Welcome to the OUR KIDS guide to gifted schools in Victoria—your resource for exploring programs that challenge advanced learners and support their unique strengths. Gifted schools in Victoria provide enriched academics, flexible instruction, and opportunities for students to develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence.
On this page, we highlight 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 more than 30 years, OUR KIDS has worked with families, educators, and schools to share trusted insights into private and independent education. On OurKids.net, you’ll find verified profiles, parent reviews, comparison tools, and expert resources to guide your decision. For a more complete overview of gifted education, including information about gifted programs and assessment, start with our guide to gifted schools.
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 offer support for gifted students within the regular classroom. Gifted students stay with regular learners, while receiving special, individualized programming.
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Victoria, British Columbia "We identify experiences that enhance learning, empowering individuals while fostering a community of collaborative contributors. This is achieved through interdisciplinary projects that are seamlessly integrated." —From the school
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Victoria, British Columbia "Brookes Westshore is an IB World School on Vancouver Island, BC, offering small class sizes, engaging teachers and a caring community to boarding and day students from grades 4 to 12." —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.
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 a gifted school in Victoria generally reflects private school tuition in general. Day-student fees typically range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year.
There are several affordable private schools for gifted high school students. Inexpensive schools can often provide an excellent education by focusing on the essentials in the classroom. You don’t need to spend a fortune to give your child specialized support. That said, higher-cost schools usually offer a wider range of in-class and extracurricular opportunities, and they tend to be larger and more established. Still, for most schools, the largest expense is teacher salaries.
Many schools offer financial aid—also called bursaries, tuition relief, or tuition assistance—as well as scholarships. Financial aid is needs-based, while scholarships reward merit, whether academic, athletic, or otherwise. You can read more about financial aid and scholarships in our dedicated guide. Typically, the larger and more expensive private schools provide the most aid. Even middle-class families can qualify, so don’t hesitate to ask a school about available support, regardless of your financial situation.
Below, you’ll find the range of costs at Victoria private and independent schools with gifted high school programs:
| Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | $10,600 to $32,000 | 1% | Preschool - 12 | $5,000 |
Brookes Westshore | $10,920 to $18,835 | 10% | 7 - 12 | $5,000 |
Legend:
| DS | DC | SE | CC | IS | CL | AC | LI | AP | IB | SN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | |||||||||||
Brookes Westshore |
| Founding date | Endowment | Admissions rate | Enrollment | Enrollment per grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | 1954 | $0 | 80% | 290 | 21 |
Brookes Westshore | 2009 | $0 | 95% | 300 | 33 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Withdrawal Assistance | Medium integration | |||
Brookes Westshore | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 12 to 18 | Full-time Dedicated Class | Light integration |
Legend:
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore |
| Admission deadline | SSAT required | Interview required | Acceptance rate | Next open house | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | Day: rolling | Preschool - 12 | 80% | ||
Brookes Westshore | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling | 4 - 12 | 95% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | 50% | 50% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
Brookes Westshore | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brookes Westshore | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Math | Science | Literature | Humanities Social Sciences | Foreign Languages | Fine Arts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | Discovery Math | Inquiry | Social Justice | Equal Balance | Communicative | Creative |
Brookes Westshore | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Equal Balance |
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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore |
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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brookes Westshore |
Make no mistake: gifted kids have different needs than typical students. These learners often have advanced intellectual abilities that make them stand out in the classroom. A standard curriculum simply isn’t enough. Without specialized support for gifted learners, students can become disengaged—and sometimes even experience stress or depression.
If you know or suspect your child is gifted, you may be asking yourself:
Other gifted programs to consider include language immersion programs, special needs schools, the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement courses (for older students), and Montessori schools.
For a comprehensive introduction to the options, start with our guide to gifted education. Once you understand the fundamentals, you can revisit this page to explore the best gifted schools in Victoria for your child.
Private schools are not legally required to provide support for gifted children—and many do not. However, some private schools offer highly individualized programs tailored to gifted learners. It’s important to research carefully to ensure that a school is truly prepared to meet the needs of gifted students. The list of private schools on this page is a good starting point for your search.