Ridley College offers a global education anchored in Canadian values, where students attend school ‘with the world’ and have life-shaping experiences. Students are inspired to seek knowledge, nurture important values and pursue passions. We place a particular emphasis on wellbeing, which helps students build social-emotional toolkits that prepare them to lead flourishing lives—today and long after they’ve graduated. Ridley is also an IB Continuum School with a learner-driven culture and deep commitment to service.
Ridley expresses so many of the great traditions of private school, and it comes by all of them absolutely honestly. The school was founded in 1889, making it one of the oldest schools in the country. It began life as an Anglican boys’ school—it was named after an Anglican Bishop—but is non-denominational today, and has been co-ed since 1973. That said, many of the traditions that inform the life of the school date to the founding, including chapel meetings that serve to bring the school together around shared events and shared values. The school maintains a cadet corps, the largest of its kind in Canada. The chapel, and indeed all of the buildings that comprise the campus, are, frankly, gorgeous. It’s easily one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The strategic plan, implemented in 2014, provided an opportunity to take stock of the school at the time of its 125th anniversary, including a dedication to maintaining a global perspective across the breadth of the curriculum. Throughout its long history Ridley has maintained a reputation as one of the best schools in Canada, one that no doubt will remain for very many years to come. The ideal student is one who arrives predisposed to make the most of the wide range of academic and extra-curricular opportunities that will be made available to them.
From the review: Ridley expresses so many of the great traditions of private school, and it comes by all of them absolutely honestly. The school was founded in 1889, making it one of the oldest schools in the country. It began life as an Anglican boys’ school—it was named after an Anglican Bishop—but is non-denominational today, and has been co-ed since 1973. That said, many of the traditions that inform the life of the school date to the founding, including chapel meetings that
Read The Our Kids Review of Ridley CollegeAdditional notes: We are thrilled to announce that we will be launching a comprehensive bus transportation programme in September 2023! Busing will be included in tuition, with planned service running in the morning and again in the afternoon from Monday to Friday during the school year. At the end of the school day, the departure time will align with release times for all students, however, it's important to note that depending on your child’s co-curricular schedule, they may need to stay on campus later in the evening and be picked up by a parent or guardian. Routes and timing will be confirmed in the summer months as details and ridership are finalized. Read our FAQ and learn more at ridleycollege.com/bustransportation.
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of Ridley College.
Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at Ridley College.
Interested in a Ridley education? Want to learn more about what it’s like to be a student at Ridley College?
Join Ridley's Headmaster, faculty and other members of the Ridley community on Zoom for this virtual information session on all aspects of life at Ridley. Topics will include boarding, the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, guidance and university placement, athletics, arts, activities, well-being, and virtual campus tours.
Interested in a Ridley education? Want to learn more about what it’s like to be a student at Ridley College?
Join Ridley's Headmaster, faculty and other members of the Ridley community on Zoom for this virtual information session on all aspects of life at Ridley. Topics include boarding, the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, guidance and university placement, athletics, arts, activities, well-being, and virtual campus tours.
Make time to read as a family! Join Ridley teachers and special guest authors for engaging activities that will reignite your love of reading together - just in time for Family Day weekend!
Registration is now open!
Hear from the Head of Upper School, Guidance, and Admissions to learn more about the exciting opportunities in High School. Panel will take place during the event.
Due to high demand and a competitive application process, Ridley can no longer offer rolling admissions for day applicants in our Upper School.
The application deadline for September 2023 entry is February 22nd, 2023. Decisions will be released to students on March 1st, 2023.
If space permits, we will accept applications until March 27th, 2023 and the second round of decisions will be released on April 3rd, 2023.
All successful day student applicants will be placed in our waitpool until decisions are released on the dates above.
Join Ridley Admissions staff and our colleagues at International Student Guardianship Canada for an overview of Study Permits, visitor visas, custodianship and more! Learn what documents you need to study at Ridley and how to make your travel to Canada as smooth as possible.
Some private schools offer International Baccalaureate (IB) programming. The "Diploma Programme" is offered to students in the final two years of high school, while the "Primary Years Programme" (ages 3 to 12) and "Middle Years Programme" (ages 11 to 16) serve as preparation for the diploma program.
Program | offered |
---|---|
Primary Years | |
Middle Years | |
Diploma program | |
Career-related program |
Focus |
---|
Academic |
DIBELS Testing: This school does not use DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Students remain in a regular classroom for most of the day, but are pulled out for extra support from a qualified special education teacher.
Subject Ttype | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Ttype | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 12, Ridley College students perform an average of >2 hours of homework per night.
JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ridley College | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 160 mins | 160 mins |
Site Average | 6 mins | 7 mins | 14 mins | 16 mins | 23 mins | 28 mins | 33 mins | 39 mins | 51 mins | 55 mins | 69 mins | 80 mins | 97 mins | 106 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | JK to Gr. 12 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | JK to Gr. 12 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | JK to Gr. 12 |
Parent-teacher meetings | JK to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 15
Recreational sports: 15
Ridley College offers 25 clubs and extracurricular programs.
JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Day | $25,875 | $29,925 | $33,250 | $39,500 | ||||||||||
Boarding (Domestic) | $73,250 | $69,950 | ||||||||||||
Boarding (International) | $82,500 | $79,250 |
Grade range that need-based aid is offered: | 5 to 12 |
Percentage of grade-eligible students receiving financial aid | 18% |
Average aid package size | $16,000 |
Percentage of total enrolment on financial aid | 16% |
Total aid available | $1,000,000 |
This school works with Apple Financial Inc. for processing financial applications
In order for Ridley to review a family's request for need-based aid via Apple Financial Services, the admissions process must be complete and an offer of admission must be granted.
