Gain exclusive insight into life at Hillfield Strathallan College from our carefully curated video and written reviews, including roundtable Q&As, that deliver in-depth insider info from parents, alumni and students.
Our Kids Feature Review
The 50-page review of Hillfield Strathallan College is part of our series of in-depth accounts of Canada's leading private schools. It provides a unique and objective perspective on the school's academics, programs, culture, and community.
Get crucial behind-the-scenes information about Hillfield Strathallan College from video interviews with probing questions that we recorded live with parents, current students, and recent alumni.
Watch our Hillfield Strathallan College Q&A discussion with Monica Bradshaw (Parent) ,Sadia Ansari (Parent) ,Travis Schneider (Alum & Parent) to gain fresh insight into the school’s culture, values, and strengths.
Gr. 1 to Gr. 9 (current), Gr. 2 to Gr. 4 (current) — Watch our parent interview with Sarah Coulson to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Hillfield Strathallan College.
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Written reviews
Dive deeply into the real culture of Hillfield Strathallan College with reviews we’ve structured to highlight only the most valuable insights and opinions submitted by parents, students, and alumni.
Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 (current) — Life at Hillfield Strathallan College (HSC) is busy and exciting. I love it. I joined HSC in Gr...
Through my experience as a student and especially as a student leader, I have built great relationships with my teachers and school administrators. I respect them but also feel like I get mutual respect in return. I appreciate...
I think teachers sometimes ask too much of students but never to an extreme. Often the case is there is not too much from one particular class but the combined heavy workload from multiple classes can add up. They are often ac...
I have found my academics challenging in a variety of different ways. I excel in more writing-based humanities classes. I have loved the variety of classes offered in this area from Sociology to Classical Civilizations. While ...
I take part in many clubs and activities. These range from Reach for the Top to rugby. I love how much choice we have and how people are encouraged to participate in activities and not just focus on academics. These clubs and ...
I would describe the HSC student body as friendly, engaged and, for the most part, school-oriented. We are a small school (about 120 per grade) so you will often see someone you know walking down the halls. I have found this a...
On a tour, I would first take them to the Triple Gyms in the Senior School. The gyms house a lot of school activities, like sports teams and a weight room. They are also where we get together for college-wide events like our w...
Even though I have only been at HSC for four years, it does feel like home to me. I think this is because I have engaged with the people around me and built relationships across the school. In my role as a student leader, I ha...
I tended to stay on campus, even when I was in upper grades. People tended to leave campus for lunch or their spare block when they could drive. Mohawk College was also not a far walk if you had some time. You are not allowed ...
I applied to HSC when I was in Grade 8, hoping to start in Grade 9. It started when my parents filled out an application and then we did a tour of the school and met a current senior school student to hear about their experien...
JK to K (current), JK (current) — From our first visit, we could feel the warm professionalism from all the staff at HSC. My 3 an...
Every morning we are greeted with a smile by the Montessori principal, and the kids settle into their classroom. The teachers and principals are quick to communicate any issues that arise in person, with a phone call, or an em...
We feel that the Montessori program at Hillfield has been a great choice for our sons.
Our first son is a January baby. He loves to be challenged and learn about new things. His teachers have kept the curriculum interesting a...
HSC has a supportive learning environment. My children's Montessori education is tailored differently to each of my children and their different interests. They are learning in a fun, academic environment- that's not to say it...
There are endless opportunities after school for kids starting at age 6, and always an aftercare option if they are not busy. With two school bus departures after school, one at 3:30 and one at 5:00 students can keep busy as ...
The student body at HSC has an amazing energy! The College is made up of four schools, or sections. Early education actually has two schools, Montessori and Junior with about 225 students in each. The Middle School is the ne...
There are many reasons that make HSC an amazing school experience for my boys. The educators are truly are dedicated. My son's teachers ask me when they feel my children are having an off day. There are multiple outdoor play a...
The HSC community is a welcoming one! All parents are included in the Parents Guild and are welcome to participate in as many or as little events as they'd like. They host regular, team building events such as teas and hikes; ...
HSC is on a 50-acre property on the Hamilton Mountain. As you can imagine with children as young as 18 months, the College has a very secure process for the kids to enter and exit the property daily. With over 30 HSC school ...
The admission process for Hillfield was seamless. After completing an application online, the team reached out to us within 2 days! They invited us to come for a tour, and we were able to see the physical spaces our children w...
Gr. 6 to Gr. 10 (current), Gr. 1 to Gr. 5 (current) — My children like the number of students at the school. It is a good size yet the classroom size...
The school has a lot of support staff. There are several school counsellors in the Senior school. There are also staff in roles that support and help students succeed, aside from the teachers.
The teachers will communicate...
