Midtown Toronto. Is there any better place to live or raise a family? Quiet residential streets provide a peaceful backdrop to the busy downtown core, while stately houses with gardens and meticulous landscaping dot the neighbourhood. It’s like having the best of both worlds, especially considering Toronto’s world-class transit system, where you’ll quickly find buses, streetcars, and subway lines to take you anywhere you want to go. 

For families with children, one priority outshines all others; access to the best education. And luckily for residents of Midtown, the schools here are highly rated and sought after. In this post, we’ll take a deeper look at what public schools you’ll find throughout the various communities.

What Makes a “Great” School Great?

Before looking at individual schools, let’s ponder what makes an excellent option for your child. For many parents, they need not look any further than the Fraser Rankings, which gives each facility an annual grade out of 10. It’s much like a child’s report card, except it’s the school itself under scrutiny. 

Several factors are considered, but the ratings primarily come down to students’ performances on standardized tests in Math, Reading, and Writing. The higher the score, the better the school, at least on paper. Are the Fraser Rankings reliable for evaluating what school your child should attend? Yes and no.

Yes, because the numbers don’t lie. And no, because standardized tests are not everything, and many students have talents outside their narrow constraints. 

Also, some schools are too small or too new to even get on the radar. Before choosing a school, you must consider your child’s individual learning style and personality. Here’s one way to look at it. A high ranking likely means that a school is excellent. But a lower score doesn’t necessarily indicate an inferior school. On the contrary, it could be a sign that many students excel in the arts rather than mathematics. A school could even offer outstanding special education but score low because of standardized tests. 

An Alternative Evaluation Tool

You should also remember that the Fraser Rankings have nothing to do with the child’s day-to-day performance or love of learning. For that, you might turn to another tool. Like the Fraser Rankings, the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) considers the subjects of Math, Reading, and Writing. However, they also look deeper, taking a more holistic approach and factoring in the child’s well-being. Their reports show not just the results but whether students like learning and whether or not they believe in themselves. High marks by the EQAO might suggest plenty of support for students and highly competent teaching staff. 

Between the two tools, your own research, and gut instincts, you’ll be able to evaluate whether a school meets your child’s needs.

Relocating to Toronto? The following resources might help to guide you along the way!

The Four School Boards in Toronto

Four separate school boards oversee all public elementary and secondary education in the City of Toronto. The two secular boards are:

The Catholic Education sector also operates two school boards for Toronto:

The school board websites are an excellent resource for parents, providing valuable information on catchment areas, dress codes, school value statements, extra-curricular activities, and any support systems available for students.

If you want more help with finding the right neighbourhood for your new home, a local real estate agent is an invaluable resource. Here’s How To Find The Best Midtown Real Estate Team.

A Look at the Schools in Your Toronto Neighbourhood

You can use the tools mentioned above to evaluate a potential school for your child. However, the public education system does limit you by catchment area, which means you may not have access to your first choice. Unless you move to a new postal code, you should have a list of backup facilities to choose from. If you are relocating, an experienced local real estate agent can help you navigate the confusion of catchment areas and provide you with premium access to the schools of your choice. Below, you’ll find some of the most popular options in various Midtown Toronto neighbourhoods. 

Public Elementary Schools in Midtown

  • Allenby Junior Public School – Serving students from JK to Grade 6, Allenby Junior Public School is located at 391 St Clements Avenue. At the time of this writing, it has an outstanding rating of 8.6 from the Fraser Institute.
  • Glenview Senior Public School – Serves children in Grades 7 and 8, located at 401 Rosewell Avenue. It has no Fraser Ranking but offers French Immersion programs and has a strong focus on technology.
  • Deer Park Junior and Public School – Serves students from JK to Grade 8. Deer Park is located at 23 Ferndale Avenue and is one of the highest-rated schools in the city, currently ranked at 8.8. 

Catchment areas got you down? Private schools might be the perfect way to beat the system. Here are our Top 10 Private Schools In Midtown Toronto.

Midtown Secondary Schools

  • North Toronto Collegiate Institute – located at 17 Broadway Avenue, North Toronto, is currently rated 42 out of 739 secondary schools in Ontario.
  • Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute – with an impressive 7.5 rating, Lawrence Park is located at 125 Chatsworth Drive.
  • Central Technical School – Though not rated by the Fraser Institute, “Central Tech” is one of the oldest schools in Toronto. Just like it sounds, it prepares forward-thinking students for a career in technology and serves students from Grades 9 to 12. It’s located at 725 Bathurst Street.

Are you looking to relocate to Midtown and want to be assured of access to the best schools? We can help you find just the neighbourhood you’re looking for! Reach out to us at david@batorigroup.com, bobby@batorigroup.com or call (416) 485-7575 for more information or to get started.