Through the generosity of donors and benefactors, Ridley is able to offer merit-based scholarship to students with exceptional potential. These funds are dedicated to the recruitment of new students of the highest caliber and potential.
Scholarship consideration is based on the following three criteria:
There is no separate application for the scholarship programme. Necessary materials are obtained from the student’s application for admission.
Each applicant must sit for an administration of the SSAT examination. The examination may be taken at Ridley (see our website for dates) or any authorized SSAT test location. Test registration is required at www.ssat.org.
Students that score in the top 50th percentile on the SSAT may qualify to receive a scholarship. Possible scholarship amounts vary by grade. For example:
* day students entering Grade 5 or 6 can earn a maximum award of $5,000
* day students entering Grade 7 or 8 can earn a maximum award of $7,500
* day students entering the Upper School (i.e., Grades 9 to 12) can earn a maximum award of $10,000
* domestic and international boarding students are eligible to earn a maximum award of $15,000
There is no separate application for the scholarship programme. Necessary materials are obtained from the student’s application for admission.
Each applicant must sit for an administration of the SSAT examination and list Ridley as a 'score recipient' through the SSAT website. The examination may be taken at Ridley or any authorized SSAT test location. Test registration is required at www.ssat.org.
For more details, visit:www.ridleycollege.com/podium/default.aspx?t=137010Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | JK to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | 334 |
Group 2 | Gr. 5 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Boarding | 377 |
Total enrolment | 711 |
Average class size | 17 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 35% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 62 |
Five-day boarding program offered | No |
% in boarding (grade-eligible) | 59% |
JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Enrollment | 9 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 65 | 36 |
Boarding Enrollment | 2 | N/A | 7 | 21 | 54 | 82 | 106 | 91 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | JK - 12 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | ||
Entrance Essay | 4 - 12 |
Day students: Rolling
Boarding students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry: No
Application fee: $100
Registration fee: $3,500
Deposit: N/A
The SSAT is only a requirement for those students applying for a merit-based scholarship.
Registration Fee for Domestic Boarders: $3500 and International Boarders $4000
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Boarding Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Average graduating class size | 150 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | N/A |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | N/A |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | 6 |
Ridley College Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
This information is not currently available.Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships |
Mentorship Program | N/A |
University counseling | N/A |
What Ridley College says:
Alumnus | Grad Year | Accomplishment |
---|---|---|
Irving Bell | 1971 | Founder of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics[10] |
Colm Feore | 1977 | Feore honed his skills as a member of the Stratford Festival of Canada, has had notable roles on series, such as House of Cards, and has on performed on Broadway. |
Duncan Coutts | 1988 | He joined the alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. Our Lady Peace has won four Juno Awards and ten MuchMusic Video Awards. |
Darcy McKeough | 1951 | Darcy is the former CEO of Union Gas and former Treasurer of the Province of Ontario. He has also been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. |
Greg Stremlaw | 1990 | Greg has had a record-setting career in public and private sport, and is now the Head of CBC Sports as well as General Manager of the Olympics for Canada. |
Georgina Black | 1985 | Ridley’s Chair of the Board of Governors and Old Ridleian, was recently and unequivocally named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2016 |
Welcome to Ridley!
One of the favourite times of my day is the opportunity to walk the halls of Ridley College, drop in on classrooms and watch active learning in action. At Ridley College, you will find that students are engaged in exploring new ideas, debating eternal questions and solving relevant problems. Learning is student centered and exciting to witness!
In our Lower School, you will discover inquiry-based learning in all classrooms from kindergarten to grade 8. Students engage with ‘big ideas’ and pursue essential and enduring questions – ‘what is an economy and how does it impact the human experience?” You’ll see students Skype interviewing an anthropologist from Kansas. You’ll hear the excitement of innovation in the robotics lab.
In our Upper School, you will meet young adults who confidently pursue their passions – academic inquiry, athletic endeavor, or artistic expression. You will see focused and disciplined students leading a Socratic seminar in a literature class, singing a solo in chapel or persevering through a 2 kilometer time trial in our indoor rowing tank.
Cultivating the full potential in each student requires a caring, committed and world-class faculty. The task also requires intimate relationships that are built day by day, year after year. At Ridley, you’ll find a community of adults who are excited to build those relationships. As a boarding school, Ridley provides students with a 24/7 experience that will help you cultivate those lifelong bonds with peers and adults alike – in the classroom, in the House, on the ice or in the theatre.
The reality is that one cannot be certain what children and young adults can do until we challenge them to be their best. At Ridley, students are surrounded by peers who share their sense of purpose, who believe in the value of hard work and who are building the courage to pursue their dreams. Add to this the experience and care of a community of adults who are dedicated to nurturing their potential, and you have the Ridley formula.
I hope that our website offers you a glimpse into the life of our unique community of learners and that you are inspired to look deeper into the Ridley experience. Check out our Youtube channel to get a real glimpse into the Ridley difference. Better yet, I invite you to visit the School, to soak in its idyllic setting, to experience classes in action, to meet teachers and Head of Houses' and to talk with students. We warmly welcome you and your family to Ridley.
I look forward to greeting you on campus in the near future.
Come experience the legacy that is a Ridley education.
J. Edward Kidd
Headmaster
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