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The 50-page review of The Rosedale Day School 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.
Read our in-depth review"RDS is a downtown co-ed day school that fosters future-ready leaders by honouring the unique character and potential of each child. At the heart of RDS is a personalised and meaningful learning experience. Our supportive and nurturing environment is designed to foster confidence, passion and a curiosity for learning. Engaged and dedicated faculty draw upon best practices to inspire learners and ensure students are prepared to adapt confidently and engage responsibly in our changing world."
What sets RDS apart is how we bring together an intimate, relational community with a cutting-edge approach to learning. First, we use downtown Toronto as an extension of our classroom. Second, as Toronto’s first official Future Design School, we explicitly embed 21st-century attributes—such as Constructive Doubt, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking—directly into everyday 1K–8 coursework. Third, we utilize Journey Based Assessment (JBA), which measures student growth over time through the triangulation of conversations, observations, and products rather than relying strictly on traditional, high-stakes testing.
Finally, through our Student Success Centre, structured literacy (Really Great Reading), and conceptual math mastery (My Math Path / Singapore Math framework), we ensure that every student's learning profile is individually supported.
We are very intentional about who we are and what environment best serves our students. Located at The Colonnade on Bloor Street, we trade a traditional, suburban campus for unparalleled urban access. Rather than confining athletics and outdoor study to a single private property, our students utilize premier downtown facilities like U of T’s Varsity Centre and Arena, Queen’s Park, Philosophers' Walk, and top-tier outdoor programs like Alive Outdoors & Camp Hurontario.
Keeping our total enrolment around 175 students ensures that every child is known personally by name, character, and learning style by staff across the school.
Lastly, by focusing strictly on JK through Grade 8, we trade an "all-through" Grade 12 model so that 100% of our leadership opportunities, budget, and energy are focused on the foundational elementary and middle school years.
1995 Founding: Established by Mrs. Sharon Stewart with 23 students, grounding the school in the philosophy that each child is unique (Quisque Infans Singularis Est).
CAIS Accreditation & Re-Accreditation: Joining Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) and achieving unconditional 5-year re-accreditation in December 2023, validating our adherence to 12 national standards of educational excellence.
The 2021–2026 Strategic Plan (Meaningful Learning for Life): Formulated through deep community consultation with over 93% parent recommendation, establishing our pillars of personalized learning, inclusive community, and a future-proof mindset.
Becoming Toronto's First Future Design School: Partnering with Future Design School to integrate the Portrait of a Future Ready Graduate, Elements of Exceptional Learning, and Journey Based Assessment into our K–8 curriculum.
Establishment of the Student Success Centre: Expanding full-time Learning Strategists, implementing structured literacy.
An RDS student is curious, open-minded, and eager to participate in the world around them. A student thrives at RDS if they:
Enjoy active, hands-on learning, asking questions, and solving real-world problems.
Flourish in a close-knit, supportive environment where positive relationships with teachers build authentic self-confidence.
Appreciate a balanced, well-rounded program that includes French, Music, Visual Arts, Physical Education, and athletics alongside core academics.
Benefit from personalized support, whether through enrichment, structured literacy, conceptual math, or individualized guidance from our Learning Strategists.
Want to step up as true leaders—serving as Prefects, House Captains, Admission Ambassadors, or Stewards for pluralism, the arts or environmentalism.
We want every family to find the absolute best fit for their child. I would advise against choosing RDS if:
You are seeking a seamless JK–12 single-school experience and do not want your child to transition to a new high school after Grade 8.
You require a traditional suburban campus with private, self-contained green fields directly on site.
You prefer an intensely competitive, high-stakes test environment over a growth-oriented, skill-based framework focused on social-emotional wellness and personal progression.
Your child requires specialized clinical residential or therapeutic medical care beyond the capabilities of a mainstream independent day school and Student Success Centre.
