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Trusted by families since 1998.
Revel Academy logo
OUR KIDS REPORT:

Revel Academy

Grades JK — 8 — Ottawa, ON (Map)
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THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Revel Academy
REPORT CONTENTS
Reviews
Analysis

School overview

  • Grades
    JK — 8
  • Gender
    Coed
  • Class Size
    Varies
  • Tuition
    $15,750/year
  • Language of instruction
    English
  • Associations
    AERO, IALDS
  • Enrolment
    60 day students
  • Curriculum
    Progressive
  • EBROCHURE
    N/A
  • LOCATION
    Ottawa, ON (View address)

The big picture on Revel Academy

We summarized the school ourselves

Revel Academy offers a progressive, student-paced curriculum where kids have a lot of flexibility in and take responsibility for their learning. Students thrive in this small and inclusive school community, feeling a sense of belonging that fosters both personal and academic growth. Revel Academy consists of three “studios”—Spark for ages 4 to 6, Discovery for ages 6 to 11, and Exploration for ages 11 to 14—where kids work at their own pace using adaptive technology, hands-on challenges, and real-world apprenticeships. Extracurriculars include plenty of STEM, art, cooking, and entrepreneurship. Revel makes social, physical, and emotional development major areas of focus. For instance, it uses daily mindfulness practice in class and offers plenty of explorative playtime and activities.

We questioned the school administration

1. Who are you, as a school?

"A member of the Acton Academy network, Revel Academy believes that each child has an opportunity to profoundly change the world. Our learner-driven community puts children at the centre of their learning, empowering them to create personal goals and relational covenants, and participate in meaningful real-world projects. Working at their own pace in multi-age studios, learners strengthen their character and leadership skills with Socratic discussions, adaptive technology, hands-on challenges, and apprenticeships."

  • Learners demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills by earning badges and creating portfolios.
  • Families are invited to attend Exhibitions of Learning at the end of every six-week session.
  • After-school enrichment includes STEM, art, cooking, coding, Destination Imagination, and more.
  • Daily mindfulness includes yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques to develop strategies.
  • Learning and progress are transparent through the use of our online platform shared with families.
  • Family community that actively participates in Book Clubs, workshops, game nights, and events.
  • Revel Recap is sent to all families explaining what we worked on in each studio each week.
  • Learners can sled, ice skate, play sports, use play structures, climb trees, and explore at recess.
  • Inclusive and supportive environment for all cultures, gender identities, and sexual orientations.
  • Founder and coordinator of the entrepreneurial, Ottawa Children's Business Fair.

2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?

Accredited by the International Association of Learner Driven Schools, Revel puts our students in control. In each mixed-age studio, learners create their accountability systems, develop personalized SMART goals, and work together to create a culture of warm-hearted and tough-minded leaders. Our learners, known as Rebels, are encouraged to question and think critically rather than blindly follow. As a skills-based program, we value creativity and curiosity over memorization of content.

3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?

One of the greatest trade-offs Revel parents are served with are the countless opportunities to step back and trust their learner to discover their calling to change the world. As society continues to progress in complex ways, it is more important now than ever before that we are raising our learners to be able to think for themselves as they develop agency, self-direction and a love of learning progressing at their own pace in a setting that honours their interests, strengths and readiness. While this can be extremely difficult at times, and come with a fair share of discomfort as parents may need to sit back and observe while their learner navigates obstacles independently, our approach leads to deep engagement, creativity and confidence - skills that are crucial in a rapidly changing world.

4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?

Information not yet available.

5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?

Revel's learners are curious, self-motivated and independent. They are comfortable taking initiative and working at their own pace to achieve academic and personal goals with some guidance. Revel Rebels seek meaning and relevance in what they learn about, loving to ask "why" and explore ideas deeply. Revel's learners are creative, critical thinkers who enjoy problem solving independently and with other members of their team. They thrive in open-ended tasks rather than working to solely memorize content. Learners often find Revel who have struggled with boredom, felt unseen or frustrated in conventional classrooms. Most importantly, they learn from their mistakes and understand that failure is a part of growth.

6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?

A self-paced, learner driven school isn't always the right fit for every family - those looking for more structure and an environment where students follow a fixed curriculum, receive regular grades, and are closely navigated with adults through academic milestones should consider looking elsewhere. If families are looking for a school where learners are told what to do, how and when to do it, rather than setting goals, managing their time, and taking true ownership of their education, our model may feel too unstructured or uncertain. That is completely okay - our approach is designed for families who believe that learning is most powerful when driven from within, even if that path doesn't always follow a straight line.

7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?

The world continues to change, but most schools haven't. In an age defined by innovation, complexity, and constant change, success is no longer about memorizing facts or following rigid instructions—it’s about adaptability, creativity, critical thinking, and self-direction. As a self-paced and mastery-based school, learners who have been frustrated with the traditional age based approach, finally find a school where they can truly thrive. In today's educational climate, traditional systems are failing to nourish the importance and joy that comes with being a life-long learner. At Revel, learners have the freedom to go deep where they’re curious, take the time they need to master foundational skills, and build the confidence that comes from setting their own goals and meeting them. If we want to prepare young people not just to survive, but to lead and thrive in this world, we need schools that trust them to drive their own learning - and that's why families choose Revel.

8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?

Revel is innovative and child-centred at its core. When people think about Revel Academy, they think about our entrepreneurial spirit, our public exhibitions, and the sheer joy, meaning and purpose that learners find in learning. The focus on real-world projects, narrative driven Quests, apprenticeships and academic goal-setting are stand-out attributes of our program. Beyond the academics, Revel is character-rich as we place a strong emphasis on mindfulness, leadership, empathy, and even economic and political freedom as learners are a part of and cultivate a strong, self-governing community in every studio throughout the school year. They learn to hold themselves and each other accountable as they navigate the complexities of teamwork, friendships and work towards building a strong learner community.

