On this page, we cover private schools in Ottawa, Ontario that offer gifted programs and support. This includes gifted schools and programs in downtown Ottawa, Ottawa-Gatineau, Rockliffe Park, Rockland, Kemptville, Nepean, Kanata, Centretown, Centrepoint, the Glebe, Riverside Park, and Hampton Park.
For a more complete guide to gifted education, including a discussion of private vs. public options, start with our introductory guide.
Private schools are not obligated to support gifted learners with special programs. Many private schools don't—even ones with strong academic reputations. The schools listed on this page, however, do. We organize the schools into groups: dedicated gifted schools, schools with dedicated gifted classes, and schools offering in-class gifted support. Then, in the fourth group, we identify schools that don't offer formal gifted support but have accelerated curricula for all their students.
These are self-contained gifted schools, where 100% of the students are gifted. Teachers and staff can focus on tailoring the environment to gifted students, without compromise.
Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Iris St/Woodroffe Ave "Empowering girls from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 through bilingual education." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Highway 417/Greenbank "Acadecap International School (Académie de la Capitale), an IB World School, offers bilingual and/or English programmes from JK to Grade 12. Students thrive in a growth mindset environment and a culture of excellence." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Kirkwood/Laperriere "Revel Academy is a learner-driven micro-school that utilizes adaptive and mastery-based technology, Socratic discussions, hands-on projects, and real-world apprenticeships in an innovative, character-forging community." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Donald St/Frances St "Promote academic excellence that stimulates the acquisition of language skills, the development of scientific and artistic competencies as well as the formation of a critical mind, in a multicultural environment." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Conroy Rd/Walkey Rd "Astolot Educational Centre is a day school with grades 1 to 12 in Ottawa, Ontario. Classroom teacher-student ratios are 1 to 10. Students have the ability to reach their full potential with Astolot programming." —From the school
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These schools have a separate, dedicated class (or classes) where 100% of the students are gifted. These gifted classes can be either full-time or part-time, and exist in parallel to regular, non-gifted classes.
Meet them at the Expo
Kanata, Ontario Eagleson Road/Stonehaven Drive "For 50 years, Kanata Montessori has offered excellent learning environments for students to grow emotionally, socially and academically into a positive global citizen." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Bank/Heron "Westboro Academy is a proud leader in bilingual education for young learners from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Give your child a lifetime of excellence with Ottawa's most personalized, truly bilingual education." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario St. Laurent Blvd./Montreal Rd. "Our mission is personalized student academic success in a friendly and caring school community, in which all students are emotionally supported and socially welcome." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario "Our mission is to provide students with the support they deserve to enable them to reach their full academic potential. This solid foundation equips students to confidently pursue their desired post-secondary paths." —From the school
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These schools offer support for gifted students within the regular classroom. Gifted students stay with regular learners, while receiving special, individualized programming.
Meet them at the Expos
Ottawa, Ontario Bank St./Wilton Cres. "We offer personalized education with small class sizes and robust student support for grades 7-12. Our school provides a big experience in a small, close-knit community. Plus, we’re part of a network of Ontario campuses." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Bank Street/Marché Way "Our programs find the interaction of youth’s developmental characteristics, the Ontario curriculum, and the requirements of the adult world to create the focussed engagement that naturally leads to personal excellence." —From the school
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Ottawa, Ontario Baseline Rd./Woodroffe Ave. "Bishop Hamilton Montessori School, a not-for-profit independent school in Ottawa, provides an authentic Christian Montessori approach for children 3 months to 14 years." —From the school
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These schools offer no formal program for gifted students, but have an accelerated baseline curriculum. This means all students—gifted or not—do the work of older peers at other schools. For highly gifted learners (those in the 99th percentile), this alone is likely not enough to support their needs.
Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Buena Vista Road/Springfield Road "Elmwood School is Ottawa's pre-eminent school for girls from PreK to Gr. 12. Our high academic standards, small class sizes and safe, supportive environment ensure that each girl is inspired to reach her full potential." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Ottawa, Ontario Mariposa Avenue/Springfield "This traditional private school in Ottawa, Ontario offers Grades 4 to 12 with 100 boarding and 600 day school students. Tuition is from $36,250 to $80,670." —From the school
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Our gifted education guide has advice specific to finding gifted programming. For insights that are more general (on how to evaluate school options), we recommend you review our hub on choosing a school, as well as top expert advice. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.
Private school expos are ideal launching pads for your school-finding journey. The Ottawa private school expo allows you to speak with 15+ of the leading Ottawa private schools — all in one place. Find a gifted school near you.
