Additional notes: Airport pick-up available to boarding students.
How we see St. George's School
Driven by the mission of educating young men who become impactful leaders and community partners, St. George’s School maintains a strong and lively academic culture, enriched with experiential opportunities and a significant number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The school's motto, "Building fine young men. One boy at a time," reflects its dedication to individualized attention and holistic development. The school's environment integrates modern, eco-friendly facilities with a focus on natural light and fresh air ventilation. Co-curricular programs are diverse and mandatory, encouraging students to explore various interests, from sports to arts. The boarding program helps to maintain a close-knit community, with activities that leverage Vancouver's local amenities. Boarding students, alongside over a dozen house parents, participate in weekend activities and overnight trips, promoting a sense of extended family. St. George's School aims to shape confident, capable, and compassionate young men who are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to the world.
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How St. George's School sees itself
"Founded in 1930, St. George's School is a world-class boys school in Vancouver offering a Day Program for students in Grades KG–12 and a Boarding Program for students in Grades 8–12. With a strong emphasis in character development, the school is known for its breadth and depth of curriculum, with over 50 academic electives (25 APs), 40 athletic options, and 50 clubs. A dedicated guidance department ensures that each year, 100% of the graduates are accepted to universities around the world."
"St. George’s School knows boys. For nearly 100 years, we have focused our efforts on building the best learning environment for boys to excel both academically and socially. This focus is evident in our teaching and learning approaches that recognize the different ways that boys learn, with emphasis on role models, active movement, and character development.
In addition, our reputation and history connects our students to a network of mentors and alumni throughout the city and the world that ensures a strong foundation of brotherhood and belonging.
Finally, thanks to our considerable resources in course options, athletic, and co-curricular experience, we provide an education that is uniquely tailored to each student and a commitment to future-readiness as a modern boys’ school."
"At St. George’s School, we prioritize collective experiences. We foster a community enriched through shared adventures and discoveries. All students contribute to Arts Week, grade-wide Outdoor Education Trips, and are committed to co-curriculars extending beyond the traditional school day. Personalization requests, like missing parts of the school day, school calendar, or seeking exemptions from community-based activities aren't supported. Even our flagship Varsity sports operate for two out of three terms. This allows athletes time during the ‘off-season’ for self-discovery in new areas. Families enrolling at St. George’s School share a deep belief in the transformative power of collective experiences for boys."
"Students who thrive at St.George’s School are those who embody our Core Values: Empathy, Humility, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.
Boys who are a good match for the school are those who are collaborative and able to work effectively in teams. Creativity is highly valued, so students who are original thinkers and can adapt to various situations thrive in our environment. Additionally, we look for inquisitive minds — students who are curious and eager to explore knowledge deeply and critically. A sense of courage is also essential; we want students who are ready to take on challenges and approach obstacles with resilience and determination.
All things considered, a good fit for our school is a boy who is ready to make a positive impact and possesses the qualities of collaboration, creativity, curiosity, and courage."
"One of the many strengths of St. George’s School lies in our breadth of program and the vast array of opportunities that we offer our students. For this reason, a family who is considering our school for a singular or very specific reason may not find what they are looking for. A student who is highly specialized in a sport or program that we do not offer may struggle to connect. We have high expectations of our students to try their best not only in their academics, but also in the larger School community. A successful student at St. George’s School is open to experiencing all that we have to offer, and who is willing to take risks, try new things, and explore. Students who participate and engage in our programming will also find a sense of belonging here quickly. Families who have expectations around routinely pulling their son away from the school day for commitments outside of St. George’s School may find that challenging."
"When people think of St. George’s School, they often think of boys in uniform. They might picture our castle school, and they are likely aware of the high standards we hold for all that we do, from admissions to academics.
As the only non-denominational all-boys independent school in Vancouver, in operation for nearly 100 years, the school has a reputation of tradition and prestige. It is known for its location on the westside of the city, near the picturesque forest of Pacific Spirit Park, and down the street from UBC. With this history and place in the city, we know that it also comes with some stereotypes: that the School is exclusive and impossible to get into. The reality is that St. George’s is striving to be a destination for students from all corners of Vancouver, with extensive Financial Assistance, and an admission process that is welcoming and inclusive. We hope for the next 100 years, Saints will continue to be known as the best destination for boys in Vancouver."
"Recognizing the challenges that adolescents, are facing in a rapidly changing and complex society, St. George’s School is re-doubling its efforts to focus on values and character development — values such as resiliency and responsibility are more important now than ever before.
Ensuring that students have a wide range of activities to express themselves and build their identity has been a focus for the school for the past several years. Whether this has been through increasing the number of sports activities or the range of clubs, the school is determined to have the largest Co-Curricular program in the city.
Finally, the accessibility of the school continues to be a focus for the school, an example of this is the school’s commitment to providing expanded financial support. Now all entry grades, with the exception of Kindergarten, are eligible to apply for financial assistance."
"It is an exciting time at St. George’s School. In the coming years, we are excited to continue evolving and enhancing our educational experience guided by our Mission of “Building Fine Young Men, One Boy At A Time”, and the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan.
We’re extending learning beyond our campus through bold partnerships in our city and beyond. These collaborations will offer students unique, hands-on learning experiences that connect them with the broader community and global issues.
Our focus on stewardship means we’ll foster a diverse and inclusive community, helping students appreciate different perspectives. We aim to lead in boys' education by promoting sustainability, innovation, belonging, and future-readiness.
Finally, our new state-of-the-art senior school buildings opening in 2024 will reflect our commitment to excellence. These modern spaces will provide an inspiring learning environment."
Top-down influence on the school’s direction and tone
Dr. Tom Matthews, Headmaster
Building Fine Young Men... One Boy at a Time.
At St. George’s, in the words of our Mission, “we build fine young men.” Since 1930, we have provided our students with a challenging and supportive learning environment within which to grow, mature and flourish. Today, research continues to support the values of single-sex education. We now know that young men and women learn differently, and schools that can cater to the unique needs of each gender typically provide more enriching, supportive, and relevant environments for their students. At Saints, our commitment to boys’ education includes a broad and inclusive educational experience reflecting best practices in boys’ learning. Embracing our Vision of being “Canada’s World School for Boys,” we graduate young men with a global outlook who are able and willing to meet the challenges of a complex and rapidly changing world
As you explore our school page, or if you visit our two beautiful campuses, you will gain a fuller insight into what makes Saints so special. You will see fully engaged and happy students. You also will see dedicated and talented teachers challenging and supporting their students in a curriculum that offers over 50 academic, over 50 athletic, and over 50 club electives between Grades 7 and 12. We are a community that inspires our students to grow in mind, heart, body, and spirit. We are a school in which boys are able to find and pursue their passions.
We warmly welcome prospective families and are pleased to provide them with personal tours at their convenience. Our goal is always to help you discover whether Saints is the right fit for your son. Come and see for yourself the essence of St. George’s School, not only in our classrooms, but also on our playing fields and in our theatre, gymnasiums, libraries, and dining halls. As you do, you will begin to understand why our graduates love Saints and go on to make remarkable contributions in a broad range of personal and professional endeavours.
Take a closer look. Come and visit St. George’s School! We look forward to welcoming you to our community.
Best wishes,
Dr. Tom Matthews
Headmaster
Sine Timore aut Favore (Without Fear or Favour)
THE OUR KIDS REPORT: St. George's School
Next steps to continue your research:
Continue researching St. George's School with OurKids.net, or visit school website.
