REVIEW OF Ashbury College BY parent, Julie Coulson Fine

(5) Student Experience

She is never bored! My sons went to public high schools and were often bored, but Ashbury offers so many opportunities for my daughter to excel. She’s part of the Media Club, tried basketball for the first time, and loves her classmates. She expected them to be overly serious academic types, but instead she found kids who work hard and also have fun doing the same things she enjoys. She’s not thrilled about the uniform, but it does make life easier as there is no stress about what to wear each day. My daughter loves most of her teachers and has formed genuine connections with some of them, which I think is harder to do in public schools, given the larger class sizes. She especially appreciates having lunch provided every day, no need to pack or leave campus to find food. I had to strongly encourage her to enroll in Grade 9, but now she absolutely loves Ashbury. Everything has exceeded her expectations. Even simple things, air conditioning, a beautiful campus, a school nurse, pianos available to play, make it, in my opinion, the best school experience in Ottawa. Ashbury has also made real progress on inclusion and diversity, creating a welcoming environment for students and staff of all backgrounds, abilities, and orientations, which reflects our modern Canadian society. As an alumna who attended in the 1980s, when Ashbury made the excellent decision to go co-ed, I’m thrilled to see the school continue to improve each year. As a parent, I’m extremely satisfied with my daughter’s high school experience. I also went to Elmwood, another CAIS school in Ottawa, and while it’s a good school, I believe a girls-only environment feels outdated today. In my view, young men and women should learn to collaborate, and keeping them apart in high school is unnecessary.

(5) School Leadership

I have volunteered at Ashbury for several years. As a former teacher, I can honestly say the leadership team must be among the best in Canada. Each member knows their role, works together seamlessly, and keeps the best interests of students and staff at the center of every decision. Ashbury feels like a true community, like a family, and the headmaster, the heads of the junior and senior schools, and the broader leadership team are all valued for their professionalism, experience, and competence. The volunteer Board and Foundation Board also stand out, bringing together parents and alumni with wide-ranging skills who give generously of their time. I wish every school had the same calibre of leadership, staff, and facilities that Ashbury has. A true proof point of this competence was during COVID, when students and teachers pivoted almost seamlessly to online learning. It was impressive to witness, and it gives me confidence that Ashbury is well prepared to handle future challenges, including the impacts of AI. Compared to massive public school boards that often struggle to make timely decisions, Ashbury’s leadership feels agile and responsive. Communication here is also excellent. Teachers are easy to reach by email, and parent-teacher interviews are always valuable. This is in sharp contrast to my experience in public schools, where I sometimes felt my role as a parent wasn’t respected. While my sons had a good experience in public schools, my daughter’s secondary experience at Ashbury has been immeasurably better.

(5) Teaching

My daughter has absolutely blossomed academically at Ashbury, and I credit her teachers for bringing out her very best. She is motivated, sets both short- and long-term goals, communicates her interests clearly, and is encouraged in a respectful and positive way. While she does experience moments of stress, she has learned how to navigate them productively, which is a valuable skill in itself. The teachers at Ashbury are exceptional: highly qualified, deeply committed, and remarkably well-suited to their profession. One of the strongest indicators of this is teacher retention: many teachers remain at the school for decades, often until retirement. Professional development is also prioritized, with teachers encouraged to pursue new certifications and areas of growth. Before Ashbury, my daughter attended a non-CAIS private school in Ottawa (with much lower tuition), and I was shocked to learn that many teachers there didn’t make a living wage and often needed second jobs. That is not the case at Ashbury. Teachers are fairly compensated, with salaries comparable to or exceeding those in public boards. To me, that makes a world of difference, not only for the teachers but for the students who benefit from their stability and dedication. Ashbury also carries an outstanding reputation with universities in Canada and abroad; I truly believe it is one of the best schools in the country, and we are fortunate to have it here in Ottawa. Guidance counsellors are far more available than at public schools, which makes a noticeable difference when it comes to course selection and university applications. Students receive the time, support, and expertise they need to make the right decisions for their future. It’s also clear why teachers enjoy teaching at Ashbury. Class sizes are reasonable, behavioural issues are minimal, and students are expected to come prepared to learn. This allows teachers to truly understand each student’s strengths and areas for growth, something that is simply not possible in settings where teachers are stretched across hundreds of students.

(5) Academics

Ashbury is very much a university-preparatory school. It is designed for students who plan to pursue post-secondary studies, which suits our family well, but it may not be the best fit for those seeking a pathway into trades or other avenues. The education has always emphasized supporting students in preparing strong university applications, and there are many intellectually able and gifted students at Ashbury. Course offerings have been sufficient for my daughter; she’s always been able to take what she wants. With a smaller student body than large public schools, there are inevitably some electives that aren’t offered, but the options are still strong. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program provides additional academic challenge, with an emphasis on effort, growth, and improvement, not just high marks. I am confident my daughter will have the strongest possible university applications next year. What stands out at Ashbury is the culture of celebrating academic success. In contrast to some public schools, where excelling students may feel they need to hide their abilities, Ashbury fosters pride in achievement. My daughter has learned valuable time management skills, procrastinates less, and gets more done. She has noticeably more homework than her friends in public school and even said she “learned more in the first two weeks at Ashbury than in her entire last year of public school.” Ultimately, Ashbury requires students to commit to working hard, but in return, they receive an education that challenges them, supports their growth, and prepares them exceptionally well for university and beyond.

