modern innovation and science labs, dedicated art and music studios, and a bright, open atrium that inspires collaboration and creativity. We have modernized our technology infrastructure to ensure students learn in a secure and connected environment, while expanding our curriculum to include leadership development, French at all levels, and integrated computer and business studies. In addition, we continue to grow our extracurricular offerings, helping students discover their passions, build teamwork skills, and develop strong character."
"Grade 8–9 launch: Pear Tree expanded to secondary in 2025/26, with a dedicated suite at our Kitsilano campus. Grade 9 follows in September 2026.
Standardised systems: We've built and implemented school-wide checklists, processes, and curriculum documentation to ensure The Pear Tree Method delivers consistently across every class and grade — not just in the hands of exceptional individual teachers.
Teacher recruitment: Our hiring and pre-service training process has been significantly strengthened. Every teacher holds a Master's degree and is trained in the method before entering a classroom.
Parent communication: Mid-term report cards and expanded parent workshops now give families more visibility into their child's progress throughout the year."
"Looking ahead, Sherwood Heights will continue to expand its facilities and programmes to meet the evolving needs of students. We plan to introduce advanced academic pathways, strengthen partnerships with universities and community organizations, and integrate new technologies that promote creative, critical, and collaborative learning. As we grow, our mission remains the same—to prepare students for success in university and beyond, guided by the enduring values of confidence, knowledge, and excellence that define the Sherwood Heights experience."
"Pear Tree School is mid-expansion — and the roadmap is concrete.
Grade 9 launches September 2026, completing our middle school offering. Grades 10, 11, and 12 follow in consecutive years, making Pear Tree a full K–12 school by 2029. Every high school grade will run The Pear Tree Method to completion — culminating in curated portfolios, work placements, employer references, and recorded defense presentations.
Beyond the high school build-out: additional K–7 campuses across Vancouver are in planning, and a dedicated secondary facility is part of the long-term vision.
Families enrolling now are joining a school at an inflection point — established enough to be proven, growing fast enough that their child will help define what it becomes."
I am forever bursting with gratification over what our students and faculty are able to achieve. The multitude of accomplishments are varied and far-reaching, and make our school environment exciting, rewarding, engaging, and satisfying. We are relentlessly working towards one theme, and that is ‘Making It Happen’. Students ‘make it happen’ as they are fully engaged in a wonderful array of exhilarating events, clubs, competitions, tournaments, festivals, and fairs. Guided by their teachers, students are fully immersed in their pursuit to do their best and learn from their experiences. The children participate in a wide array of stimulating activities which include the Science Fairs, Math Competitions, Public Speaking Competitions, Music Festivals, Spelling Bees, Shows, Sports Tournaments, and much more. Also, the clubs are a big hit with the students and serve to broaden their horizons. From the Leadership Club to the Chess Champions Club, students stir in the hallways with anticipation and excitement. The activities are many and students from every section of the school participate in large numbers and with tremendous success. It is truly amazing. Thank you to our faculty who are an essential element in the ‘making it happen’ theme. Our teachers provide wise guidance as they nurture, support, and motivate our students. They have made a name for themselves as very special committed individuals with great qualities and stamina! As time races ahead, year after year, “Together, We Make It Happen!”
A 'good school' isn't good enough.
The traditional model places students in rows, switches subjects every 45 minutes, and measures success with a test score. Math is math. Science is science. They never meet. Students learn to perform knowledge, not apply it.
That's not how learning actually works.
At Pear Tree School, subjects connect inside real-world themes. A student studying urban planning is doing math, writing, science, and social studies — at the same time, in the same project. The work is real. The challenge is genuine. The result is a child who can think across disciplines and show what they've built.
That's The Pear Tree Method. It's been running in Vancouver since 2016. It's Ministry-certified, Master's-taught, and designed from the ground up — not borrowed from another model.
I invite you to come and see it in action. Not a staged demonstration. A real school day.
Alexis Birner, Principal
Progressive
Information not available
Traditional curricula tend to be very content-based and rooted in the core disciplines. It is a structured approach that involves the teacher delivering a unified curriculum through direct instruction. Students usually learn by observing and listening to their teacher, studying facts and concepts in textbooks, and completing both tests and written assignments - which challenge students to not only demonstrate their mastery of content but their ability to analyze and deconstruct it critically. Class discussions are also used to create critical dialogue around the content of the curriculum.
