On this page, we cover private Montessori high schools. This includes schools in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Pickering, and Scarborough, Ontario, and across Canada.
For a more complete guide to Montessori education, including a thorough discussion of the Montessori method and philosophy, check out our introductory guide.
Montessori high schools include students aged 14 to 18, the equivalent of grades 9 to 12 in most schools. In Montessori high schools, students do lots of independent and group work. They also begin note-taking, assignments, and tests, to prepare for university. Below, we list Montessori high schools. These schools can be filtered for several different features.
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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Richmond Hill, Ontario Bayview/Hwy 407 "Lauremont School is a leading, accredited independent school that offers a unique design of Montessori and International Baccalaureate programmes. Our students thrive in academics while building a foundation for life." —From the school
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Richmond Hill, Ontario Yonge Street/Silverwood Ave. "Century Private School is located in Richmond Hill, and our campus occupies 12 acres of land. Our programs runs from preschool to grade twelve, with small class ratio to ensure best learning for our students." —From the school
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Unionville, Ontario Kennedy Road/16th Avenue "UC offers year-ahead advanced programs from pre-school to Grade 10. We blend high standards for academic success with the social and emotional development of the individual child." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Bank Street/Marché Way "Our programs find the interaction of youth’s developmental characteristics, the Ontario curriculum, and the requirements of the adult world to create the focussed engagement that naturally leads to personal excellence." —From the school
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Toronto, Ontario Queen St E/Woodbine Ave "ATI is a school for ambitious teens who want to develop into independent, curious, self-motivated individuals. Gain the skills, knowledge and agency to build the future that you want. Located in The Beaches." —From the school
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Markham, Ontario Woodbine Av./Hwy 7 "Since 2002, J. Addison has provided a stimulating education for students. Located at the corner of Woodbine and Valleywood Drive in Markham, ON, Canada, you will find our state-of-the-art 58,000 sq. ft. facility." —From the school
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Oshawa, Ontario Wilson Road/Adelaide Ave "At G.B.MS, D.E.P.S and Durham Academy Secondary school focus is on each individual student and helping them meet their unique potential and goals. We believe in excellent customer service and families have a voice. Throughout the year we enhance our programs through program enhancement and enrichment." —From the school
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Hamilton, Ontario Garth Street/Fennell Avenue West "Established in 1901, Hillfield Strathallan College is one of Canada’s leading co-educational independent schools, offering academic programs from Montessori Toddler and Pre-K to Grade 12, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada." —From the school
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Kanata, Ontario Eagleson Road/Stonehaven Drive "For 50 years, Kanata Montessori has offered excellent learning environments for students to grow emotionally, socially and academically into a positive global citizen." —From the school
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Fredericton, New Brunswick "The main objective of FMA is to provide your child with a planned and stimulating environment in order for them to be able to reach their own individual and highest learning potential while honouring the whole child." —From the school
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Toronto, Ontario University Ave./Dundas street "Cornerstone students love to shape the future. They INSPIRE learning, DISCOVER their potential, EMPOWER themselves to be innovative citizens. Our boundless learning strategies open doors for successful learning." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Alta Vista Drive/Industrial Road "OMS Montessori is a non for profit, independent school offering separate French and English programs within a world class Montessori environment." —From the school
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Markham, Ontario 14th Ave/Kennedy "Trillium School is a private school that offers programs from pre-school to grade twelve in Markham with Montessori-based kindergarten." —From the school
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Some schools aren't Montessori schools, but use a Montessori approach for their preschool or daycare program. This approach gives young learners plenty of freedom to choose tasks and activities that interest them, which promotes their independence and confidence. It also strongly emphasizes concrete learning, where children work with lots of hands-on materials, and do practical life activities. Children usually work independently or in small groups in these programs.
"Our Beyond the Books approach provides opportunities for students’ academic & personal growth, nurturing students' confidence & self-esteem and willingness to take risks through the classroom & organized activities.
—From the school
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Markham, Ontario Kennedy Road/Steeles Avenue "Located in Markham, Ontario, Town Centre Private Schools is an IB Continuum World School offering a Montessori Pre-School program, IB Elementary School, High School and optional IB Diploma Programme." —From the school
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For general advice on how to choose private schools, check out our choosing a school guide and read advice from leading education experts. For advice specific to choosing Montessori schools (including high schools), see our Montessori choosing guide. 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 way to find a school, Montessori or otherwise. We have annual private school expos in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Halton-peel. These expos allow you to speak with tonnes of private schools in Canada. Many of these are Montessori schools (some of which are high schools). Find a Montessori high school near you.
Another important tool in your school search is the Our Kids parent discussion forum. The forum is a great place to discuss options and debate topics related to Montessori education and private schools. Take advantage of our community of parents, education experts, and school officials. They can help answer your most pressing questions.
