When young families with children are searching for a new home to better fit their changing lives, local schools tend to make the top of the list of considerations. Some neighbourhoods have convenient amenities, some may have vast park spaces, while others are simply well connected to surrounding parts of the city. All of these attributes are important to family life, but which school catchment area your new home falls within can tip the scale on choosing a new home.
Here, we take you through the top public elementary schools in Vancouver as ranked by the Fraser Institute. While we acknowledge that the Fraser Institute’s criteria for top schools are limited, it is nonetheless a good place to start when deciding which neighbourhood offers the best options for your children.
Dr Annie B Jamieson Elementary
Location: 6350 Tisdall St.
Neighbourhood: Oakridge
2021-22 Rank: 61/932
Dr Annie B Jamieson Elementary is one of the most diverse educational institutions in Vancouver, with 16 languages spoken by families in the school's community. With a curriculum designed around respect for self, others, and our community the school also offers the largest orchestral Strings Program in the city as well as the only intermediate Mandarin Bilingual Program in the district. Music is a large part of the school's extracurricular offerings, such as choir and solo instrument instruction along with cooking, science, athletics, and art.
Edith Cavell Elementary
Location: 500 20th Ave West
Neighbourhood: the West Side
2021-22 Rank: 97/932
Edith Cavell Elementary is guided by their moto, “Cavell cares”, focusing on personal success, social responsibility and respect for one another in order to position their students for a love of their learning journey ahead. In collaboration with their dedicated community of parents, Edith Cavell is committed to fostering diverse and enriched learning in a supportive environment. Celebrating music, arts, sports and literacy, Edith Cavell hosts a myriad of performances and school functions to foster a deep sense of community through each school year.
Dr. R E McKechnie
Location: 7455 Maple St.
Neighbourhood: Kerrisdale
2018-19 Rank: 106/932
Opened in 1957, Dr R E McKechnie Elementary School's culture is built on respect for people, safety, and the environment. The community at the school provides a nurturing environment where children can feel safe to engage in active learning. Parents are urged to become involved to some degree to promote school values and the school's community. Technology is utilized across academic areas and the school too has a goal in place to increase knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of Aboriginal cultures.
John Norquay Elementary
Location: 4710 Slocan St.
Neighbourhood: Renfrew-Collingwood
2021-22 Rank: 135/932
John Norquay Elementary seeks to enable students to become lifelong learners and valuable citizens in an environment supported by both teachers and parents. Norquay develops and highlights the many talents and strengths of each student and defines achievement through a multi-layered lens. Students are encouraged to grow deeper understandings of their physical and mental well-being, belonging, equity, and reconciliation. Children in attendance will also enjoy access to a myriad of extra curricular sports teams, as well as beloved in-person events such as their Annual Book Exchange.
Kerrisdale Elementary
Location: 5555 Carnarvon St
Neighbourhood: Kerrisdale
2021-22 Rank: 144/932
Kerrisdale Elementary is a dual track, English and French Immersion school, enrolling over 650 students from Kindergarten to Grade 7. Committed to creating an atmosphere where children have a sense of purpose and direction that stems beyond the classroom and into each home. The staff bring a wide array of talents to support the school’s commitment to academic, aesthetic, and physical excellence to ensure all students strive for and achieve their full potential.
Connect with a rennie advisor to help you navigate the home buying journey. Their expert neighbourhood insight extends to school catchments and other market insights specific to each neighborhood across the Vancouver Region.
