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featured
Choose to Succeed, at Banbury Crossroads School. We offer a truly unique learning experience, with self-directed, collaborative, tutorial-style classrooms that average 8:1 students per teacher.
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Foothills Academy is an independent school for students with diagnosed Learning Disabilities in grades 3 - 12. Small class sizes allow the experienced staff to create a positive learning environment.
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Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is an independent, private coeducational, full IB (primary, middle, and diploma programme) day school for Kindergarten - Grade 12 close to Calgary, AB.
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SJR is the world’s leading school in Debating and Public Speaking. It has produced 18 Rhodes scholars and 3 math olympiads. 98% of SJR graduates are accepted to their first choice university program.
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-Passionate Learning: learning should be joyful and for life, not just for tests.
-Skills for a Modern World: building the confidence to be leaders and Changemakers.
-Holistic Wellbeing: creating conditions to thrive.
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Lycée international de Calgary is the only school in Calgary to teach the French Ministry of Education and Alberta Education curricula. 3-years-old to Grade 12. All linguistic backgrounds are welcome. Small class sizes.
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River Valley is a Pre-K to Gr. 6 school that harnesses the innate curiosity in children to ensure that every student will flourish academically and socially.
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Venture Academy is a therapeutic treatment and education program for students who may be struggling with mood disorders & anxiety disorders, behavioural challenges, substance misuses, ADHD, ADD and ODD
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Academy is strengths-based and remediation-focused. Collegiate is for those learning at or above grade-level. Blended+ is for Grades 9-12 to learn their own way, including online, at home, and off-campus.
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Progressive Academy's programs inspire students from preschool to grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta. Wonderful faculty, wide range of experiential opportunities and high expectations ignite a desire to learn.
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RJC is a Grades 10-12 boarding school accredited by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. RJC is student and community-focused all while offering excellent academics and exceptional athletic and fine arts programs.
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Glenmore Christian Academy (GCA) is a private school in Calgary with specialist educators in academics, arts, and athletics. Our mission is to Teach Truth, Inspire Excellence, Experience Christ and Serve through Love.
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West Island College offers English and French Immersion with a focus on academics, leadership, athletics & global awareness. Students are encouraged to be curious, creative and innovative, so they can impact the world.
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Faith is at the center of all we do at MCI- from the court, to the stage, to the classroom. We work to provide a safe space for students to ask questions, dig deeper, grow into who God is calling them to be.
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Calgary Waldorf School’s rich and challenging curriculum carefully balances academic, artistic and practical activities to stimulate intelligence and encourage creativity.
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Established in 1991, Alberta Ballet School is recognized as one of Canada’s leading professional dance schools. with an annual enrollment of approximately 100 local, national and international students.
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Notre Dame is a private, independent co-educational high school with an exceptional educational & boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe & caring prairie community.
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Our Academy (in-person) and Studio (online) personalized programs are designed for students with a diagnosed learning disability to achieve their potential through outstanding support within and outside the classroom.
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We offer a supportive environment for girls’ learning with a strong sense of community. We encourage the love of learning in a place of belonging that nurtures resilience, inspires creativity, and celebrates diversity.
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Luther College High School values excellence in teaching and cares for our students as individuals in our tight-knit community. Our focus in on the whole student - social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual.
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In addition to academics, our focus on mentorship, hands-on learning in and outside the classroom, and character development, will allow our students to thrive academically and personally as they discover who they are.
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Rundle students enter their post-secondary schools of choice thanks to our enriched academics and character, leadership, and wellness pillars. We proudly live by our values, Together: Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Well.
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Private and independent schools vary greatly across the prairies. There is everything from small rural faith-based schools to an academy in the Canadian Rockies geared to elite athletes seeking adventures in snowboarding and backcountry skiing. There are a multitude of choices along the continuum, whether parents are seeking enriched academics, religious instruction or other alternative education programs.
There is also diversity as far as the guidelines and regulations that impact private and independent schools in these provinces.
Private schools in Alberta have been officially recognized since 1946 and have received some form of public funding since 1967. About 25,000 students attend private and independent schools in Alberta or about 4.6 per cent of the province's students (according to Measuring Choice and Competition in Canadian Education, a report released by the Fraser Institute in February, 2014). The majority of students enrolled in private and independent schools in Alberta attend a denominational school. Seventy percent go to religious schools, including Hebrew, Mennonite, Muslim, Christian and various other denominations. The other 30 per cent of students in Alberta's private and independent schools are enrolled in programs that focus on enriched academics or alternative programs, including First Nations, Montessori, Waldorf or those catering to students with special needs.
Alberta's Department of Education website states that it "recognizes that parents have a choice as to how and where education is provided to their children". To ensure students have access to a certain level of instruction, private and independent schools receiving provincial grants in Alberta must meet provincial curriculum guidelines and other requirements. Alberta's accredited private and independent schools receive 60 percent of the basic instruction per-pupil grant given to public and separate schools. Extra funding is also available to them for special needs students, materials and transportation costs. The vast majority of private and independents schools operating in Alberta have provincial accreditation.
In Saskatchewan, the provincial government provides partial funding, as of the 2011-12 school year. In order to receive funding, independent schools must meet certain criteria: follow provincial curriculum and policies, employ only certified teachers, and take part in student assessments and inspections (among other conditions). Meeting these criteria entitles schools to receive half of the per-student average provincial funding. Read the announcement as covered on our blog: Saskatchewan announces private school funding.
Both funded and non-funded independent schools operate in Manitoba. According to Measuring Choice and Competition in Canadian Education, published by the Fraser Institute in February, 2014, enrollment in Manitoba private schools is approximately 7.4% of the total student population.
To receive funding, schools must meet the provincial standard curriculum and hire Manitoba certified teachers. Funded independent schools in Manitoba receive 60 percent of the basic public school per-pupil grant. Manitoba private and independent schools classified as non-funded still receive an annual grant of $50 per student annually for textbooks.
How many Prairie private schools are there?
There are 22 Prairie private schools that are Our Kids trusted members.
How much is tuition at Prairie private schools?
Tuition fees for Prairie private schools range from $3,085 to $63,670 per year with an average tuition of $17,948 per year.
What’s the largest school?
Of the Prairie private schools, the largest is Glenmore Christian Academy with 1007 students in Grades JK to 9.
Are Prairie private schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about Prairie private schools on this page.
Is there a private school expo where I can meet with Prairie private schools?
Yes. You can meet with private schools and education experts at the Our Kids Private School Expos held every year in September and October. These events are designed for both parents and students. Find event details and ticket info here.
The progressive Kindergarten program at Hudson College [Read more]
Meet with admissions. Attend info sessions. Find the best-fit school. [Get my ticket]
Questions to ask high schools
Some key questions to ask when you’re choosing a high school (August 24, 2022)
Questions to ask elementary schools
Some key questions to ask when you’re choosing an elementary or primary school for your child (August 24, 2022)
The Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators
Promoting standards of excellence in Montessori education (August 22, 2022)
Profile of Mark Musca, Head of School, Albert College
“Not only did I come (to Albert) as a staff member, I was also a parent.” (August 2, 2022)
Profile of John Liggett, Head of School, The Country Day School
“Most days, my job here doesn’t feel like work.” (August 2, 2022)
