21 St. Clements Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1G8, Canada
298 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1X2, Canada
21 St. Clements Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1G8, Canada
298 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1X2, Canada
1901
1867
470
1010
1 to 12
JK to 12
Girls
Girls
Day
Boarding, Day
English
English
Academic
Academic
Liberal Arts
Progressive, Reggio Emilia
16
18 to 22
In-class adaptations
$34,500
$35,800
$66,125 to $69,145
Yes
Yes
6%
10%
7 to 12
7 to 12
$0
$21,000
39
67
0%
7%
50%
40%
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Dec 01, 2021
Dec 01, 2022
Not available
Rolling
Yes: grades 1 - 12
Yes: grades JK - 11
No
No
Located in the heart of midtown Toronto, St. Clement's School offers a well-rounded, balanced, and supportive learning environment founded on academic excellence. Mentorship is prized, and the school is committed to delivering on a mission to develop exceptional women who are compassionate, curious thinkers and open to new experiences. Girls are guided on their own paths of discovery with the support of a strong school community. That approach is coupled with a progressive 21st century curriculum and lessons reinforced by lived experience. An inclusive, energetic dynamic is the product of a mixture of small classes sizes and interconnected grade levels.
Read The Our Kids Review of St. Clement's School
The Bishop Strachan School has a long and impressive history of excellence, and has consistently provided leadership in education and beyond. This is a school that seeks to give girls confidence in their skills and abilities, and to have their ideas heard in what can be, at times, a very noisy world. There is a strong arts program, and the school emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math—professions in which women remain underrepresented. The school promotes the concept that girls need not choose between either arts or sciences, but can each find their own ways of excelling in both, based on the development of creative thinking, effective communication, and ethical leadership.
Read The Our Kids Review of The Bishop Strachan School
Located in the heart of midtown Toronto, St. Clement's School offers a well-rounded, balanced, and supportive learning environment founded on academic excellence. Mentorship is prized, and the school is committed to delivering on a mission to develop exceptional women who are compassionate, curious thinkers and open to new experiences. Girls are guided on their own paths of discovery with the support of a strong school community. That approach is coupled with a progressive 21st century curriculum and lessons reinforced by lived experience. An inclusive, energetic dynamic is the product of a mixture of small classes sizes and interconnected grade levels.
View full reportThe school’s approach, largely, is based in an understanding that it’s a complicated world, one which requires a set of complex foundational skills: being able to think for yourself, working cooperatively, and engaging empathetically with others. That includes a grasp of the curricular content as well as an ability to write well, speak well, and appreciate the elegance in a well-crafted argument. The learning environment is varied, diverse and comprised of a community of true peers, those who share a sense of curiosity and, while not being bookish, are inclined to academics and respond well to a challenge while appreciating support. Once here, they find those interests and curiosities shared and rewarded. "There's very little pressure to conform at a girls' school,” says an alumnus. “Being unique and having deep interests is what's considered cool.” The academics are not only strong, they have long provided an example that other schools have sought to emulate. That said, there’s a belief in being able to relax too—that it’s a journey, not a race, and that it’s as valuable to look around as it is to look forward. In terms of skills, outlook, and confidence, girls leave the school ready to take on the world. And they do.
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"I am still in touch, twenty years later, with some of my teachers...This speaks to the dedication of the teaching staff I believe"
Allison Smith - Alumnus (Sep 19, 2018)
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Bishop Strachan School.
BSS has a strong academic prog...
View full review
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Welcome! I am thrilled that you are interested in learning more about St. Clement’s School. Beyond the strong tradition of academic excellence, there is a tangible sense of community spirit and pride at SCS that you can feel the moment you walk into our building.
Our mission is to develop outstanding women who are intellectually curious, courageous, and compassionate, and we believe that this is done by equipping our students to be courageous and adaptable learners and empowering them to make impactful contributions in local, national, and global communities.
Choosing a school for your child is a very important decision. It is my hope that as you read more about us, you will get a little sense of who we are as a school and will be inspired to come and see SCS for yourself. We welcome you to visit us to get a better sense of our spirited community – one that reflects relentless passion, courage, and curiosity in learning.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing more about St. Clement’s School.
Warmest regards,
Martha Perry ’85
Principal
Angela Terpstra was principal of the Senior School for eleven years before becoming Head of School, and her goals for the girls of BSS reach beyond academic success. She places immense priority on cultivating compassionate, ethical citizens who exhibit kindness and generosity and value differences in religion, race, opinions, and ideas. She strives to engage girls with the outside world, and feels strongly that topical issues in the news have a very important place in the classrooms of BSS. Angela is inspired and activated by the idea of “private schools with public purpose,” and she strives to use the resources available in an independent school setting to lead the way in forward-thinking education for girls that teachers the world over can observe and learn from.
