Our new strategic plan reflects the vision we have for our school, which is to become a premier destination for top learners and educators in the Greater Toronto Area. With our exceptional student programming and unparalleled university preparation, we are well on our way.
We are proud to be at the forefront of education excellence, attracting curious learners who thrive in belonging to an inclusive community of high performance. Our students benefit from our incredible educators who inspire, challenge and support through research based best practices and leveraging a relationship based approach.
We offer academically rigorous programming that sparks student curiosity and engages them in real world problem solving. Our focus is to develop leadership, integrity, global mindedness and future vision. We work to empower every individual to reach their fullest potential and pursue ongoing growth, ensuring nontraditional exposure to potential pathways and the pursuit of personal passions.
The guiding pillars that support our vision forward include our ongoing dedication to wellbeing and belonging. We seek to create a safe, supportive and inclusive community for our learners to thrive as their authentic selves and create the ideal conditions for exceptional learning. We aspire to foster a strong sense of belonging for all staff, students and families as we are all indeed united as The York School community.
As we move ahead with our ambitious plans for growth, approaching our 60th anniversary in 2025, we will be looking for your support in continuing to build a strong foundation for the long term sustainability of the school. I welcome your ongoing feedback as we continue to build the globally minded future leaders of tomorrow.
Best,
Struan Robertson Head of School
We are known for our academic rigour, unique urban campus, gender inclusivity and long held belief that experience teaches. Renowned for our exceptional International Baccalaureate (IB) experience, we boast signature programs across all grade levels that engage, inspire and challenge students.
10:1 TEACHER RATIO
GENDER INCLUSIVE STUDENT BODY 750 OF GRADUATES RECEIVE OFFERS TO THEIR BEST FIT SCHOOLS 98% OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE TAUGHT OVERSEAS 25%
The York School was founded in 1965 and is the first school in Canada accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) from junior kindergarten (JK) to university entrance. We continue to maintain a strong working relationship with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), allowing us to be on the cutting edge of IB innovation. Our graduates consistently score well above the IB world average.
Our IB approach to learning is crosscurricular and project-based, which means from English, to Arts, to Science and Technology, our students are studying similar themes and concepts that equip them with the future ready skills they’ll need to succeed beyond The York School. Through a collaborative teaching model, our students are approaching learning through multiple lenses.
Our Mission
To nurture curious learners to become globally minded leaders with integrity and purpose.
Our Values
Embrace curiosity.
Challenge yourself.
Contribute to an inclusive community.
Our Vision
To be a premier destination for top learners in the Greater Toronto Area.
Renowned for our:
• Relationship based approach
• Culture of belonging
• Unique urban campus
• Unparalleled preparation for university
Our Commitments
We believe our school is responsible for creating the ideal conditions for exceptional learning, as well as cultivating positive culture and sense of community.
The promise that we make to families is that we will commit to:
• Creating a safe, supportive and inclusive community for our learners to thrive as their authentic selves
• Providing outstanding programs that spark curiosity and engage students in real world problem solving
• Recognizing the unique strengths and identities of every student, and empowering them to reach their fullest potential and pursue ongoing growth
The foundational pillars that underpin our strategic plan are:
Exceptional Learning Experiences
Dedication to Wellbeing and Belonging
Pursuit of Operational Excellence
Our Exceptional Learning Experiences
We aspire to be a premier destination for top learners in the GTA and top educators globally.
We attract top students from across the GTA who:
• Embrace curiosity and pursue knowledge
• Develop strong leadership capabilities
• Challenge themselves to reach new heights and innovate creative solutions
• Thrive in belonging to a community of high performers
• Build fluency in emerging technologies and entrepreneurship
• Pursue pathways that align with their personal passions
• Demonstrate empathy and integrity
• Foster a culture of belonging
• Celebrate wellbeing, balance and joy
• Gain admittance to their top fit university choices
Our Exceptional Learning Experiences
We attract the top educators from across the GTA who:
• Build trusted relationships with all students
• Cultivate growth mindsets and pursue innovation
• Employ and reflect on research backed best practices through ongoing performance management
• Model what they teach as dynamic learners
• Participate in world class professional development and adapt to change with courage
• Spark student curiosity through deep inquiry
• Challenge each student to reach their fullest potential
• Embrace new technology in the classroom
• Celebrate and embody diversity, equity, inclusivity (DEI) and belonging
• Engage with a global community of top performing educators and thought leaders
• Are ranked amongst the top 3 CIS Ontario and CAIS schools in faculty compensation
We are...
» Developing personalized pathways for students
» Further cultivating continuity between grade divisions
» Fostering research based partnerships with industry leaders
» Infusing innovative technologies into programs
» Maintaining strong relationships with top universities globally
» Counselling our graduates to pursue their best fit post secondary placements
» Constructing tailored growth and development plans for staff
Our Dedication to Wellbeing & Belonging
We aspire to foster a strong sense of belonging for all students, staff and families.
We are...
» Growing an endowment fund to improve accessibility for top students regardless of financial ability
» Building gender inclusive spaces and pedagogical practices
» Using homeroom and advisor groups to discuss issues central to wellbeing and social emotional learning across all divisions
» Offering comprehensive programming through the Leigh Family Centre for Wellbeing
» Deepening time and stress management strategies for staff and students
» Furthering the work of diversity, equity and inclusion across all school divisions through a lens of wellbeing and belonging
» Conducting curriculum audits and developing clear policies, frameworks and protocols for DEI work
» Working to ensure diverse representation (staff, students, board) as well as equitable and inclusive hiring practices
We believe in a whole person approach to learning and aim to empower all individuals to be their authentic selves.
We seek to practice accessible, transparent leadership and work to ensure that inclusive practices are woven into everything we do.
We believe in long term planning, ongoing community consultation and effective board governance. Our leadership team is dedicated to responsible fiscal management and ensuring that we have the resources to execute our strategic vision.
Our Pursuit of
Operational Excellence
We aspire to build a strong foundation for the long term sustainability of The York School.
We are...
• Long range planning to support the strategic direction of the school
• Deepening the understanding of our unique differentiated advantage
• Aligning with a changing economy
• Leveraging best in class technologies
• Building a strategic campus plan with world class facilities and fundraising for expansion
• Setting best practices in enhanced board governance
• Hiring top leaders in all operational and administrative functions
• Soliciting ongoing feedback from all members of our community
• Cultivating a culture of philanthropy
The York School Land Acknowledgement
The land on which The York School operates is the Treaty 13 Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. These are the sacred grounds of the Anishinaabek, Wendat and Haudenosaunee peoples, past and present, and remain home to many Indigenous Nations from across Turtle Island. We are grateful to live, learn, work and play on Tkaronto, the place in the water where the trees are standing.
We recognize the traditional stewards that have cared for this land through the generations. We are committed to learning about the historical impact and hurt that colonialism and broken treaties continue to have on Indigenous peoples. It is our responsibility to honour and participate in the journey of reconciliation.
The York School was founded in 1965 by Barbara Goodwin-Zeibots as York Montessori School. It moved to its current location in 1998 and added its Junior School campus in 2010. The York School was Canada’s first one-to-one laptop school and became Canada’s first IB World School spanning JK to Grade 12 in 2005.