Word-of-mouth is another powerful tool in your school-finding arsenal. The Our Kids parent discussion forum allows you to discuss your options and debate topics about gifted education. You can use our community of parents, educational experts, alumni, and school officials to help answer your questions and stimulate your thinking.
Attending open houses is a great way to learn more about a school and get a feel for the environment. For some general advice on open house visits, go here. For questions to ask that are specific to gifted programs, check out our main gifted education guide.
Broadly speaking, the cost of gifted schools in Ottawa reflects private school tuition in general. Private schools can range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year for day students.
There are quite a few affordable private schools for gifted kids. Inexpensive schools can often provide an excellent education by focusing on the classroom basics. You don't need to spend a fortune on bells and whistles: the key is getting your child individualized support. Having said that, the pricier schools will tend to provide a wider breadth of in-class and extracurricular opportunities. They will also tend to be larger and more established. Nonetheless, for most schools, the largest operating expense is usually teacher salaries.
Many schools offer financial aid (also known as "bursaries", "tuition relief", or "tuition assistance") and scholarships. Financial aid is needs-based, while scholarships are given for some measure of merit (whether it be academic, athletic, or something else). You can read more about financial aid and scholarships in our dedicated guide. Generally speaking, the larger and more expensive private schools provide the most aid. Even comfortable middle-class families can be eligible to receive aid, so don't be afraid to ask a school about it—whatever your financial situation.
Below you'll find the range of costs at Ottawa private schools with gifted programming:
Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
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Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | $23,550 to $27,750 | 4% | 7 - 12 | $6,500 |
Elmwood School | $15,540 to $29,700 | 24% | 6 - 12 | $6,800 |
Académie de la Capitale | $20,075 to $24,158 | 6% | 1 - 12 | $6,500 |
Academie Providence | $11,200 to $12,900 | 35% | 1 - 8 | $40 |
The Element High School | $18,810 to $21,905 | |||
Ashbury College | $33,720 | 10% | 7 - 12 | $15,000 |
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | $6,183 to $18,375 | Nursery/Toddler - 8 |
Legend:
DS | DC | SE | CC | IS | CL | AC | LI | AP | IB | SN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | |||||||||||
Elmwood School | |||||||||||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | |||||||||||
Académie de la Capitale | |||||||||||
Revel Academy | |||||||||||
Kanata Montessori | |||||||||||
Academie Providence | |||||||||||
The Element High School | |||||||||||
Astolot Educational Centre | |||||||||||
Ashbury College | |||||||||||
Académie Westboro Academy | |||||||||||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | |||||||||||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | |||||||||||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence |
Founding date | Endowment | Admissions rate | Enrollment | Enrollment per grade | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | 95% | 90 | 15 | ||
Elmwood School | 1915 | 70% | 385 | 26 | |
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | 1954 | 85% | 135 | 12 | |
Académie de la Capitale | 1998 | 90% | 65 | ||
Revel Academy | 2017 | 80% | 60 | ||
Kanata Montessori | 1974 | 70% | 420 | ||
Academie Providence | 2002 | $0 | 100% | 200 | 15 |
The Element High School | 2003 | 95% | 100 | 17 | |
Astolot Educational Centre | 1997 | 90% | 65 | 5 | |
Ashbury College | 1891 | 70% | 730 | 81 | |
Académie Westboro Academy | 1993 | 90% | 160 | 15 | |
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | 1983 | 99% | 200 | 17 | |
Académie St-Laurent Academy | 2007 | 90% | 450 | 28 | |
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence | 1989 | 75% | 170 | 14 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
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Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 16 | Indirect Support | Heavy integration | ||
Elmwood School | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 15 to 18 | No support | Heavy integration | |
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | Progressive | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 10 to 18 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Académie de la Capitale | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 15 | No support | Heavy integration | |
Revel Academy | Progressive | Student-paced | Supportive | 13 to 20 | Indirect Support | Heavy integration | ||
Kanata Montessori | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 12 to 23 | Resource Assistance | Heavy integration | ||
Academie Providence | Montessori | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 8 to 20 | Full-time Dedicated Class | Medium integration | ||
The Element High School | Progressive | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | Indirect Support | Heavy integration | ||
Astolot Educational Centre | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 6 to 12 | Special needs school | Medium integration | ||
Ashbury College | Traditional | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 17 | No support | Medium integration | |
Académie Westboro Academy | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 14 to 18 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | Montessori | Student-paced | Supportive | No support | Light integration | |||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | Progressive | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 10 to 15 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 14 | Special needs school | Medium integration |
Legend:
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elmwood School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie de la Capitale | ||||||||||||||||||||
Revel Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kanata Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Academie Providence | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Element High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Astolot Educational Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ashbury College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie Westboro Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence |
Admission deadline | SSAT required | Interview required | Acceptance rate | Next open house | |
