Gain exclusive insight into life at Toronto STEM School from our carefully curated video and written reviews, including roundtable Q&As, that deliver in-depth insider info from parents, alumni and students.
Our Perspective on Toronto STEM School
In a general sense, Toronto STEM School is a specialty school in the way that, say, a ballet school is a specialty school—it brings together students who share a passion, and builds the curriculum around their engagement with that curriculum. And, like a ballet school, or a hockey school, it’s not for everyone. But, for the students that it’s for, the experience can be transformative. The school specializes in Advance Placement instrution, and also serves as an AP examination centre. At Toronto STEM School students work and learn alongside true peers, those who share an abiding interest in technology. The core curriculum is the provincial one, though delivered in a technology intensive learning environment.
Video reviews
Get crucial behind-the-scenes information about Toronto STEM School from video interviews with probing questions that we recorded live with parents, current students, and recent alumni.
Watch our Toronto STEM School Q&A discussion with Fernando (Alum), Timothy (Student), Vanessa (Parent) to gain fresh insight into the school’s culture, values, and strengths.
Watch our alum interview with Fernando Mancini de Sousa to learn about the unique experience of attending Toronto STEM School.
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Written reviews
Dive deeply into the real culture of Toronto STEM School with reviews we’ve structured to highlight only the most valuable insights and opinions submitted by parents, students, and alumni.
I felt supported both academically and mentally when studying at TSS because of the small and i...
The school environment was always very positive! I only took a night course there but I did get to know that it was really a close knit group of people who all respected each other.
Because of the smaller class sizes, teache...
Hamed knew all I wanted was a passing grade and he helped me achieve more than that by playing to my interests and making Math so much better than I ever thought it could be!
The dynamic between students and teachers was inf...
The academics were challenging but appropriate. There was competition but it was all friendly and only in order to motivate students to achieve their full potential. Something I learned with TSS was not to settle for a passing...
I was only there for night school so I did not attend any extracurricular events. When I went there, the school had only just opened and there weren't many full time students that I knew of. I can say, however, that students w...
The student body was small and cohesive. Definitely a good environment for people who thrive in small class sizes. I spent a lot of my time at TSS in a class of one (just me) which was very very effective as it meant I had mor...
Going to my class there was honestly often a highlight even though it was for my least favourite subject Math. I’m very grateful for my experience there. Students were generally happy there as we were all treated as equals a...
I have actually kept in touch with students from TSS. I keep in touch with both students who were in my classes and also students who I would see outside of class!
Although I was only there for night school and I didn't get ...
The location of Toronto STEM School was absolutely perfect for me as I was a full time student at Northern Secondary School at the time, which was just around the corner. There are also many restaurants nearby and Eglinton sub...
I honestly don’t remember the application process but I think that’s a good thing as clearly nothing stands out as going wrong.
What I can say is that arrival was very smooth and I immediately felt welcomed and supported ...
Toronto STEM School is a real STEM school. Before enrolling at TSS, my son went to a large publ...
The principal at TSS communicates regularly with parents by email. We receive school updates and summaries of any events. I have also met in person, spoken by phone and emailed the principal. The teachers are available to meet...
My son has only completed Grade 9, but so far the teachers at TSS seem great. The teachers are young and have a good energy with the kids. Some teachers are permanent staff and others are hired, part-time per class. I've notic...
There seems to be a debate about whether semester schools or non-semestered schools are the better program. At TSS there is a mixture. All subjects are split into 3 semesters except Math and Science which run all year. I think...
TSS is a small school. They offer a few after school clubs per semester. There has been 3D printing, art, and sports days. My son only did 3D printing and loved it but I can't speak to the other clubs. More clubs would be grea...
The student body at TSS is around 30 kids. Because of the small numbers, there is a crossover, and students from different grades interact with one another. The kids seem friendly and well behaved. I always tell people that my...
My son is very happy at Toronto STEM. He likes the other students and teachers. My son first enrolled at a large high school. It was very big and he had problems making friends. In class, he just felt like a number. He was ver...
The community at TSS is student to teacher/principal. As a parent, I have communication and relationships with the staff. I do not know any of the other parents. There are no parent groups. I know many students are internatio...
The school is in a convenient location. It is very close to the Eglinton subway station and my son commutes by public transport. He packs his lunch and eats at school most days. The lunch break is 45 minutes which is tight to ...
In our case, the admissions process was more about thoroughly assessing if TSS was the best fit. Choosing a high school is a tough decision. The summer prior, my son took a math class at TSS. He was familiar with the school an...
My son is attending TSS - Toronto STEM School since September, 2018. Overall the experience at ...