Progressive
Reggio Emilia
Liberal Arts curricula share with traditional programs their emphasis on core knowledge-acquisition, but tend to borrow more best practices from the progressive approach. A Liberal Arts program might still feature group work and projects, for example, contrary to the more singular emphasis on tests and essays at a Traditional program.
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.
Reggio Emilia programs are offered by some schools at the preschool and elementary level. The approach aims to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills through the liberal use of projects (as opposed to activities or lessons): teachers design projects for children around their demonstrated interests. Projects can be geared to an individual student, a small group of students, or the class as a whole. They can last from a few days to the whole year. Art is strongly emphasized and is typically incorporated into every project. Teachers actively participate in projects alongside students, rather than sitting back and observing. The philosophy calls for a high degree of parent involvement as well, particularly when forming curricula and project plans (which happens throughout the academic year).
At St. Clement’s School, we are evolving and redefining what it means to really learn and thrive in a world where the only certainty is change. We don’t just want our students to thrive, we want them to boldly thrive – to see disruption as opportunity and possibility, to seize change with agility and imagination, to tackle the complex world of tomorrow with confidence and character. Our learners will flourish because they are empowered by purpose and the ability to see themselves as agents of change, challenged by the unknown, challenged to architect their own self-sustaining journeys. We’re taking a leadership role in learning so our learners will lead an ever-changing world. How? Their educational journeys will be marked by academic rigour and a renewed curriculum that continually challenges and assesses the act of learning itself in an inclusive and safe environment. Students will value learning as an outcome in itself, understanding it’s about the success of the learning journey, not just the destination.
Guided by the highest standards of academic excellence and vital character development at The Bishop Strachan School (BSS), we leverage the Signature of a BSS Girl to achieve our mission: to inspire girls to be fearless and educate them to be leaders. We know from 150 years of experience that having the confidence and courage to make a difference in the world begins with self-discovery. Encouraging exploration is our primary focus, because when students are curious they learn how to persist through difficulty, trust their judgment and find their voice as they reach their goals. With this, girls see firsthand that they hold within themselves everything they need to go anywhere and do anything in the world.
Traditional Math
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
Traditional Math typically teaches a method or algorithm FIRST, and THEN teaches the applications for the method. Traditional algorithms are emphasized and practiced regularly: repetition and drills are frequently used to ensure foundational mastery in the underlying mathematical procedures. The traditional approach to math views math education as akin to building a logical edifice: each brick depends on the support of the previously laid ones, which represent mastery over a particular procedure or method. Traditional Math begins by giving students a tool, and then challenges students to practice using that tool an applied way, with progressively challenging problems. In this sense Traditional Math aims to establish procedural understanding before conceptual and applied understanding.
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Whole Language
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.
Whole Language reading programs eschew sublexical (under the word-level) training, focusing instead on getting students to infer and guess at words based on their understanding of the larger meaning of the sentence (“context-clues”). Students are given ample opportunity to read actual literature (age-appropriate) along with strategies for using semantic-based clues to pronounce unrecognized words.
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DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Process approach
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.
The process approach to teaching beginner writing aims to get students writing “real things” as much as possible and as soon as possible. The goal is to create the right environmental conditions to encourage a love of writing and a motivation to write well. With children invested in the writing process -- through assignments children find meaningful -- students are then given feedback on how they can improve.
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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.
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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
Physics
Social Justice
These literature programs draw in equal measure from “Traditional” and “Social Justice” programs.
In social justice- inspired programs, literature is not viewed as something to be merely decoded and “appreciated”: rather, it is viewed as a catalyst to social action. Choice of texts tends to favour contemporary works. If a classical text is used, it’s often in the context of social deconstruction: students are asked to critically examine possible prejudices and historical narratives inherent in the work. Like in traditional literature programs, students are often asked to engage in class discussion and critical essay writing, but more time might also be devoted to cooperative group projects and personal reflections. The goal is to teach students to think critically about what they read, while becoming intellectually and physically engaged in the social issues pertaining to their wider community.
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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
The Thematic approach organizes the curriculum around certain themes or cultural universals. Students might spend time focused on food. Then they might focus on transportation or government, and so on.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Heavy integration
Effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy through the curriculum. However, this is not a dominant focus.
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.
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Web design
Robotics
Computer science
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Our health and physical education curriculum is designed for students to build knowledge and skills and enable them to succeed in an ever-changing world by developing physical and health literacy. Our program helps students build capacity and commitment to promote healthy and active living. The Junior and Middle Schools offer intramural sports as part of the PE program which focusses on cooperation and participation.
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia programs aim to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills through the liberal use of “projects”, (as opposed to “activities” or “lessons”). Teachers design projects for children around their demonstrated interests. Projects can be geared to an individual student, a small group of students, or the class as a whole. Projects can last from a few days to the whole year. Art is strongly emphasized and is typically incorporated into every project. Teachers actively participate in projects alongside students, rather than sitting back and observing. A high degree of parent involvement is also encouraged, particularly when forming curriculums and project plans (which happens throughout the academic year).