I have had communication with teachers when my children don’t complete an assignment or are not doing so well. It would be nice to have some positive feedback.
We have parent-teacher interviews but other than that I don’t...
I feel that the academic program at HSC is quite rigorous. But there is a lot of support for students who may be struggling. There is a strong expectation that students continue to go on to secondary education. The school hold...
Yes, there are plenty of extracurricular activities for students to choose from. This is what attracted us most to the school. The middle school, grades 5 to 8, has activities ranging from bracelet making, and newspaper club t...
The student body at the school is coed and is diverse. It is about 1200 students, from preschool to grade 12. The school has enough staff that the classroom size is reasonable. Every Friday the entire school (except preschoole...
My children enjoy going to school mostly for the social aspect. My younger daughter has many friends and that makes school fun. Because she has a learning disability she finds learning difficult. There are some teachers that ...
I am this year’s Vice Chair of the Parents’ Guild. All parents are automatically members of the PG. However, there are active members that volunteer for various school activities. We organize either a Halloween party or a ...
HSC is a commuter school. We have students that come from Stoney Creek and Binbrook to Mississauga and Brampton into Hamilton. We have a large fleet of school buses. Parents also drop off and pick up. I think very few students...
Come tour the school. Meet the principals of your child/children’s grade. For parents who want feedback from other parents, they should ask to reach out to the active PG members.
During our application process, my older da...
Gr. 4 to Gr. 10 (current), Gr. 6 to Gr. 12 (current) — We have nothing negative to say about HSC. Our family loves the school. We will never be regret...
The school communicates with families well. We get regular emails from the school. We can log in to Myhsc to check up on all news and notifications there. The school cares and listens to parents’ feedback. For example, about...
My children’s teachers are generally very competent at their jobs. They provide good feedback when students ask them for extra help and provide reasonable deadlines for their students. I also appreciate that they provide ext...
The strength is they kindly push and help kids to be stronger in academics. We can see homework more and more each year but it’s a good thing. There are flex times so kids can ask any questions about learning with their teac...
There are adequate extracurricular opportunities. My daughter has tried a lot of different extracurricular activities such as rugby, snowboarding, golfing, swimming and basketball. The school always provides transportation for...
My kids get along with their friends. They’ve loved the school since the first day. The school has a very diverse culture. HSC offers good programs so all students can feel they are included and involved. The school has almo...
My kids love the school. When they were little, they loved the food in Lawson Hall better than going to school. They love school buses, they can be picked up on our own driveway and drivers are always nice to them. Principals ...
I’ve been volunteering and a Parents’ Guild member since we’ve come to the school. All parents are very kind and eager to get connected and help the school. We try to have welcome new parents cafes, hikes, social events ...
This school has 45 acres of property. The location is very good for us. We only need to drive 10 mins. The campus is beautiful and safe. The school is planning to do a middle school renovation. It will be a better and more bea...
The school has flexible payment plans for admission. The admission to HSC is very reasonable compared with some other private schools in Toronto. In February, we have to confirm if our kids will come back to HSC in September a...
As parents, my husband and I didn’t grow up in Canada. We don’t really know what we have to do for university application. Thank goodness, there are counsellors at the school. My 12th-grader son had to see his counsellor a...
Throughout my time at HSC, I had the opportunity to make so many special memories that picking ...
Reflecting back on my time at Hillfield Strathallan College, what stands out about the school leadership and administration is the constant conversation between these vastly different areas of the school. Students felt that th...
The teachers at Hillfield Strathallan College are the greatest aspect of the school. Not only are they experts in their field of study but they go above and beyond for every student they interact with. The dynamic between tea...
The academic program at Hillfield Strathallan College is both rigorous and rewarding. The academic strengths are based in the core fundamental courses. In recent years the transition to more modern courses has furthered the s...
Hillfield Strathallan College offers many different and unique extracurricular opportunities for all students from ages 5 and up. One of the greatest joys as an alumnus is coming back to Hillfield Strathallan College to cheer ...
The student body at Hillfield Strathallan College is rather large. With four different schools: Montessori, Junior, Middle and Senior the feel is organized chaos. With so many different students, teachers, and staff; the schoo...
I loved my time at Hillfield Strathallan College for so many different reasons; the amazing teachers and coaches who provided me with the tools and support I needed to achieve my goals, the opportunity to find what my passion...
What stands out to me about the broader community at Hillfield Strathallan College, is the similarities of the experiences as a student and as a member of the alumni community. No matter if you are a current student or an alum...
Hillfield Strathallan College is located in the heart of Hamilton. It sits on edge of the Hamilton mountain which overlooks a picturesque view of the city and lake Ontario. The school is set in the middle of several large spo...
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THE OUR KIDS REPORT: Hillfield Strathallan College
