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On this page, we cover private Montessori high schools. This includes schools in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Pickering, and Scarborough, Ontario, and across Canada.
For a more complete guide to Montessori education, including a thorough discussion of the Montessori method and philosophy, check out our introductory guide.
Montessori high schools include students aged 14 to 18, the equivalent of grades 9 to 12 in most schools. In Montessori high schools, students do lots of independent and group work. They also begin note-taking, assignments, and tests, to prepare for university. Below, we list Montessori high schools. These schools can be filtered for several different features.
| School Name | Type | Approach | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
TMS (est. 1961)
TMS is a leading, accredited independent school that offers a unique design of Montessori and International Baccalaureate programmes. Our students thrive in academics while building a foundation of Significance. [View profile] |
| $17,485 to $31,350 | ||
|
Hillfield Strathallan College (est. 1901)
Established in 1901, Hillfield Strathallan College is one of Canada’s leading co-educational independent schools, offering academic programs from Montessori Toddler and Pre-K to Grade 12, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. [View profile] |
| $8,213 to $50,230 | ||
OMS Montessori (est. 1966)
OMS Montessori is a non for profit, independent school offering separate French and English programs within a world class Montessori environment. [View profile] |
| Orthodox | $12,864 to $21,384 | ||
Century Private School (est. 1994)
Century Private School in Richmond Hill runs from preschool to grade twelve, with small class ratio to ensure best learning for our students. [View profile] |
| $16,550 to $26,800 | |||
The Element High School (est. 2003)
The Element nurtures focused, engaged and internally motivated students who strive to do their best. The Element High School provides conditions that will put youth ‘in their element,’ in school and beyond. [View profile] |
| $17,208 to $18,840 | |||
A.I.S. School (est. 2016)
AIS Montessori & Elementary School offers authentic Chinese Immersion program in GTA area.Its average class is 15 students. [View profile] |
| $10,000 to $25,000 | |||
Clear Water Academy (est. 1994)
Clear Water Academy is a private Catholic school that stands ready to meet and expand the minds and passions the brightest students in Calgary and exchange students from around the world. [View profile] |
| $13,300 to $15,100 | |||
Trillium School (est. 1991)
Trillium School is a private school that offers programs from pre-school to grade twelve in Markham with Montessori-based kindergarten. [View profile] |
| $7,600 to $41,500 | |||
Cedar Ridge High School (est. 2016)
Cedar Ridge High School is an independent high school, grades 7 to 12, in Kanata, Ontario. Our school offers an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a focus on leadership, innovation, student engagement and academics. [View profile] |
| $17,500 | |||
J. Addison School (est. 2002)
Since 2002, J. Addison has provided a stimulating education for students. Located at the corner of Woodbine and Valleywood Drive in Markham, ON, Canada, you will find our state-of-the-art 58,000 sq. ft. facility. [View profile] |
| $15,000 to $42,450 | |||
Cornerstone Montessori Prep School (est. 1990)
Cornerstone students love to shape the future. They INSPIRE learning, DISCOVER their potential, EMPOWER themselves to be innovative citizens. Our boundless learning strategies open doors for successful learning. [View profile] |
| $13,750 to $24,000 | |||
Country Garden Montessori Academy (est. 1995)
Situated on seven acres of rolling parkland and gardens, Country Garden Montessori Academy in Newmarket is a co-ed private day school for students in grades PS-12. The school provides a family atmosphere and is committed the intellectual growth and emotional well-being of students. [View profile] |
| $7,600 to $25,900 | |||
Durham Elementary, Durham Academy and G.B.M.S. (est. 1984)
At G.B.MS, D.E.P.S and Durham Academy Secondary school focus is on each individual student and helping them meet their unique potential and goals. We believe in excellent customer service and families have a voice. Throughout the year we enhance our programs through program enhancement and enrichment. We also offer March Break and Summer Camps for working parents. [View profile] |
| $9,700 to $11,500 |
Some schools aren't Montessori schools, but use a Montessori approach for their preschool or daycare program. This approach gives young learners plenty of freedom to choose tasks and activities that interest them, which promotes their independence and confidence. It also strongly emphasizes concrete learning, where children work with lots of hands-on materials, and do practical life activities. Children usually work independently or in small groups in these programs.
| School Name | Type | Approach | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bond Academy (est. 1978)
Bond Academy is a private, co-educational, non-denominational independent school with students from Montessori Casa to Grade 12. [View profile] |
| $13,000 to $16,000 | ||
Summit West Independent School (est. 2015)
An independent school that offers an individualized self-directed learning approach for tomorrow's leaders. Bursary programs available to qualified applicants. JK to Grade 12, Alberta Curriculum. [View profile] |
| $9,250 to $10,975 | |||
Town Centre Private Schools (est. 1986)
Town Centre Montessori Private Schools, located in Markham, Ontario, is an IB Continuum World school and offers programs from pre-school to grade 12. [View profile] |
| $5,450 to $16,900 |
For general advice on how to choose private schools, check out our choosing a school guide and read advice from leading education experts. For advice specific to choosing Montessori schools (including high schools), see our Montessori choosing guide. 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 way to find a school, Montessori or otherwise. We have annual private school expos in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Halton-peel. These expos allow you to speak with tonnes of private schools in Canada. Many of these are Montessori schools (some of which are high schools). Find a Montessori high school near you.
