Schools in Toronto: public boards, French immersion and private options for Aussie kids

Your address picks your school, your work permit usually covers the fees, and the year starts in September, not February.

The short version

• Toronto has two big English-language public boards: the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). Your home address decides which local school you go to.
• If a parent holds a valid Canadian work permit and lives in Ontario, kids usually attend TDSB schools without international fees, for as long as that permit is valid [1].
• Children with a parent on a work or study permit don't need their own study permit for school, though IRCC says they should apply for one anyway [2].
• French immersion starts in Junior Kindergarten (age four) and applications close months before the year starts [3].
• The 2026–27 school year runs from 8 September 2026 to late June 2027 [4][5]. Plan any move home around that calendar.

How the Toronto system is set up

In Australia you deal with one state department and a public school down the road. In Toronto you choose between publicly funded boards, and each runs its own schools, rules and application windows.

Ontario schooling runs from Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 12. JK is for children who turn four in that calendar year and Senior Kindergarten (SK) for those who turn five. Both are full-day and optional; school becomes compulsory from Grade 1 [3].

TDSB or Catholic?

Both are free to attend and both follow the Ontario curriculum. The Catholic board adds religious education and sets its own admission rules for elementary schools, which can ask about a family's Catholic background. If that matters to you, ask TCDSB admissions directly before you sign a lease near a Catholic school.

Many Australian families default to the TDSB because it's simpler, and because the local TDSB school is usually the closest one.

Registering as a newcomer family

TDSB schools register newcomers directly at the school, with no separate admission letter, when the parent holds a valid work permit and physically lives in Ontario [1]. The child must be under 18 at registration, and fee-exempt status lines up with the validity of the parent's permit [1].

Bring these to the school office [1]:

1. A copy of the parent's passport.
2. A copy of the parent's valid work permit, or the IRCC approval letter.
3. The child's passport and birth certificate (Australian birth certificates are already in English).
4. Proof of the date you arrived in Canada.
5. Two proofs of your Toronto address, from the categories in TDSB policy PR518. A signed lease and a utility bill are the usual pair.

If you're still waiting on a work permit decision, the rules change. TDSB says families in that position need an admission letter from its International Students and Admissions Office (ISAO) each semester [1]. If the child is in Canada on a visitor record or eTA alone, international student tuition applies [1]. When in doubt, call the ISAO on 416-395-8120 before you book flights.

Does your child need a study permit?

No, as long as a parent holds a valid work or study permit. IRCC says a minor already in Canada with a parent on one of these permits can attend preschool, kindergarten, primary or secondary school without a study permit [2]. The catch: IRCC still recommends applying for one, because it helps a teenager stay in school after turning 18, apply for a secondary school co-op work permit and access some provincial services [2]. If a child's study permit expires and isn't renewed, they lose status. Apply to extend at least 90 days before expiry [2].

For working holiday (IEC) families, check that your permit is the kind TDSB accepts, and remember an open work permit with a fixed end date also fixes the end of your fee exemption.

Catchments: your lease is your school application

Toronto, like most Australian cities, is catchment-based. Use the TDSB's Find Your School tool to see the designated elementary, middle and secondary schools for any street address [3]. Do this before you sign a lease, not after.

Out-of-area places exist but aren't guaranteed, and specialised programs (alternative schools, elementary academies) have their own application deadlines, often in January for the following September [3]. Some alternative schools use a lottery [3].

Before and after school care is a separate problem. It's often run by third-party providers in the school building, and waitlists can be long [3]. Most elementary days end around 3 pm, so join the waitlist as soon as you know your school.

French immersion: decide early

French immersion is the Toronto equivalent of the selective-school conversation at a Sydney barbecue. Kids learn most of their subjects in French, and you don't need to speak a word of it at home.

The entry points matter [3]:

• TDSB Early French Immersion starts in JK. Applications for the September 2026 intake ran from 3 to 28 November 2025.
• TDSB Middle French Immersion starts in Grade 4, with applications during Grade 3 (January 2026 for the 2026 intake).
• TCDSB French Immersion also starts in JK, on the same timeline as kindergarten registration.

If you land in Toronto in June with a seven-year-old, you've usually missed early immersion. Middle immersion in Grade 4 is the realistic second door. Ask the school about places for older newcomers, but don't count on one.

Private schools and the IB

Toronto has a big independent school sector, including single-sex schools, faith schools and several that offer the International Baccalaureate. Fees are high and usually come with application deadlines a year ahead, interviews and entrance testing. We don't list fees here because they change every year; check each school's own site.

A few points that surprise Australians:

• Ontario's oversight of private schools is much lighter than for public boards. Check what a school is actually accredited for, especially if it grants the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
• Unlike Dubai or Singapore, don't expect an Australian-curriculum school. If you want an internationally portable program, the IB is the closest thing.
• Some public secondary schools in Toronto also run IB programs, usually by application. Use the IB's own school finder to see who offers what.

Our guide to schooling Australian kids abroad covers IB versus local curricula and how each converts back home.

Lining up Ontario grades with Australian years

The calendars run half a year out of step. Australia starts in late January or early February; Ontario starts the Tuesday after Labour Day.

A rough rule: the Ontario grade number tracks the Australian year number, but because the Ontario year finishes in June, a child moving home after Grade 3 often lands midway through Year 4. Birth month and each state's age cut-off change this, so confirm with the state education department before you book.

Moving to Toronto with kids, step by step

1. Pick your neighbourhood by school, using the TDSB address tool, before signing anything.
2. Get your work permit sorted first. Without it, fees and admission letters come into play [1].
3. Bring school records: recent Australian reports, NAPLAN results and any learning support plans.
4. Register in person at the local school with the documents above.
5. Apply for French immersion or special programs in the November to January window if you're staying.
6. Join a before and after care waitlist the same week.
7. Register any baby born in Canada for Australian citizenship by descent before their first Australian passport.

The Australian angle

Australia and Canada have no Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, so school-age kids need proper health cover until (and if) your family qualifies for OHIP [6]. Sport injuries and playground breaks happen, and an uninsured trip to emergency is expensive.

Keep copies of all Ontario report cards. Australian schools and, later, universities will want them, and the OSSD is assessed as an international qualification when a teenager applies to an Australian university.

Families with Year 11 or 12 aged kids should think hardest about timing. Moving across hemispheres in the final two years of school is the one transition that can cost a student a year.

Want to hear which Toronto schools other Aussie families chose and why? Join Cooee Canada, our Facebook group for Australians in Canada, and ask before you pick a street.

Sources

1. Admissions for non-resident students – Toronto District School Board
2. Studying in Canada as a minor – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
3. Elementary school registration for fall 2026 – University of Toronto Student Life
4. Key dates 2026–27 – Toronto District School Board
5. School year calendar – Toronto Catholic District School Board
6. Canada travel advice – Smartraveller

Keep reading

• Childcare in Toronto: waitlists and the $10-a-day promise
• Renting in Toronto as an Australian
• OHIP in Toronto: health cover for Australians, gaps and all
• Schooling Australian kids abroad and coming home