9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?

Our six-week-long project-based challenges, called Quests, combine the arts, maths, sciences, and social sciences, creating real-world learning opportunities. Learners not only see themselves represented in the curriculum but are encouraged to use their strengths to tackle big problems they care about solving. Starting in middle school our learners are also required to seek apprenticeships in fields of interest, developing how to pitch oneself, communicate professionally, and discover new passions. Not only are these aspects of our program creative and engaging from a curriculum standpoint, they also allow for our learners to really hone in and practice transferable skills such as collaboration, emotional intelligence, adaptability and innovation.

10. What might families find surprising about your school?

Before joining Revel, some families are hesitant regarding the amount of choice, and freedom learners are provided. However, after only a short time, parents realize that the structure of our program sets students up for success while developing time-management, self-advocacy, and perseverance. Families are inspired by deep learning and value mastery, comprehension and growth mindset over test scores and grades. Initially, the urge to compare with others or standardized levels of assessment can be challenging to overcome, but with time and trust in their learner, families place more emphasis on their learner developing skills, not just achieving marks.

11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?

Every year, Revel's decisions around topics, content and curriculum development are driven by the interests of our learners. In more recent years as we continue to grow, we have worked with a variety of individuals and organizations in and around our community to elevate our exhibitions and give our learners more real-world learning experiences. From bringing in former CFL players to coach physical education workshops, hosting Telesat employees to teach learners about launching rockets, fuel requirements and satellites, to performing plays and Fine Arts exhibitions with the University of Ottawa's Department of Theatre. Enriching our curriculum by expanding our learning opportunities outward into the community around us will continue to be an area of focus so that our learners can witness and experience what happens when people turn their passions and dreams into reality.

12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?

"In the future, education will look more like a GPS than a train schedule - personalized, adaptive and learner-directed." The future at Revel looks bright! Our consistent growth and tailored approach to education is not only what our society needs right now, but will continue to need in the future. Revel commits to being an adaptive learning environment seeking to align with the evolving needs of our children, our society and the world of work. We promise to continue to build up our future generations with the skills and tools to not just survive in this world - but to thrive in it. At Revel, we will continue to foster critical thinking, problem solving, time management, self-advocacy, creativity, innovation and emotional intelligence in ways that traditional schools and classroom settings cannot. These traits and skills aren't "nice to haves", they're non-negotiables for success in the modern world. Revel is built for what's next, and we can't wait to welcome you on board.


We got insight from alumni, parents, and students

Parent, Nicole MacDonald (2023)

(4.7)

SK (current),Gr. 2 (current) — My children love Revel! They play more and learn more, and spend less time standing in line, waiting for teachers to help other students, etc. Instead of needing to advocate for my children and their individualized needs in a public school setting, it's nice to go to a school where individualization is part of the school philosophy. I feel like I want to shout from the rooftops all the time about my jubilation over finding Revel Academy - it is like a perfect combination of homeschooling, gifted programming, and individualized learning. It's also a wonderful community, where the staff, parents, and children all work to lift each other and support each other. It's an ideal educational institution! I also love that my children can learn from amazing software programs for basic skills, and go to guides for help, instead of doing repetitive worksheets.

Parent, Sheri Segal Glick (2023)

(4.9)

Gr. 7 (current) — When our son started at Revel Academy, he was disenchanted at the thought of school. He was bored and would find any excuse not to go. He was also shy around other kids his age. Revel ignited something amazing in him— it made him curious and engaged and eager to go to school every day. He finds the students kind and friendly and has really come out of his shell and has made some wonderful friends. He loves the collaborative nature at Revel Academy and the interesting projects and being able to deep-dive into things he finds interesting. He didn’t want to spend a week in Florida with our family because he didn’t want to miss school! When questioned he said that can’t think of anything disappointing about Revel!

Parent, Amy R (2022)

(4.9)

SK (current) — Our child seems to have really enjoyed the autonomy to choose what they want to work focus on, the goals they want to work towards, and topics they are interested in learning about. It has been extremely beneficial for them to be able to get up and move when they feel the need. Being able to let a guide know they need to move their body gives them the ability to dispel the energy and come back ready to focus. Learning with real-world projects has given them many tools, such as a good foundational knowledge of money and what it takes to create a small business (learned via a unit where the studio developed a small business from conception through creating items, selling them, and then deciding what to do with the profits), and how to have conversations with a variety of people of all ages. The time spent outdoors, especially with the other studios has provided a wonderful stretch environment. Playing with and learning from the older students has provided positive risk-taking and growth opportunities. The opportunities to work with the older students for reading time and other school-wide activities are always a highlight.

Parent, Adrienne Charlton (2022)

(4.7)

Gr. 1 (current),Gr. 3 (current) — Revel Academy has reignited my child’s love of learning. The emphasis on self-direction has enabled my child to reach new levels of personal responsibility and instilled new confidence and a willingness to experiment, explore and seek new challenges. Given the opportunity to miss class, my child surprised me with a request to return to school because he was close to meeting a milestone and did not want to miss out. After one year at Revel, we cannot imagine a better environment for our children. Both of my children have appreciated the opportunity to make choices at school. For example, like many children, my son is not sporty in the traditional sense. At Revel, he always has a choice of activities during PE, whether it is going for a hike or playing in the snow or practicing his floor hockey skills; he gets exercise without dreading another lesson in a sport he doesn’t enjoy.
See all reviews (4 total)

 

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