(5) Extracurriculars

Students must complete extracurricular activities every year. It's not optional. This makes them try new things and find new things they are good at. And meet new circles of friends. My daughter tried basketball and loves it. The coaching was great, and I'm so grateful she gets to experience a team sport. She also edits incredible videos of footage from countless games and many sports into a year-end video, with a team of students interested in media in the Media club. I'm just so impressed with that. The students have a lot of responsibility and just the right amount of prodding. There are also a lot of opportunities to volunteer in the broader Ottawa community, which is a great experience. She really enjoyed meeting kids enrolled at the BGC, the Boys and Girls Club. She helped with after-school programming. There is an incredible music program with nationally ranked bands. Several teams are city and province champs. But everyone is trying their hardest, in addition to the talented individuals who will move ahead in an extracurricular activity, is the emphasis. Teachers acting as coaches with a love of sport, or as band leaders with an affinity for music, are definitely part of what makes Ashbury special. There are opportunities to take amazing school trips if you can afford it and if your child is interested in going to that country.

(5) Students

Ashbury is a good size now. Not too small, and not too big. There is a junior school with 5 grades, and a senior school of 550 students. There is a wait list, which means Admissions gets to pick the best students to create a strong student body. Students are from dozens of different countries, both day and boarding. Diversity is addressed and valued as a strength, not a difficulty. Communication between boys and girls seems healthy. There is a Student Code of Conduct that students must adhere to. A few who behave in an unacceptable way have been asked to leave, which protects other students from subpar behaviour. These are still adolescents who make mistakes. There are multiple qualified adults who intercede in a way that reflects the best professional standard, to give students who have made mistakes the chance to learn from them and upgrade their behaviour. The school motto is HCK: Honesty, Courage and Kindness. These are values that are active in the school environment every day between people. Ashbury's students are still teenagers, pushing limits and making mistakes, and failure is encouraged as a sign of being willing to try. The supports are there to learn from mistakes and failures and move on stronger.

(5) School Life

My daughter was able to find an amazing group of friends, and she is challenged academically and in her extracurricular life, so she loves school. Your child may find friends even if they are coming from a different school. At the grade 9 level, most students are coming from different grade 8 schools from around Ottawa and the world, so everyone is in the same boat. Students are from families who value education and are willing to go to some extra effort for their kids to have an amazing high school experience. We did have school refusal when the kids were little at public school; it's not fun. But I couldn't blame them, the school offering at that time was meh. As a parent, it is so heartwarming to see my daughter at the right school. She has thanked me for giving her the opportunity, which I really appreciated. She is active and engaged, and proud of her work and results.

(5) Community

Ashbury is making efforts now to grow its endowment and offer more meaningful financial aid so that more families can afford it. I encourage you to apply, in case you can come up with a package that will work for you and give your child an amazing opportunity. If not, many public schools in Ottawa are also very good. It might not make sense for your family, and that's fine. Ashbury parents are willing to go the extra distance to offer their kids an outstanding experience. I think that is what we have in common, more than having the financial ability to attend. As an alumna, I have kept in touch with my fellow Ashburians, and I've been happy to see their success. These are uncertain times, and a school that is agile and adaptable is your child's best chance at an education that will prepare them for the future. For example, I was able to compare how public schools dealt with lockdowns during COVID, and how Ashbury reacted, and I was just so impressed. Students switched to online learning at home on laptops, teachers learned how to deliver classes remotely and have feedback, and there was no education lag, which was a huge problem in public schools when teachers and families were not able to pivot in the same efficient way. I am confident Ashbury could adapt to other unforeseen future scenarios. I would not say the school is elitist or snobby. I guess everyone enrolls their kids there for different reasons. I think most people value the academic challenge and reputation that Ashbury offers. Some families have to use boarding as their situation changes over the years, and that is a good option to have.

(5) School Location

My home is 14 km from Ashbury, so it's a reasonable commute every day. Many kids come from different neighbourhoods around Ottawa. I love Rockcliffe, it's a quiet neighbourhood with clean air. My daughter loves Friday night skiing at Camp Fortune, which is a pretty short 25-minute trip away. Ashbury is minutes from the National Gallery, Canadian Museum of History, Museum of Nature, Aviation and Science & Technology, and the National Arts Centre, and there are multiple field trips to these outstanding national facilities in the course of a year. Boarders also enjoy the proximity to the Rideau Centre. Rockcliffe has many beautiful parks and cross cross-country skiing track set beside the Ottawa River, and a Starbucks and cafes within walking distance. Lansdowne Park is also close, and the school uses the facilities there sometimes.

(5) Admissions

The Admissions process is not that hard. Report cards, an essay by your child you can help them with, a visit day so they can see the school and attend classes and meet Mr. Mutch, these are all hurdles that might cause some anxiety, but which you will see are not that hard. It's just a chance to see the school and meet some people. If you would like to apply for financial assistance, you will have to divulge your financial situation, which seems like an invasion of privacy, but it's done in a secure way to establish that people qualify. You are not guaranteed success. Not everyone who applies gets in. But most do, and if you know that from the beginning, it's just exploring the option. You will have to decide if the expense is worth it. University is also expensive. In my opinion, depending on your child's personality, Ashbury might be a much better high school experience than they will have at public school. Or not! Both are good options. If you are comparing Ashbury to other boarding schools, I can't really compare, except to say Ashbury seems a great combination of city and rural offerings. There are still canoe trips, skiing, going to camp, within an hour or 2 of the school, without losing the urban experience of exploring neighbourhoods, or going to concerts and hockey games. The website gives you a good idea of what the school is about. And attending Open House events. Don't be intimidated, Ashbury is just a great school waiting for your family to make it even better.