Families choose RDS primarily because of our warm, relational culture—over 93% of our parents state they would recommend RDS to friends and family. Parents consistently tell us that they value how deeply their children are known, cared for, and supported by our faculty.
Additionally, families choose RDS for our forward-thinking curriculum as Toronto’s first Future Design School. They love our downtown location and how we utilize the city’s top cultural landmarks for learning. They appreciate that specialist instruction in French, Music, and Visual Arts starts right in Junior Kindergarten, and they trust our strong track record of preparing Grade 8 graduates for seamless placement into top secondary schools.
RDS is known across Toronto as a warm, authentic, and highly principled downtown independent day school. The broader community recognizes us for combining academic standards with an intentional focus on student well-being and character development.
In the independent school landscape, we are seen as an educational innovator—backed by our CAIS accreditation, CIS Ontario membership, and status as Toronto's pioneer Future Design School. Secondary schools know RDS graduates as confident, articulate, empathetic, and future-ready learners who adapt easily to high school.
Intentional Skill Development and Integration: People often see our fun urban outings, but they underappreciate the rigorous pedagogical intentionality behind them. Our teachers map specific attributes—like Constructive Doubt, Source Review, Multi-Angle Evaluation, and Agile Project Management—directly into subject curricula across all grades.
Universal Design in Student Support: Our Student Success Centre is not just for remediation; it uses Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to elevate learning for every child across the academic spectrum.
The Power of a JK–8 Environment: In a JK–8 school, Grade 7 and 8 students do not sit in the shadow of high schoolers; they are the true leaders of our school community, building genuine maturity and confidence before entering secondary school.
The Extent of Our City-as-a-Classroom Approach: Families are often surprised by how seamlessly our students move through downtown Toronto—having HPE at U of T Varsity Centre/Arena, monthly assemblies at the Church of the Redeemer, performing arts at the Isabel Bader Theatre, and urban planning workshops at WaterfrontTO.
Early Specialist Instruction: Specialist teachers lead French, Music, and Visual Arts beginning in Junior Kindergarten.
Assessment Beyond Marks: Our implementation of Journey Based Assessment (JBA), where student growth is evaluated through ongoing feedback, observations, and conversations alongside student work products.
Early Experiential & Outdoor Trips: Multi-day outdoor education trips to sites like Camp Hurontario, Camp Kandalore, Ottawa, and Quebec City.
Pioneered Future Design School Partnership: Became Toronto's first official Future Design School and embedded the Portrait of a Future Ready Graduate into K–8 learning.
Math Curriculum Overhaul: Implemented My Math Path by Nelson Publishing (JK–8), adopting a Singapore Math mastery framework focused on deep problem-solving.
Structured Literacy Expansion: Expanded Really Great Reading across primary/junior grades to provide norm-referenced literacy tracking.
Facility & Space Enhancements: Opened the Sharon Stewart Library, built a 1,300 sq/ft rooftop outdoor classroom, and established new community partnerships with the Isabel Bader Theatre and the Church of the Redeemer.
Community & Accreditation Milestones: Re-launched our Parents' Guild, celebrated our 30th Anniversary, and achieved unconditional 5-year CAIS re-accreditation.
Over the next five years, RDS will continue to lead at the intersection of student well-being and modern pedagogy:
Deepening Skill-Based Reporting: Expanding Journey Based Assessment (JBA) across all grade levels so parents receive clear, ongoing reporting on future-ready skills alongside traditional subject outcomes.
Expanding Experiential & Project-Based Learning: Bringing interdisciplinary "Dream Days" into younger grades (Grades 3–5) and deepening global network connections.
Campus & Facility Upgrades: Securing long-term campus lease renewals at The Colonnade through 2037, expanding outdoor learning spaces, and exploring an Early Learning Centre.
Long-Term Sustainability & Philanthropy: Growing the Sharon Stewart Bursary fund to broaden access for deserving families, building financial resilience, and strengthening alumni connections as RDS enters its fourth decade.
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