Progressive (sometimes called "in- quiry-based") curricula attempt to place children's interests and ideas at the heart of the learning experience. Instead of lessons being driven by predetermined pathways, progressive curricula are often "emergent", with learning activities shaped by students' questions about the world. Instead of starting with academic concepts and then tying it to everyday experience, progressive methods begin with everyday experience and work back to an academic lesson. Teachers provide materials, experiences, tools and resources to help students investigate a topic or issue. Students are encouraged to explore, reflect on their findings, and discuss answers or solutions.
Not applicable
Sherwood Heights follows an enriched and well-rounded curriculum for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the basic subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, French, and computers; and addresses the importance of music, the arts, and physical fitness.
At Pear Tree School, the curriculum is built around themes — not subjects. Math, science, writing, and social studies connect inside one real-world project. Students don't switch gears between periods; they go deeper into the same problem from different angles. This is The Pear Tree Method: a proprietary K–9 curriculum with 74 designed themes, every one mapped to BC Ministry learning standards. It's not creative teaching that hopes to cover the outcomes. The creativity and the rigour are the same thing. Every teacher holds a Master's degree. Classes cap at 16 students. Physical education runs one hour daily — including martial arts, swimming, yoga, and ice skating. A hot lunch program prepared by a Red Seal chef runs five days a week. Students graduate with curated portfolios documenting what they've actually built — not just a report card that says they were there.
Equal Balance
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
A traditional, comprehensive, challenging and modernized math programme.
Math at Pear Tree School is a skills-based subject — but skills only stick when they mean something. So math lives inside themes. Students calculate real quantities, analyse real data, and apply financial literacy to real scenarios — not textbook problems invented to practise a method. We use an equal balance of traditional and discovery approaches. Students learn procedures and algorithms, and they understand why those procedures work — because they've already encountered the problem the procedure solves.
No textbooks. All math is taught in context, which means the numbers are real and the challenge is genuine.
Calculators are used as tools, not shortcuts — students are expected to know whether the output makes sense before they accept it.
Balanced Literacy
Systematic-phonics programs teach young children to read by helping them to recognize and sound out the letters and syllables of words. Students are then led to blend these sounds together to sound out and recognize the whole word. While other reading programs might touch on phonetics (either incidentally or on a “when needed” basis), systematic phonics teaches phonics in a specific sequence, and uses extensive repetition and direct instruction to help readers associate specific letter patterns with their associated sounds.
Balanced reading programs are typically Whole Language programs with supplementary phonics training. This training might be incidental, or it might take the form of mini-lessons.
The kindergarten programme is academic based, well balanced, comprehensive and instills a love of learning.
Reading at Pear Tree School is built into every theme. Students don't read to practise reading — they read because the theme demands it. Every theme draws on both fiction and non-fiction texts. Students encounter technical vocabulary specific to what they're studying, which pushes their reading range well beyond high-frequency word lists. Phonics instruction is explicit and systematic in the early grades. As students develop fluency, the focus shifts to comprehension, inference, and reading for meaning across subject areas.
DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Formal reading assessments run at the start of every term to track progress and identify gaps early.
Equal balance
Programs that balance systematic and process approaches equally likely have an emphasis on giving young students ample opportunities to write, while providing supplementary class-wide instruction in grammar, parts of sentences, and various writing strategies.
Programs that balance systematic and process approaches equally likely have an emphasis on giving young students ample opportunities to write, while providing supplementary class-wide instruction in grammar, parts of sentences, and various writing strategies.
Phonics, handwriting, spelling, grammar concepts, reading and reading comprehension are important components of our writing programme.
Writing at Pear Tree School always has an audience and a purpose. Students write research reports, explanations, narratives, and proposals — because the theme requires it, not because writing was scheduled for Tuesday. Grammar and sentence construction are taught explicitly, then applied immediately inside real writing tasks. Students draft, receive feedback, and revise. The standard is what the work requires — not what's typical for the grade. Because writing is embedded in themes, students write across subject areas every week. A student studying urban planning writes a proposal. A student studying ecosystems writes a field report. By the time they reach middle school, writing is a tool they reach for — not a subject they endure.
Inquiry
Science programs that balance expository and inquiry learning equally will likely have an equal blend of tests and experiments; direct, textbook-based instruction and student-centred projects.
Inquiry-based science emphasizes teaching science as a way of thinking or practice, and therefore tries to get students “doing” science as much as possible -- and not just “learning” it. Students still learn foundational scientific ideas and content (and build on this knowledge progressively); however, relative to expository science instruction, inquiry-based programs have students spend more time developing and executing their own experiments (empirical and theoretical). Students are frequently challenged to develop critical and scientific-thinking skills by developing their own well-reasoned hypothesis and finding ways to test those hypotheses. Projects and experiments are emphasized over textbook learning. Skills are emphasized over breadth of knowledge.
