On this page, we cover private and independent schools in Vancouver, BC that offer gifted programs and support. This includes gifted schools in North, West, and Downtown Vancouver, Yaletown, Gastown, and the Tri-Cities. It also includes schools in Metro Vancouver, such as Surrey, Richmond, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, and White Rock.
For a more complete guide to gifted education, including a discussion of gifted testing and assessment, 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.
"Whytecliff is a safe, empathetic & supportive place for teens with a diverse range of learning needs / personal challenges. Our positive community & high-growth environment pulls each child up to be their very best!
—From the school
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North Vancouver, British Columbia "Saplings is the North Shore’s ONLY nature-based school which teaches your students the BC curriculum through hands-on outdoor experiences. Supporting deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven approaches" —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.
Delta, British Columbia 56th/19 Ave "Southpointe Academy is the only secular International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum World School south of the Fraser River authorized to deliver the entire range of IB programs from K-12." —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.
Vancouver, British Columbia Broadway/Granville "Vancouver's only dedicated STEM high school, VISST offers the full BC curriculum with accelerated & enriched STEM. Students will learn from domain experts and PhDs in small classes." —From the school
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Surrey, British Columbia 152 Street/Highway 10 "We understand the importance of developing a well-rounded individual. Our Art and Sports Expert Streams are integrated with the Academic curriculum to amplify our students’ growth into capable and confident adults." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
North Vancouver, British Columbia "Brockton is a gender-inclusive IB World School where every student matters, every family matters, community matters, and learning for life matters." —From the school
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Vancouver, British Columbia Vine Street/West 10th Avenue "Fraser Academy is a leader in the empowerment and education of Grade 2-12 students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Based in Vancouver, we are a fully accredited, independent day school." —From the school
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West Vancouver, British Columbia Upper Levels Highway/Cypress Bowl exit "By inspiring excellence – the continuous pursuit of personal best - in education and life, Mulgrave strives to equip lifelong learners to thrive in a diverse and interdependent world." —From the school
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North Vancouver, British Columbia "Our rigorous, personalized programme and strong teacher-student relationships enable us to cultivate each student's talents, helping them build on strengths and discover the joy of learning." —From the school
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Meet them at the Expo
Vancouver, British Columbia West Broadway/Stephens Street "At Pear Tree School, we guide our students in discovering their true calling and developing a deep sense of purpose, empowering them to leave a meaningful legacy that positively impacts the lives of others." —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.
Richmond, British Columbia "We emphasize critical thinking, as well as innovation, joy, and curiosity." —From the school
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Maple Ridge, British Columbia 240th Street/Dewdney Trunk Road "Our practices in teaching and learning are exemplified by our outstanding academic results and are achieved through the active engagement of the head, heart, and hands." —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 great expert advice on school-choice. 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 Vancouver private school expo allows you to speak with 10+ of the leading Vancouver 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.
School name | Date | Location |
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Mulgrave School | September 26, 2024 9:30 am | Mulgrave School 2330 Cypress Bowl Lane West Vancouver BC V7S 3H9 |
Mulgrave School | October 09, 2024 9:30 am | Mulgrave School 2330 Cypress Bowl Lane West Vancouver BC V7S 3H9 |
Mulgrave School | October 17, 2024 6:30 pm | |
Mulgrave School | October 30, 2024 9:30 am | Mulgrave School 2330 Cypress Bowl Lane West Vancouver BC V7S 3H9 |
Mulgrave School | November 06, 2024 7:00 pm | Mulgrave School 2330 Cypress Bowl Lane West Vancouver BC V7S 3H9 |
Broadly speaking, the cost of gifted schools in Vancouver 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 and independent 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 Vancouver private schools with gifted programs:
Tuition (day school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | $8,900 to $19,500 | 25% | 8 - 12 | $5,000 |
Saplings Nature School | $6,100 | |||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | $1 to $23,400 | 70% | 8 - 12 | $8,000 |
Glarea Elevated Learning | $17,000 to $18,250 | K - 7 | ||
Brockton School | $27,200 to $30,600 | SK - 12 | ||
Meadowridge School | $28,400 to $38,400 | 9 - 12 | ||
Mulgrave School | $27,870 to $31,450 | 5% | 7 - 12 | $15,000 |
Legend:
DS | DC | SE | CC | IS | CL | AC | LI | AP | IB | SN | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | |||||||||||
Southpointe Academy | |||||||||||
Saplings Nature School | |||||||||||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | |||||||||||
Glarea Elevated Learning | |||||||||||
Brockton School | |||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | |||||||||||
Meadowridge School | |||||||||||
Fraser Academy | |||||||||||
Mulgrave School | |||||||||||
Alcuin College | |||||||||||
Pear Tree School |
Founding date | Endowment | Admissions rate | Enrollment | Enrollment per grade | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | 1993 | 78 | |||
Southpointe Academy | 2000 | 30% | 668 | 51 | |
Saplings Nature School | 2022 | 40 | 6 | ||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | 2022 | 50 | 10 | ||
Glarea Elevated Learning | 2020 | 80% | 23 | 3 | |
Brockton School | 2004 | 345 | 25 | ||
Pythagoras Academy | 2013 | 72 | 7 | ||
Meadowridge School | 1985 | 660 | |||
Fraser Academy | 1982 | 270 | |||
Mulgrave School | 1993 | $0 | 17% | 1030 | 74 |
Alcuin College | 2012 | 118 | 9 | ||