From the start of my search for schools, the support received from the school leadership at TSS was extraordinary. Since my son is an international student, there were many issues that needed to be resolved and I received the ...
Teaching at Toronto STEM School is very good in general. There is a high quality of instruction because there is a small number of students in class and teachers can give particular attention for them.
Teachers love what they...
The school has an academic program facing the technologic area. So, if your child wants to study engineering, computer science or some kind of technological subject, this is the right place to do it. Despite this, there are s...
At TSS, the extracurricular opportunities are in areas like mathematics, for example. Students paticipate of Math contests.
This is a small school and there is not many sports classes where students can develop sports skills...
The students at Ontario Academy of Technology are happy people, because they like to be with each other. They are close friends and they know each other very well because it is a small school and grants them this. They often v...
When my son was in the middle of the 11 grade at Ontario Academy of Technology, I asked him if he liked the school. For the first time in his life, he told me that he loved a school. He told me that he loved the teachers, he l...
The majority of the students of Toronto STEM School are international students that dream about attending a Canadian university. These students live far from their families, what makes difficult to get the parents involved dir...
Toronto STEM School is grounded in an excellent location, near the subway and in a good neighbourhood. My son and his friends regularly go eating in different places near the school. After the classes they frequently go to the...
As I already said, I live abroad. I found TSS at Our Kids magazine and since the beginning my contact with the school was through the internet. Every time I asked for any information about the admission of my son, the staff an...
This place is fantastic. I started going to TSS in the summer after grade 9 to learn grade 10 m...
The school is led by a Head Teacher, Hamed. Having lived and worked on three continents he is able to provide broad perspectives on all topics ranging from physics to philosophy. He is the kindest and most patient person that ...
All of the teachers at TSS are excellent. I have never in my life seen this kind of service or professionalism from any education based organization public or private. All of the teachers spent most of their lives in the field...
As I am taking exclusively math and science courses the work is challenging by design. It isn't easy but it is appropriate given the excellent teaching. There are no outlandish and expensive construction projects, assignments,...
As the school is very small there are few extracurriculars. One thing that is very nice is that students go on field trips to places relevant to the classes they are taking (science students get a tour of the Toyota factory fo...
All the students are really great. The majority of them are from Persia so they are all very friendly and respectful. Other students periodically come from places like Japan and Brazil. The community is very small so everyone ...
The school is very small (3000 square-feet as of September 2019) so I would take someone for a tour of the breakroom and one of the classrooms. They have uniform desks and massive white-boards. This is really great for student...
The cohort of students is small so its very easy to make friends with everyone. Most of the students are international but their command of English is very good nevertheless. The school has come to feel like a second home to ...
TSS is located in a building in the beating heart of midtown Toronto. Located at the base of the tower is an excellent tea place with countless great places to get food or purchase consumer goods within a minute's walk. It is ...
The admissions process for TSS is very simple and straightforward. All that is needed is a phone call to the head teacher and registration via the well-made website. I would tell anyone that wants to apply to the school that t...
Both my sons have struggled with the math teaching in the public system. They were frustrated a...
We have never had a single problem with TSS's administration. Mr. Bahadour is always eager to address issues as soon as they arise. He is open to working with students and families on any concerns, always has positive solution...
I can comment on both the math and science instruction at TSS and believe both to be excellent. The teachers are highly qualified. They are also adept at providing the appropriate type of instruction to accommodate students' l...
As the name suggests, TSS focuses on STEM-related fields. I can only comment on the grades 9-11 science and math curriculum and teaching and I feel both are excellent. My sons learned a great deal more from their time at TSS t...
This question is not applicable to my sons' experience as part-time students at Toronto STEM School. They did not seek extracurricular activities here. TSS seems to offer a variety of supplementary type activities relating to ...
Please see my answer for the preceding question. Both my sons were taking private or semi-private credit courses. They had almost no interaction with fellow students. I would point out that in semi-private learning the learnin...
Again, I am commenting based on my sons' attendance as part-time students. They first attended TSS to receive supplementary tutoring, then as students for a full-year math credit (Grades 10 and 11). They were and are completel...
This question is not applicable for my family. Again, these are criteria that simply do not apply to the type of educational experience Toronto STEM School aims to provide. As a parent, I have grown increasingly tired of the d...
TSS is conveniently located near a major intersection that is well served by public transportation. The space itself is clean, well-organized, and comfortable. My sons enjoyed the "urban vibe" of the location and the availabil...
The application process is very straightforward and not at all time-consuming. I had several discussions with TSS regarding the best approach to meeting my sons' needs. The opportunity to schedule supplementary tutoring at TSS...
