On this page we cover private and independent schools in Victoria, BC that offer gifted programs and support. This may include gifted schools and programs in downtown Victoria, Victoria West, Oaklands, Fairfield, Rockland, Harris Green, Jubilee, Fernwood, and North Park.
For a more complete guide to gifted education, including a discussion of gifted programs and assessment, start with our introductory guide.
Private schools are not obligated to support gifted learners with special programs. Many private schools don't—even ones with strong academic reputations. The schools listed on this page, however, do. We organize the schools into groups: dedicated gifted schools, schools with dedicated gifted classes, and schools offering in-class gifted support. Then, in the fourth group, we identify schools that don't offer formal gifted support but have accelerated curricula for all their students.
These schools have a separate, dedicated class (or classes) where 100% of the students are gifted. These gifted classes can be either full-time or part-time, and exist in parallel to regular, non-gifted classes.
Victoria, British Columbia Richmond Rd/McRae Ave "Independent Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 boarding and day school in Victoria, BC, Canada focusing on outstanding preparation for life. Find out how a SMUS education can benefit your family." —From the school
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Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia "Beginning in Grade 8, our unique Shawnigan journey purposefully guides students through a distinct, unparalleled and bold educational experience on our stunning waterfront campus on Canada’s beautiful West Coast." —From the school
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These schools offer support for gifted students within the regular classroom. Gifted students stay with regular learners, while receiving special, individualized programming.
"Confident Learners. Inspiring Leaders. Creating a thriving world.
—From the school
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Victoria, British Columbia "We identify the experiences that facilitate education that empowers the individual and fosters a community of collaborative contributors through interdisciplinary, integrated integrated projects." —From the school
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Victoria, British Columbia "GNS is an independent JK-12 International Baccalaureate boarding and day school in Victoria, BC, that empowers and supports each of our students to do their best through truth and courage in learning and in life." —From the school
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Victoria, British Columbia "Brookes Westshore, an IB World School on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC, offers grades 4 to 12 and both day and boarding programmes, with an average class size of 15 students." —From the school
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These schools offer no formal program for gifted students, but have an accelerated baseline curriculum. This means all students—gifted or not—do the work of older peers at other schools. For highly gifted learners (those in the 99th percentile), this alone is likely not enough to support their needs.
Richmond, British Columbia "We emphasize critical thinking, as well as innovation, joy, and curiosity." —From the school
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Our gifted education guide has advice specific to finding gifted programming. For insights that are more general (on how to evaluate school options), we recommend you review our hub on choosing a school, as well as advice from top education experts. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.
Private school expos are a great starting point for finding a school. We have annual private school expos in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Halton-peel. These expos allow you to speak with many private schools, some of which have gifted programs—all in one place. Find a gifted school near you.
Word-of-mouth is another powerful tool in your school-finding arsenal. The Our Kids parent discussion forum allows you to discuss your options and debate topics about gifted education. You can use our community of parents, educational experts, alumni, and school officials to help answer your questions and stimulate your thinking.
Attending open houses is a great way to learn more about a school and get a feel for the environment. For some general advice on open house visits, go here. For questions to ask that are specific to gifted programs, check out our main gifted education guide.
Broadly speaking, the cost of gifted schools in Victoria reflects private school tuition in general. Private schools can range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year for day students.
There are quite a few affordable private schools for gifted kids. Inexpensive schools can often provide an excellent education by focusing on the classroom basics. You don't need to spend a fortune on bells and whistles: the key is getting your child individualized support. Having said that, the pricier schools will tend to provide a wider breadth of in-class and extracurricular opportunities. They will also tend to be larger and more established. Nonetheless, for most schools, the largest operating expense is usually teacher salaries.
Many schools offer financial aid (also known as "bursaries", "tuition relief", or "tuition assistance") and scholarships. Financial aid is needs-based, while scholarships are given for some measure of merit (whether it be academic, athletic, or something else). You can read more about financial aid and scholarships in our dedicated guide. Generally speaking, the larger and more expensive private schools provide the most aid. Even comfortable middle-class families can be eligible to receive aid, so don't be afraid to ask a school about it—whatever your financial situation.
