When choosing a school, should you opt for a smaller one with a close-knit community and the freedom to adapt the curriculum to student needs?
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you → choose → needs
With benefits to both, it’s a matter of considering what best suits your child.
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what → ’ → child
“Small schools like ours are nimble,” said Mark Young, principal at The Abelard School in Toronto, a Grade 7 to 12 school that only enrolls about 50 students at a time.
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that → say → time
It’s all about personalization and educational flexibility that lets students reach their full potential, he said.
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he → ’ → potential
“If a student excels at math, for example, and can prove to us that they have the knowledge required to skip a year, we provide that option for them.”
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we → excel → them
Young points to some of Abelard’s successful alumni who benefited from this flexibility, such as Chris Olah, co-founder of leading Artificial Intelligence company Anthropic, and Vitalik Buterin, founder of blockchain platform Ethereum.
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who → point → Ethereum
“Chris and Vitalik thrived at our school because we provided them with educational opportunities they could not find elsewhere and at a level that matched their curiosity and expertise,” he said.
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he → thrive → curiosity
Simone Gravesande, principal of The Mabin School in Toronto — which has 150 students from kindergarten to Grade 6 — reinforces the value of tailoring learning to each student.
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which → have → student
“In a small environment, we can really take a student’s curiosity and help them to run with it.
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them → take → it
”
And in a small school, students have the advantage of being truly “known,” said Caroline Bernaba, principal of The Giles School in Toronto.
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Bernaba → have → Toronto
“Teachers know their students’ personalities, strengths and interests, and there are many opportunities for a child to find an area in which they can shine,” said Bernaba, whose school has about 110 students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 8.
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school → know → Grade
It’s not just about staff knowing students and vice-versa, Gravesande added.
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Gravesande → ’ → -
There’s more cross-grade socializing at a smaller school, which creates “a beautiful sense of community.”
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which → ’ → community
That includes the parents, she said.
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she → include → parents
Choice on a larger scale
At the other end of the spectrum are larger schools that can offer “a greater variety of academic programs, clubs, teams, leadership opportunities and other co-curricular experiences,” said Philip Wilson, principal of St. Michael’s College School, an all-boys Catholic school in Toronto with 830 students from Grade 7 to 12.
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Wilson → offer → 12
In athletics, for example, “we’re able to field multiple teams at different age and competitive levels,” Wilson said.
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Wilson → ’re → levels
“This creates opportunities for a wider range of students — not only highly experienced athletes — to participate, improve their skills, represent their school and experience the benefits of being part of a team.
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range → create → team
A large school can host diverse facilities and specialized learning spaces and provide extensive student support, Wilson said.
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Wilson → host → support
“This includes dedicated learning strategists, a substantial guidance department and a school social worker, as well as teachers, advisors and other professionals who contribute to student well-being.
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who → include → being
These schools also have vast peer networks that “can remain valuable long after graduation,” Wilson added.
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Wilson → have → graduation
Those networks often include a broader range of people.
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networks → include → people
“At Ridley, students learn alongside peers from across Canada and more than 60 countries around the world,” said Jenna Cameron, director of enrolment management and admissions at Ridley College.
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Cameron → learn → College
Many enroll from elementary through high school.
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Many → enroll → school
“A larger school allows them to explore [their evolving] interests without outgrowing the opportunities available to them,” Cameron said.
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Cameron → allow → them
“Students who thrive here are often those who value choice and are excited to chart their own path,” she added.
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she → thrive → path
That said, “size alone isn’t what matters most; it’s what a school is able to do with its size,” Cameron said.
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Cameron → say → size
“The best-fit school is always the one that aligns with a child’s needs, interests and aspirations.”
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that → align → needs
The Aporia