Another important tool in your school search is the Our Kids parent discussion forum. The forum is a great place to discuss options and debate topics related to Montessori education and private schools. Take advantage of our community of parents, education experts, and school officials. They can help answer your most pressing questions.
Open houses are another effective way to learn about private schools. For general advice on open house visits, check out our guide on school visits.
The cost of Montessori high schools tends to be lower than the cost of other private high schools. In fact, Montessori schools are usually on the lower side of private school tuition in general. Private school tuition can range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year for day students.
Some Montessori high schools offer needs-based financial aid, such as bursaries or tuition relief. Some offer scholarships (a form of merit-based financial aid). Check out our financial aid guide for more on these options.
Below, you’ll find the range of costs for Montessori high schools:
| Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TMS | $25,700 to $31,350 | K - 12 | ||
Hillfield Strathallan College | $16,428 to $28,775 | 10% | JK - 12 | $4,500 |
OMS Montessori | $14,664 to $21,384 | 10% | Nursery/Toddler - 6 | $2,500 |
Summit West Independent School | $8,925 to $10,750 | 20% | JK - 12 | $3,000 |
The Element High School | $17,448 | |||
Clear Water Academy | $12,050 to $20,000 | 10% | 1 - 12 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | Liberal Arts | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 10 to 15 | Full-time Dedicated Class | Medium integration | ||
TMS | Montessori | International Baccalaureate | Student-paced | Rigorous | No support | |||
Hillfield Strathallan College | Traditional | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 16 to 20 | No support | Heavy integration | |
OMS Montessori | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | 16 to 25 | Withdrawal Assistance | Light integration | ||
Summit West Independent School | Progressive | Student-paced | Supportive | 13 to 15 | Resource Assistance | Medium integration | ||
Century Private School | Traditional | Montessori | Student-paced | Rigorous | 10 to 20 | No support | Light integration | |
The Element High School | Progressive | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Indirect Support | Heavy integration | ||
A.I.S. School | Traditional | Montessori | 10 to 15 | No support | ||||
Clear Water Academy | Liberal Arts | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 16 to 18 | Withdrawal Assistance | Medium integration | |
Trillium School | Traditional | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | No support | Medium integration | ||
Cedar Ridge High School | Progressive | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 12 to 15 | Resource Assistance | ||
J. Addison School | Traditional | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 15 | No support | Light integration | |
Town Centre Private Schools | Traditional | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 15 to 24 | No support | ||
Cornerstone Montessori Prep School | Liberal Arts | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | 10 to 15 | No support | ||
Country Garden Montessori Academy | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 10 to 15 | No support | |||
Durham Elementary, Durham Academy and G.B.M.S. | Progressive | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 8 to 15 | Indirect Support | Medium integration |
Legend:
Bond Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
TMS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hillfield Strathallan College | ||||||||||||||||||||
OMS Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Summit West Independent School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Century Private School | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Element High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
A.I.S. School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Clear Water Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Trillium School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cedar Ridge High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Addison School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Town Centre Private Schools | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cornerstone Montessori Prep School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Country Garden Montessori Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Durham Elementary, Durham Academy and G.B.M.S. |
Montessori high schools have lots of self-directed learning, group projects, and challenging work. Overall, their approach to education is progressive, and constrasts with more mainstream schools.
For further discussion of Montessori high school (not to mention preschool, middle school, and elementary school), see our main Montessori school guide.
In some Montessori high schools, students have long uninterrupted work periods, of two to three hours. During these periods, students can often work on their own chosen tasks.
On the other hand, Montessori students need to work through a challenging curriculum. They must master material in compulsory subjects such as math, science, history, and English. And, they’ll have the option of taking other subjects, such as geography, economics, and psychology.
Montessori high schools prepare students for university or college. Unlike preschool and elementary schools, they give students tests and assignments. They also grade many of these (though less than in mainstream schools).
Students are also given credits and grades for courses. Like mainstream high schools, for students to graduate with a diploma, their curriculum must meet the standards of the Ministry of Education.
For more details, see our guide to Montessori curriculum.
Montessori high schools have an interesting teaching approach. Some lectures are given, though less than in mainstream high schools. Teachers must ensure students master the basics, especially in required subjects. Usually, though, the teacher doesn’t stand in the front of the classroom, and students don’t sit at desks.
Teachers use textbooks in some courses. Often, though, each student will have their own textbook, tailored to their special learning level. Rarely will there be one textbook for the entire class.
Students have the option to work alone or in groups to complete some projects, with some guidance from the teacher. Moreover, teachers give them quite a bit of freedom to choose their tasks and work at their own pace.