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Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | Day: rolling | 7 - 12 | 95% | ||
Elmwood School | Day: rolling | Preschool - 12 | 70% | ||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | Day: rolling | JK - 8 | 85% | ||
Académie de la Capitale | Day: rolling | JK - 12 | 90% | ||
Revel Academy | Day: rolling | JK - 12 | 80% | ||
Kanata Montessori | Day: rolling | Nursery/Toddler - 12 | 70% | ||
Academie Providence | Day: rolling | JK - 8 | JK - 8 | 100% | |
The Element High School | Day: rolling | 7 - 12 | 95% | ||
Astolot Educational Centre | Day: rolling | 1 - 12 | 90% | ||
Ashbury College | Day: Dec 1, 2023 Boarding: rolling | 4 - 12 | 70% | ||
Académie Westboro Academy | Day: rolling | JK - 8 | 90% | ||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | Day: rolling | Nursery/Toddler - 8 | 99% | ||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | Day: rolling | JK - 12 | 90% | ||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence | Day: rolling | 1 - 12 | 75% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | 95% | 95% | 94% | 95% | 95% | 95% | |||||||||||
Elmwood School | |||||||||||||||||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | |||||||||||||||||
Académie de la Capitale | |||||||||||||||||
Revel Academy | 95% | 95% | 95% | 95% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | ||
Kanata Montessori | |||||||||||||||||
Academie Providence | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||
The Element High School | |||||||||||||||||
Astolot Educational Centre | 90% | 90% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 90% | 90% | 80% | 90% | 90% | 80% | |||||
Ashbury College | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% | ||||||||
Académie Westboro Academy | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||||||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% | ||||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | |||||||||||||||||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 75% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashbury College | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
Math | Science | Literature | Humanities Social Sciences | Foreign Languages | Fine Arts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Creative |
Elmwood School | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Creative |
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | We don't offer Foreign Languages | Equal Balance |
Académie de la Capitale | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Revel Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Creative |
Kanata Montessori | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Academie Providence | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Audio-Lingual | Equal Balance |
The Element High School | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Pragmatism | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Astolot Educational Centre | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Ashbury College | Traditional Math | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Académie Westboro Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Pragmatism | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Académie St-Laurent Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | We don't offer Foreign Languages | Equal Balance |
Student council | School newspaper | Yearbook | Radio club | Photograph club | Art club |
Choir | Band | Dance club | Yoga club | Drama club | Debate club |
Chess club | Math club | Science club | Robotics club | Computer club | Environmental club | Outdoor club | Community service |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elmwood School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie de la Capitale | ||||||||||||||||||||
Revel Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kanata Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Academie Providence | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Element High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Astolot Educational Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ashbury College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie Westboro Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence |
Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Cricket | Equestrian | Football | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Rugby | Soccer | Softball | Squash | Swimming | Tennis | Track and Field | Volleyball | Wrestling |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elmwood School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Joan of Arc Academy | Academie Jeanne d'Arc | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie de la Capitale | ||||||||||||||||||||
Revel Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kanata Montessori | ||||||||||||||||||||
Academie Providence | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Element High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Astolot Educational Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ashbury College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie Westboro Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bishop Hamilton Montessori School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Académie St-Laurent Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Heritage Academy of Learning Excellence |
Make no mistake: gifted kids have different needs than typical students. These learners are often so advanced in their intellectual abilities that they are outliers in the classroom: a normal curriculum and approach won't be enough. When these students don't receive the custom support they need, they can disengage from school -- and even become depressed.
If you know or suspect your child is gifted, you're faced with the following questions:
You can also consider other options, like language immersion programs, the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement courses (for older students), special needs programs, or other alternatives like Montessori schools.
If you're still grappling with these questions, start with our introductory guide to gifted education. Once you're versed in the fundamentals, re-visit this page to explore your specific school options in Ottawa area.
Private schools are not required by law to provide support for gifted children—and many don't. On the other hand, some private schools are able to offer highly individualized programs for gifted learners. The term "buyer beware" definitely applies here: it's up to you to make sure schools are properly set up for gifted learners. The list of private schools on this page (above) is a good place to start your search.