Rigorous science programme.
Science at Pear Tree is something students do, not something they're told about. Every theme that touches science involves hands-on investigation — forming hypotheses, running experiments, and drawing conclusions from real results. Science topics are woven into themes rather than taught as a standalone subject. A theme on ecosystems means students are doing biology and ecology. A theme on structures means physics. Cooking and food science run throughout the school — and at the senior grades, this extends into molecular gastronomy. At least half of Pear Tree's 74 curriculum themes draw directly from science topics. By the time students reach middle school, they've worked across biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, meteorology, physics, physiology, and zoology — not as separate units, but as connected ideas inside real projects.
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Zoology
Equal Balance
In traditional literature programs students focus on decoding the mechanics of texts: plot, characterization, and themes. These texts tend to include a balance of contemporary and “classic” literature. When studying a past work, students investigate its historical context -- but only insofar as this adds understanding to the work itself. Past works are therefore studied “on their own terms”, and not merely as historical artifacts to be deconstructed: traditional literature programs are firmly rooted in the humanities, and carry the belief that great literature can reveal fundamental and universal truths about the human condition. These programs emphasize class discussions and critical essay writing, and aim to develop in students critical thinking, communication skills, and a cultivated taste and ethos.
These literature programs draw in equal measure from “Traditional” and “Social Justice” programs.
Reading and reading comprehension, novel studies and various literature programmes are all offered.
At Pear Tree School, literature is chosen to serve the theme — not the other way around. Students read fiction and non-fiction, picture books and novels, poetry and primary sources. The selection is driven by what the theme demands and what will genuinely challenge the reader. Critical literacy is built into every text. Students don't just decode what a text says — they examine why it was written, who it serves, and what it assumes. This develops the kind of reading that transfers across subjects and into adult life. Literature spans Canadian, American, European, World, English, and Ancient texts across the grades — giving students a broad range of voices and contexts without sacrificing depth.
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Expanding Communities
Usually focused on teaching history and geography at an early age, the core knowledge approach uses story, drama, reading, and discussion to teach about significant people, places, and events. Breadth of content and knowledge is emphasized. The curriculum is often organized according to the underlying logic of the content: history might be taught sequentially, for example (as students move through the grades).
The Expanding Communities approach organizes the curriculum around students’ present, everyday experience. In the younger grades, students might learn about themselves, for example. As they move through the grades, the focus gradually broadens in scope: to the family, neighbourhood, city, province, country, and globe. The curriculum tends to have less focus on history than Core Knowledge programs.
Teaching history and geography from the beginning with an international approach from a Canadian perspective.
Social studies at Pear Tree School follows the BC curriculum's expanding communities structure — starting with the student's immediate world and broadening outward through the grades. But the themes make it concrete in ways a standard curriculum rarely does. A K–1 student studying community isn't reading about neighbourhoods in a textbook. They're building one — mapping it, researching it, presenting what they found. By middle school, students are examining global systems, historical events, and civic structures through the lens of themes that connect geography, history, and current events into one coherent project. Social studies at PT is never studied in isolation. It connects to math, writing, and science inside every theme — which means students understand the world as an interconnected system, not a series of separate subjects on a timetable.
Pragmatism
These programs represent an equal balance between the perennialist and pragmatic approach to teaching the humanities and social sciences.
Pragmatism in the humanities and social sciences emphasizes making learning relevant to students’ present-day experience. Assignments tend to centre around projects and tasks rather than argumentative essays; these projects will often have a “real-world” application or relevance. There might be more of a social justice component to a pragmatic program, though that isn’t always the case. Subjects like history and philosophy are still covered/offered, but they play a less prominent role in the overall program than in the case of perennialism. The social sciences (contemporary geography, sociology, psychology, etc), meanwhile, might play a more prominent role in pragmatic programs. The key goals are to make learning progressive and relevant, while teaching students real-life skills and critical thinking.
Rigorous history and geography programme based on the Ministry of Education guidelines.
At Grades 7 and up, humanities and social sciences at Pear Tree School become the framework through which students understand how the world works — historically, economically, geographically, and politically. Themes at this level connect these disciplines into one coherent project rather than separate courses. Students don't write essays about history to demonstrate recall. They research, argue, and present — because the theme requires a position, not just a summary. Critical thinking and real-world application are the standard, not enrichment extras. The BC curriculum provides the outcomes. The Pear Tree Method provides the context that makes those outcomes stick.