Below you'll find the range of costs at Victoria private and independent schools with gifted programming:
Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | $17,200 to $32,200 | |||
St. Michaels University School | $21,095 to $43,995 | 20% | K - 12 | $11,685 |
Westmont Montessori School | $10,600 to $32,000 | 1% | Preschool - 12 | $5,000 |
Glenlyon Norfolk School | $20,840 to $39,005 | 15% | SK - 12 | $2,000 |
Brookes Westshore | $9,800 to $16,900 | 10% | 7 - 12 | $5,000 |
Shawnigan Lake School | $35,500 | 30% | 8 - 12 |
Legend:
DS | DC | SE | CC | IS | CL | AC | LI | AP | IB | SN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | |||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | |||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | |||||||||||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | |||||||||||
Brookes Westshore | |||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | |||||||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Founding date | Endowment | Admissions rate | Enrollment | Enrollment per grade | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | 1908 | 85% | 285 | 20 | |
St. Michaels University School | 1906 | $17,000,000 | 1003 | 77 | |
Westmont Montessori School | 1954 | $0 | 80% | 300 | 21 |
Glenlyon Norfolk School | 1913 | $1,000,000 | 72% | 854 | 57 |
Brookes Westshore | 2009 | 95% | 300 | 43 | |
Pythagoras Academy | 2013 | 225 | 20 | ||
Shawnigan Lake School | 1916 | $13,500,000 | 60% | 540 | 108 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
|
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St. Margaret's School | Traditional | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 15 to 20 | No support | Medium integration | |
St. Michaels University School | Progressive | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | No support | Medium integration | |||
Westmont Montessori School | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Withdrawal Assistance | Medium integration | |||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 16 to 18 | No support | Medium integration | |
Brookes Westshore | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 12 to 18 | No support | Light integration | |
Pythagoras Academy | Traditional | Reggio Emilia | Accelerated | 8 to 15 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Shawnigan Lake School | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 17 | No support | Heavy integration |
Legend:
St. Margaret's School | ||||||||||||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Admission deadline | SSAT required | Interview required | Acceptance rate | Next open house | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling | Preschool - 12 | 85% | ||
St. Michaels University School | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling | K - 12 | |||
Westmont Montessori School | Day: rolling | Preschool - 12 | 80% | ||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling Homestay: rolling | Preschool - 12 | 72% | ||
Brookes Westshore | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling | 6 - 12 | 95% | ||
Pythagoras Academy | Day: rolling | JK - 8 | |||
Shawnigan Lake School | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling | 8 - 12 | 60% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | |||||||||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | |||||||||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | 50% | 50% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | 72% | 72% | 72% | 72% | 72% | 80% | 72% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 72% | 72% | 72% | 90% | |||
Brookes Westshore | |||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | 90% | 90% | 80% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | |||||||||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | |||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore | |||||||||||||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Math | Science | Literature | Humanities Social Sciences | Foreign Languages | Fine Arts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Margaret's School | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Creative |
St. Michaels University School | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Westmont Montessori School | Discovery Math | Inquiry | Social Justice | Equal Balance | Communicative | Creative |
Glenlyon Norfolk School | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Equal Balance |
Brookes Westshore | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Perennialism | Communicative | Creative |
Pythagoras Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Shawnigan Lake School | Traditional Math | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative |
Student council | School newspaper | Yearbook | Radio club | Photograph club | Art club |
Choir | Band | Dance club | Yoga club | Drama club | Debate club |
Chess club | Math club | Science club | Robotics club | Computer club | Environmental club | Outdoor club | Community service |
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St. Margaret's School | ||||||||||||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Cricket | Equestrian | Football | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Rugby | Soccer | Softball | Squash | Swimming | Tennis | Track and Field | Volleyball | Wrestling |
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St. Margaret's School | ||||||||||||||||||||
St. Michaels University School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glenlyon Norfolk School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shawnigan Lake School |
Make no mistake: gifted kids have different needs than typical students. These learners are often so advanced in their intellectual abilities that they are outliers in the classroom: a normal curriculum and approach won't be enough. When these students don't receive the custom support they need, they can disengage from school -- and even become depressed.
If you know or suspect your child is gifted, you're faced with the following questions:
You can also consider unique options, such as language immersion programs, special needs schools, the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement courses (for older students), and Montessori schools.
If you're still grappling with these questions, start with our introductory guide to gifted education. Once you're versed in the fundamentals, revisit this page to explore your specific school options in the Victoria area.
Private schools are not required by law to provide support for gifted children—and many don't. On the other hand, some private schools are able to offer highly individualized programs for gifted learners. The term "buyer beware" definitely applies here: it's up to you to make sure schools are properly set up for gifted learners. The list of private schools on this page (above) is a good place to start your search.