If you want to learn more about Reggio Emilia education, check out our comprehensive guide.
A strong start means a better finish. It’s precisely what happens within the dynamic, inquiry-based learning approach you’ll find in our Junior School (JK to Grade 6). Children are treated as the intellectually powerful beings they are, and encouraged to express themselves as they learn, grow, collaborate and create. Learn more at bss.on.ca/junior-school.
Standard-enriched
Broadly-speaking, the main curriculum -- like that of most schools -- paces the provincially-outlined one. This pace is steady and set by the teachers and school. The curriculum might still be enriched in various ways: covering topics more in-depth and with more vigor than the provincial one, or covering a broader selection of topics.
Broadly-speaking, the main curriculum -- like that of most schools -- paces the provincially-outlined one. This pace is steady and set by the teachers and school. The curriculum might still be enriched in various ways: covering topics more in-depth and with more vigor than the provincial one, or covering a broader selection of topics.
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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”.
Our commitment to academic rigour and excellence has defined the SCS experience for over a century. Here, academic rigour refers to what is taught, how it is taught, and how it is assessed. Our academic program challenges every one of our students to think critically and creatively, and to problem solve both independently and collaboratively.
We strongly believe in the power of the girls within these walls and their ability to change the world for the better. It’s not just a philosophy; it’s the basis of our curriculum and our approach. Our vision is this: we want BSS to be an inspirational force for women to reach their full potential as transformative leaders. We’re dedicated to facilitating powerful learning and encouraging inspirational leaders in the world – whatever that looks like for each girl.
"We honour and distinguish our brightest students, using them as examples for other students to follow."
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
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.
At St. Clement's School, our overarching goal is to develop and equip courageous and adaptable learners and empower them to make impactful contributions in local, national and global communities. Here is how we will achieve this goal: -By committing to develop learners: Ensure curricular and co-curricular experiences challenge students to value learning as an outcome in itself. -By providing individual attention to students: Help students navigate their personal learning journey and understand their strengths. -By fostering an inclusive and safe environment: empower students to engage in and contribute to a community in which everyone feels known and valued. -By equipping students to manage their self-development: Provide resources and tools to cultivate self-awareness and support holistic development.
BSS strives to inspire girls to be fearless and educate girls to be leaders. For a full understanding of the set of personal attributes that are encouraged, nurtured and taught at BSS, read more about our Signature of a BSS Girl and Culture of Powerful Learning at https://www.bss.on.ca/learning-teaching.
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Track & Field |
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Weightlifting |
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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
7 - 12
7 - 12
6%
10%
$0
$21,000
50%
40%
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Dec 01, 2021
Dec 01, 2022
Not available
Rolling
Yes: grades 1 - 12
Yes: grades JK - 11
No
No
No
No
Yes: grades 1 - 6
Yes: grades JK - 11
No
Yes: grades 7 - 11
No
No
If you’re thinking about coming to BSS, you’re in good company. Every year we welcome more than a hundred girls who find themselves embraced by a warm, welcoming and lively community. Successful students at BSS thrive in a rigorous inquiry-based environment and enjoy strong verbal and conceptual learning styles.
Applications are completed online. The following is required at the time of application:
1. A recent photograph of the applicant.
2. The applicant’s final reports from the previous three years and any reports available for the current year.
3. A copy of the applicant’s birth certificate or passport.
4. Educational assessment(s) and IEP(s), if applicable.
5. The non-refundable application fee of $250, or early bird application fee of $200 until October 31, 2022
We welcome Day students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 11 and Boarding students from Grades 8 to 11 into our creative and challenging environment. Grade 12 applications are considered on a case-to-case basis. The path to BSS is an exciting one! Take the first step now.
STEP ONE - Connect With Us
Join one of our in person or virtual events or visit our website to learn more about the enrolment process. Email [email protected] or call 416-483-4325, ext. 1220.
STEP TWO - Apply
Apply online. Applications are due by December 1, 2021.
STEP THREE - Submit Your Documentation
All supplementary documents will be uploaded through our online application system (myBSS). This way you’ll be able to track your progress through the application process. Check our website for specific requirements.
STEP FOUR - Book Your Interview and Assessment
This enables us to get to know you and your child, including her academic strengths and interests outside of school.
STEP FIVE - Offer
Independent schools in the Toronto area share a common offer date in February for Day applicants. This is the day you will hear from BSS with an enrolment decision. If your daughter is offered a place, you will have 5 days to accept. We encourage families to make the decision as quickly as possible, as we do keep an active waitlist and applicants may be considered for second-round offers.