Communicative
These programs feature an equal blend of the audio-lingual and communicative styles of language instruction.
The communicative method of language acquisition emphasizes the use of the target language in authentic contexts. The approach commonly features interactive group work, games, authentic texts, and opportunities to learn about the cultural background of the language. Drills and quizzes may still be used, but less frequently than with the audio-lingual method.
An academic balanced approach.
French instruction begins in Grade 2 and runs through the school. Language is taught as a cultural construct, not a grammatical one — students learn French in context, through authentic texts, conversation, and cultural study. The goal is functional communication and cultural fluency, not textbook conjugation. Students who understand why a language works the way it does retain it. Students who memorise verb tables don't.
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Information not available
Creative
These programs have an equal emphasis on receptive and creative learning.
Creative arts programs are studio-driven. While historical works and movements may still be taught to add context to the program, students mainly engage in making art (visual, musical, theatrical, etc). The goal is use the actual practice of art to help educate students’ emotions, cognition, and ethos.
Fine arts is an important part of our curriculum.
Fine arts at Pear Tree School are woven into themes rather than scheduled as a separate subject. Students make art because the theme calls for it — a visual presentation, a performance, a designed object. This means art always has an audience and a purpose. Specialist instructors support classroom teachers across acting, dance, drama, graphic design, music, and visual arts. The goal is students who use creative skills as tools — not students who perform creativity on cue and forget it the moment the class ends.
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Medium integration
A major effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy throughout the curriculum and in everything students do. Digital literacy is understood to be a fundamental skill in the 21st century: it therefore follows, the idea goes, that teachers should find ways to connect every lesson back to technology. Effort is made to ensure the use of technology is meaningful and advances students’ skills beyond what they would otherwise be from using computers outside the classroom.
Effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy through the curriculum. However, this is not a dominant focus.
A constructivist, collaborative approach to teaching and integrating technology.
Technology at Pear Tree School is a tool, not a subject. Students use it when the theme demands it — for research, design, data analysis, presentation, and creation. The goal is purposeful digital literacy, not screen time for its own sake. In the early grades, technology plays a supporting role. As students move into middle school, it becomes a primary tool for documenting and presenting their work. Computer science, robotics, and web design are offered as the curriculum develops. Pear Tree's Principal holds an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) designation — a competitive, application-based credential recognising innovative use of technology in education. That expertise informs how technology is integrated across the school.
Web design
Robotics
Computer science
Learning the rules of the game and good sportsmanship are important. House league teams, sports teams, intramural sports.
Physical education at Pear Tree School runs one hour every day — not as a break from learning, but as part of it. Activities include martial arts, swimming, yoga, ice skating, team sports, and solo pursuits across the year. The programme develops physical literacy alongside self-discipline, goal-setting, and resilience. Students learn to push themselves, recover from setbacks, and work with others under pressure — skills that transfer directly into academic work. PE also connects to the curriculum. Physiology, nutrition, psychology, and strategy are studied through sport. A student who understands how their body works performs better in the classroom — and understands why. One hour daily is non-negotiable at Pear Tree. It is not reduced for academic pressure, special events, or scheduling convenience.
Academic
Academic-based preschools and Kindergartens are the most structured of the different types, and have a strong emphasis on math and reading readiness skills. These programs aim to expose children to what early-elementary school is like. While time is still allotted to free play, much of the day is built around explicit lessons guided by the teacher. Classrooms often resemble play-based ones (with different stations set up around the room), but at an Academic program the teacher leads students through the stations directly, and ties these activities to a whole-class lesson or theme.
Academic-based preschools and Kindergartens are the most structured of the different types, and have a strong emphasis on math and reading readiness skills. These programs aim to expose children to what early-elementary school is like. While time is still allotted to free play, much of the day is built around explicit lessons guided by the teacher. Classrooms often resemble play-based ones (with different stations set up around the room), but at an Academic program the teacher leads students through the stations directly, and ties these activities to a whole-class lesson or theme.
The kindergarten programme is academic based, well balanced, comprehensive and instills a love of learning. Students are introduced to the fundamentals of reading, writing, mathematics, social science and French. Students will also expand their language skills through conversation, word activities, stories, audio and visual material, and computer software. Gross and fine motor skills and co-ordination are developed through physical and educational activities and the use of paints, crayons, clay, sand and water. Creative expression is encouraged through arts & crafts, music, and drama.