Open houses are another effective way to learn about private schools. For general advice on open house visits, check out our guide on school visits.
The cost of Montessori high schools tends to be lower than the cost of other private high schools. In fact, Montessori schools are usually on the lower side of private school tuition in general. Private school tuition can range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year for day students.
Some Montessori high schools offer needs-based financial aid, such as bursaries or tuition relief. Some offer scholarships (a form of merit-based financial aid). Check out our financial aid guide for more on these options.
Below, you’ll find the range of costs for Montessori high schools:
Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
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Westmont Montessori School | $10,600 to $32,000 | 1% | Preschool - 12 | $5,000 |
Lauremont School | $26,750 to $32,700 | Preschool - 12 | ||
The Element High School | $18,810 to $21,905 | |||
Academy of Thought and Industry Toronto | $18,000 | 7 - 8 | ||
Hillfield Strathallan College | $19,349 to $32,052 | 10% | JK - 12 | $4,500 |
OMS Montessori | $14,664 to $21,384 | 10% | Nursery/Toddler - 6 | $2,500 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
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Bond Academy | Liberal Arts | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 15 to 18 | Full-time Dedicated Class | Medium integration | ||
Westmont Montessori School | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Withdrawal Assistance | Medium integration | |||
Lauremont School | Montessori | International Baccalaureate | Student-paced | Rigorous | No support | |||
Century Private School | Traditional | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 10 to 18 | No support | Light integration | |
Unionville College | Traditional | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | 18 to 24 | Partial Integration | Heavy integration | |
The Element High School | Progressive | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Indirect Support | Heavy integration | ||
Academy of Thought and Industry Toronto | Montessori | Student-paced | Rigorous | 10 to 12 | No support | Heavy integration | ||
J. Addison School | Montessori | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 15 | No support | Light integration | |
Durham Elementary, Durham Academy and G.B.M.S. | Progressive | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 8 to 16 | Indirect Support | Medium integration | |
Hillfield Strathallan College | Traditional | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 16 to 20 | No support | Heavy integration | |
Kanata Montessori | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 12 to 23 | Resource Assistance | Heavy integration | ||
Town Centre Private Schools | Traditional | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 15 to 22 | No support | ||
Fredericton Montessori Academy | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | Indirect Support | Light integration | |||
Cornerstone Montessori Prep School | Liberal Arts | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | 10 to 12 | No support | ||
OMS Montessori | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | 16 to 25 | Withdrawal Assistance | Light integration | ||
Trillium School | Traditional | Montessori | Accelerated | Rigorous | No support | Medium integration |
Legend:
Bond Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Westmont Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Lauremont School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Century Private School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Unionville College | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Element High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Academy of Thought and Industry Toronto | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Addison School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Durham Elementary, Durham Academy and G.B.M.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hillfield Strathallan College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kanata Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Town Centre Private Schools | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fredericton Montessori Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Cornerstone Montessori Prep School | ||||||||||||||||||||
OMS Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Trillium School |
Montessori high schools have lots of self-directed learning, group projects, and challenging work. Overall, their approach to education is progressive, and constrasts with more mainstream schools.
For further discussion of Montessori high school (not to mention preschool, middle school, and elementary school), see our main Montessori school guide.
In some Montessori high schools, students have long uninterrupted work periods, of two to three hours. During these periods, students can often work on their own chosen tasks.
On the other hand, Montessori students need to work through a challenging curriculum. They must master material in compulsory subjects such as math, science, history, and English. And, they’ll have the option of taking other subjects, such as geography, economics, and psychology.
Montessori high schools prepare students for university or college. Unlike preschool and elementary schools, they give students tests and assignments. They also grade many of these (though less than in mainstream schools).
Students are also given credits and grades for courses. Like mainstream high schools, for students to graduate with a diploma, their curriculum must meet the standards of the Ministry of Education.
For more details, see our guide to Montessori curriculum.
Child-specific advice on choosing a Montessori school
Read our child-specific insights on choosing the right school, including Montessori schools. We explore how choosing the right type of school crucially depends on kids' unique traits, such as their mental and academic focus, social tendencies, and activity level.
To customize over 350 school profiles with insights unique to your child's traits, create a child profile through an Our Kids user account.
Montessori high schools have an interesting teaching approach. Some lectures are given, though less than in mainstream high schools. Teachers must ensure students master the basics, especially in required subjects. Usually, though, the teacher doesn’t stand in the front of the classroom, and students don’t sit at desks.
Teachers use textbooks in some courses. Often, though, each student will have their own textbook, tailored to their special learning level. Rarely will there be one textbook for the entire class.
Students have the option to work alone or in groups to complete some projects, with some guidance from the teacher. Moreover, teachers give them quite a bit of freedom to choose their tasks and work at their own pace.