Primary schools North Vancouver
 

HI all.

Hope you ppl are safe and sound over this crazy time.
We are moving from Cambie Area to North Vancouver and our 5yrs old will need to be enrolled to a primary school.
We don't personally know anyone from the North shore area with kids and we are a bit unsure on which is a good school.
My wife works at Cap Uni and I work from home so we could be pretty flexible about travels and driving our daughter to and from school.

If anyone suggest a good school would be appreciated.
The ones around the area we will move, Upper Lonsdale, don't have great ratings.

Please advise ppl!

Enjoy your last day of this weird year.
I wish the best to you all.

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

Greetings :)
Primary School starts at age 6, so she will start Kindergarten at 5 - https://www.sd44.ca/Schools/StudentR...efault.aspx#/=
Schools in Canada have a 'zone' much like the UK and where you live will determine which school she attends, if you have already secured accommodation then you may have little choice which public school she attends.
Where are you getting the information that the schools are not good/don't have good ratings? The Fraser Institute is not thought highly of.. but here's the link https://www.compareschoolrankings.org/ :)
You will find schooling here is different to the UK in many ways :) https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Canad...ool_Comparison
On another note, make sure you ask for a Visitor Record if you don't have PR for your daughter when you enter Canada - you may need it to register her in school. :)

You could consider going 'private' and sending her to https://northstarmontessori.ca/
Good luck! :D

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

Hi there.

Thanks for your email.

I do know she is going to Kindergarten which Is within the same spaces of a primary school. she is enrolled in a kindergarten here in Cambie area but as we move up north I will need something closer.
Also, it is true about catchment area, however, you may request a spot somewhere nearby if permitted.

thanks for the info attached .
will have a look!
Many thanks

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

Good Lord, you're only moving across the harbour, not way up north!!!

Yes, where you live determines the school that your child goes to, especially in kindy and primary school. There is more option to go to a high school out of your catchment area, but this usually is because the child is specialising in some activity (eg, ice hockey, ballet, drama, ski racing) and there is a high school that runs courses specially geared to children needing something different, eg Magee High School in Vancouver has programs that allow children heavily involved in ballet or dance to attend school for only part of the day, or there are 3 or 4 around the Lower Mainland that specialise in part day programs aimed at hockey players.

In addition, acceptance into a school out of your catchment area is dependent on there being space in that school as every schools' responsibility is to the children in the catchment.

Decide where you are going to live, then get your child listed at the local school.

Why isn't your wife asking colleagues at Cap U???

They'd know far more than most people on this forum .......... I probably know as much as anyone else.

FWIW ............ ignore that Fraser Institute report, it's a heavily right wing based institute and has not yet produced a schools report that has accurately graded all the schools it claims to have studied.

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

Sorry, it wasn't clear that you were currently living in BC... so I responded as if you were entering the country as newcomers.

You didn't mention where you have got your information about the schools not being up to par / don't have good ratings, is this from personal contacts or what you have read online?
I think you may struggle getting a kindergarten age child into a school outside of your local catchment area without very good reason -and why would you want to? Your daughter needs to be able to have contact with children who live in the same area, not miles away. :)

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

HAHAHA yes, just 5 miles away :)

my wife did ask to colleague at CapU which, believe it or not, do not have children!!!
Our property will be in the catchment area of a school which is not highly ranked on online reviews and but, weirdly enough, a school better ranked (which I thought would be our) is just few blocks away closer than the catchment one. Bit confusing.

I hope you will have a great evening and leading to a prosperous and healthy new year!

Thanks for your help!

Matt

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

Thank you, and a Happy New Year to you also.

Which online reviews, and how old??

It does make a difference.

A school catchment area has several more kindergarten and primary schools than secondary, largely because of the smaller number of students per class.

It is not unusual to find elementary schools relatively close together ............. one of the original intentions was that primary schools in towns and cities should be within walking distance, which was I believe originally 2 miles in the city and 3 miles in the country.

I think you will find it hard to put your child into any other but the catchment one because s/he will be at the back of the line for children who live in the other catchment.

It is also worth noting that if you do succeed in getting your child into the other school, then his/her place is NOT always guaranteed for all future years ........ s/he will still be at the back of the line after kids living in the area.

Have you though of trying to visit the schools, and talked to the principals?? It will be difficult during these covid days, but you could at least drive around the outside of the schools and see what the playgrounds look like, etc. I'm presuming the general neighbourhood isn't "bad" as you are moving to live there.

I would point out to you that one of the best regarded elementary schools in Vancouver is actually in the worst neighbourhoods. It doesn't rank that high in the Fraser Reports because only private schools do that (part of the slant to the reports), but parents give it very high marks.

Re: Primary schools North Vancouver
 

One of my daughters went to Montroyal for a couple of years. I live quite near Upper Lonsdale now (Delbrook) but we used to live near Grouse Mountain. Both daughters went to a very good high school which I can't speak highly enough about as my then 15 year old was very resistant to moving from the UK. She settled down quite quickly. This was all a few years ago though.

Frankly I wouldn't be bothered by ratings. It's better that your child goes local and has a chance to meet kids who live nearby to her. I mean COVID-19 aside etc it's an opportunity to have friends nearby etc.. Academics shouldn't really be worrying you for a 5 year old IMO.

Suggestion: join Nextdoor.com and ask on there.