Kindergarten at Pear Tree School is where The Pear Tree Method begins. From day one, children learn through hands-on themes that connect early literacy, numeracy, and discovery into one experience — not separate lessons on separate subjects. Classes cap at 16 students. Every teacher holds a Master's degree. The classroom is structured and purposeful, but the work feels like building, making, and figuring things out — because it is. Children leave K–1 able to read, count, collaborate, and explain their thinking. They also leave with their first portfolio entry — documented proof of what they learned, not just a note that they attended.
Student-paced
The main curriculum accelerates beyond the pace of the provincial one; ALL students do the work of OLDER public-school peers in tangible and measurable ways. This accelerated pace is maintained by the teachers and school, (through textbook selection, topic selection, grading, assignment standards and expectations, etc).
The main curriculum pace is non-standardized and is HIGHLY responsive to the pacing of individual students, (via differentiated instruction, differentiated assessment, etc). In theory, some students outpace the default/normalized curriculum, while others spend periods "behind schedule" if they need the extra time.
Enriched as well as extra-help material is available to all students to meet their individual needs.
Combined grade classes mean students learn alongside peers at different stages — which raises the floor and stretches the ceiling. A Grade 2 student working at Grade 3 depth isn't an exception here. It's the expected outcome of the method.
Rigorous
A school with a “rigorous” academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards – and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum – are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called “rigorous”.
A school with a “rigorous” academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards – and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum – are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called “rigorous”.
Pear Tree School sets high standards — not through tests and rankings, but through the quality of work students are expected to produce. Every theme has a real outcome: something built, written, researched, or presented to an audience. The bar is what the work requires, not what the grade curve allows. Masters-qualified teachers know the difference between a student who is stuck and one who is coasting. Neither is acceptable. Students are challenged to their actual ceiling — not managed to a comfortable average.
"We honour and distinguish our brightest students, using them as examples for other students to follow."
"We intentionally avoid all forms of public distinction between students in terms of academic performance."
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Pear Tree School aims to graduate students who are intellectually capable, emotionally grounded, physically active, and socially aware — not because we treat these as separate programmes, but because The Pear Tree Method develops all of them through the same work. A student who builds a real project, presents it to an audience, defends their decisions, and iterates based on feedback is developing intellectually, emotionally, and socially at the same time. That's not a philosophy. That's what the method produces. The graduate we're building can think across subjects, work with others, handle challenge, and show what they've learned. That's the whole point.
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
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Badminton |
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Baseball |
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Basketball |
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Canoeing/Kayaking |
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Cricket |
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Cross-country skiing |
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Cycling |
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Downhill skiing |
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Equestrian |
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Fencing |
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Field Hockey |
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Figure Skating |
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Football |
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Golf |
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Gymnastics |
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Ice Hockey |
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Ice Skating |
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Lacrosse |
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Martial Arts |
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Mountain biking |
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Racquet Ball |
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Rowing |
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Rugby |
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Running |
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Sailing |
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Skateboarding |
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Snowboarding |
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Soccer |
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Softball |
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Squash |
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Swimming |
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Tennis |
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Track & Field |
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Volleyball |
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Weightlifting |
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Wrestling |
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Archery |
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Curling |
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Ultimate |
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
0%
0%
$0
$0
100%
50%
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Rolling
Rolling
Not available
Not available
Yes: grades JK - 12
Yes: grades K - 9
No
No
No
No
Yes: grades JK - 12
Yes: grades K - 9
No
Yes: grades 5 - 9
No
No
A student with a love for learning.
Pear Tree School works best for students who want to know why — not just what. Kids who get absorbed in a problem. Kids who like making things, figuring things out, and showing what they've built. You don't need a "gifted" child. You need a child who can engage. The method demands curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to work with others. Students who arrive expecting to sit quietly and receive information find the adjustment real. The students who thrive here tend to share a few traits: they ask questions, they don't give up easily, and they care about doing good work — not just finished work. They're often the kids who were bored, frustrated, or underestimated elsewhere. Families matter too. PT works best when parents believe that how a child learns is as important as what they learn — and when they're genuinely curious about the method, not just looking for a smaller class size. Our admissions process is designed to surface fit, not just ability. Stage 1 takes three minutes. The assessment and interview that follow tell us what we actually need to know: whether your child and PT are right for each other. We'd rather tell you it's not a fit early than discover it after enrolment.
School Tour, Application Form, Admission Agreement, and Assessment of Student.
Visit our Website for up-to-date information about our Admissions process [link]:
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