Pear Tree School | 2015 | $0 | 50% | 112 | 11 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | Progressive | Student-paced | Supportive | 3 to 6 | Special needs school | |||
Southpointe Academy | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 18 to 24 | No support | ||
Saplings Nature School | Progressive | Reggio Emilia | Student-paced | Supportive | Special needs school | Light integration | ||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | Progressive | Accelerated | Rigorous | 10 to 20 | No support | Heavy integration | ||
Glarea Elevated Learning | Progressive | Student-paced | Supportive | 12 to 15 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Brockton School | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | No support | |||
Pythagoras Academy | Traditional | Reggio Emilia | Accelerated | 8 to 15 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Meadowridge School | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 16 to 18 | No support | Medium integration | |
Fraser Academy | Progressive | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 7 to 12 | Special needs school | Medium integration | ||
Mulgrave School | Progressive | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 14 to 22 | No support | Heavy integration | |
Alcuin College | Liberal Arts | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 8 to 12 | No support | |||
Pear Tree School | Progressive | Student-paced | Supportive | 16 | No support | Medium integration |
Legend:
Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | ||||||||||||||||||||
Southpointe Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saplings Nature School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glarea Elevated Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brockton School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Meadowridge School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fraser Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mulgrave School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alcuin College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pear Tree School |
Admission deadline | SSAT required | Interview required | Acceptance rate | Next open house | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | Day: rolling | 8 - 12 | |||
Southpointe Academy | Day: Dec 1, 2023 | 6 - 12 | 30% | ||
Saplings Nature School | Day: Jan 1, 1970 Boarding: Jan 1, 1970 Homestay: Jan 1, 1970 | ||||
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | Day: rolling | 8 - 12 | |||
Glarea Elevated Learning | Day: rolling | K - 12 | 80% | ||
Brockton School | Day: Feb 1, 2024 | ||||
Pythagoras Academy | Day: rolling | JK - 8 | |||
Meadowridge School | Day: rolling | 6 - 12 | JK - 12 | ||
Fraser Academy | Day: rolling | ||||
Mulgrave School | Day: Dec 2, 2024 | Preschool - 11 | 17% | Sep 26, 2024 | |
Alcuin College | K - 12 | ||||
Pear Tree School | Day: rolling | K - 8 | 50% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | |||||||||||||||||
Southpointe Academy | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | ||||||||||||
Glarea Elevated Learning | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | |||||||||||
Brockton School | |||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | 90% | 90% | 80% | 75% | 75% | 75% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||||
Meadowridge School | |||||||||||||||||
Fraser Academy | |||||||||||||||||
Mulgrave School | 26% | 10% | 16% | 5% | 30% | ||||||||||||
Pear Tree School | 60% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 50% | 50% | 80% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
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Math | Science | Literature | Humanities Social Sciences | Foreign Languages | Fine Arts | |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | ||||||
Southpointe Academy | ||||||
Saplings Nature School | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | |
Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Creative |
Glarea Elevated Learning | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Brockton School | Equal Balance | |||||
Pythagoras Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Meadowridge School | Discovery Math | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | ||
Fraser Academy | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | We don't offer Foreign Languages | Equal Balance |
Mulgrave School | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Communicative | Equal Balance | |
Alcuin College | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | |||
Pear Tree School | Equal Balance | Inquiry | Social Justice | Pragmatism | Communicative | Creative |
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 |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | ||||||||||||||||||||
Southpointe Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glarea Elevated Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brockton School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Meadowridge School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fraser Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mulgrave School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pear Tree School |
Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Cricket | Equestrian | Football | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Rugby | Soccer | Softball | Squash | Swimming | Tennis | Track and Field | Volleyball | Wrestling |
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Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | ||||||||||||||||||||
Southpointe Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Glarea Elevated Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||
Brockton School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pythagoras Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Meadowridge School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fraser Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mulgrave School | ||||||||||||||||||||
Pear Tree School |
Make no mistake: gifted children 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 unique options, like language immersion programs, the International Baccalaureate, special needs programs, advanced placement courses (for older students), or 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, revisit this page to explore your specific school options in Vancouver area.
Read our advice guide on choosing a school for a gifted child and for kids with other traits. To get school-choice advice customized to your child's unique traits, create a child profile through your user account. |
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.