Vancouver’s elementary education landscape mirrors the city’s broader complexity—marked by rapid densification, global migration, and growing inequality. Within this context, the city’s top-performing elementary schools, as measured by the Fraser Institute’s 2024 rankings, offer more than just academic leadership. They reflect how values, community structures, and institutional governance converge to drive student success.
Using Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) scores in literacy and numeracy, the Fraser Institute evaluates schools across the province. In Vancouver, the 2024 report card points decisively to the outperformance of independent faith-based schools—particularly Catholic and Christian institutions—though select public schools also make a strong showing. These patterns underscore how parental engagement, socio-economic stability, and cultural cohesion continue to influence academic outcomes.
Top 20 Elementary Schools in Vancouver
1. Corpus Christi School
Corpus Christi, a Catholic independent school in East Vancouver, tops the rankings with a perfect 10.0 score and a five-year average to match. Serving a largely working- to middle-class immigrant population—many from Filipino, Latin American, and South Asian backgrounds—the school likely benefits from high parental aspirations, structured home environments, and a deeply embedded religious ethos that emphasizes discipline and respect.
2. Crofton House School
This elite all-girls private school in Kerrisdale also scored a perfect 10.0. Families here are overwhelmingly affluent, with many parents in professional, academic, or business leadership roles. Tuition runs into five figures annually, and the school’s advanced programming, low student-to-teacher ratio, and social capital ensure students arrive well-prepared and stay well-supported.
3. St. George’s School
Located near Pacific Spirit Park, this prestigious boys’ school posts yet another 10.0 score. It draws from some of the city’s most affluent families—executives, physicians, and expatriates—whose children benefit from legacy admissions, extensive extracurriculars, and rigorous academic preparation from an early age. The school’s success is sustained by endowment-driven facilities and generational continuity in community expectations.
4. Vancouver College
This Catholic independent boys’ school in Shaughnessy merges elite academic standards with a disciplined, values-based environment. Its catchment includes both upper-middle-class Catholic families and families from long-established ethnic communities, such as Italian and Irish-Canadian households. Its high 10.0 rating reflects both rigorous instruction and a strong sense of tradition.
5. West Point Grey Academy
Located in one of the city’s wealthiest enclaves, West Point Grey Academy scored a perfect 10.0. As a secular independent school, it attracts high-net-worth families seeking rigorous academics without a religious overlay. Small class sizes, access to elite university pathways, and high parental involvement are all contributing factors to its sustained excellence.
6. York House School
Another high-performing all-girls school, York House earned a 10.0 rating. Situated in the heart of Vancouver’s west side, the school draws from families with strong academic traditions and significant financial means. With many parents holding postgraduate degrees, the emphasis on critical thinking and leadership starts early and permeates classroom instruction.
7. St. Jude’s School
St. Jude’s, a Catholic school in East Vancouver, reached a perfect 10.0—remarkable given the modest means of many of its families. The school likely serves first- and second-generation immigrants, particularly from Southeast Asian and Latin American backgrounds. Success here appears to be rooted in strong parental discipline, tightly-knit community values, and high expectations despite economic constraints.
8. St. Francis of Assisi School
With a 9.9 score and a five-year average of 9.3, St. Francis of Assisi is another East Vancouver Catholic school serving families for whom education is a ladder to upward mobility. Parents are likely to be wage-earning professionals or tradespeople, many of whom immigrated in the past generation. The school’s structured environment and faith-based moral code likely reinforce consistent academic behavior.
9. Immaculate Conception School
Jumping to a 9.9 score in 2024, up from a five-year average of 8.6, this Catholic school reflects a turnaround story. Located in Dunbar, it may be benefiting from newer professional-class families moving into the area. Renewed leadership or improved teaching practices likely contributed to the boost, as did a cohesive Catholic community emphasizing education.
10. St. Francis Xavier School
St. Francis Xavier scored 9.5 and maintained that exact five-year average, signaling deep consistency. This school serves a Chinese-Catholic community in East Vancouver and benefits from an academic culture that prizes excellence, test preparation, and strong respect for educators. Parental support—both financial and cultural—plays an essential role.
11. St. Anthony of Padua School
Scoring 9.5, this Catholic school serves Vancouver’s west side with a reputation for academic focus and pastoral care. Students likely come from professional households that value both faith and achievement. The school’s results suggest a stable instructional model supported by long-term staff and active parent groups.
12. Our Lady of Sorrows School
With a 9.4 score and a five-year average of 9.8, this school has long served Italian-Canadian families in East Vancouver. It now also welcomes new immigrant families, many of whom bring with them strong educational aspirations. Generational loyalty to the school and parish likely reinforce commitment to learning and institutional continuity.
13. Vancouver Christian School
Scoring 9.4, this independent school blends evangelical Christian values with academic rigor. Its student body likely includes middle-income families with strong religious affiliations. These families often make significant sacrifices for tuition, signaling deep educational commitment. The school’s emphasis on character education and structured pedagogy supports sustained achievement.
14. Stratford Hall
At 9.0, this International Baccalaureate school appeals to globally minded families, including expatriates, dual citizens, and entrepreneurial households. Located near Commercial Drive, the school’s strong academic standing reflects an inquiry-based learning model that rewards curiosity, self-direction, and analytical thinking—hallmarks of highly engaged households.
15. St. Augustine’s School
With a consistent 9.0 score, St. Augustine’s serves the Kitsilano area, blending Catholic faith with west side affluence. Many families are likely dual-income professionals who view private Catholic education as a preferred alternative to public options. The school balances academic rigor with a supportive environment grounded in service and ethics.
16. Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary School
Among public schools, Dr. Annie B. Jamieson stands out with an 8.9 score and 8.0 five-year average. Located in Oakridge, the school likely benefits from a large cohort of East Asian students and parents with post-secondary education backgrounds. High expectations at home and strong after-school academic support appear to drive results.
17. St. Mary’s School
Scoring 8.8, St. Mary’s in East Vancouver is a Catholic school serving a mix of Filipino, Latin American, and Chinese families. These households often emphasize discipline, academic persistence, and religious values. Despite modest incomes, their children perform at elite levels—supported by both community cohesion and structured classrooms.
18. Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
This west side Catholic school also scored 8.8. Located in an affluent area, its students benefit from material stability and access to extracurricular enrichment. The community’s deep-rooted Catholic ties and history of educational excellence create a setting conducive to high performance.
19. St. Andrew’s School
St. Andrew’s posted an 8.5 score with a five-year average of 9.3. Located in East Vancouver, the school’s decline may reflect enrollment shifts, leadership changes, or evolving demographics. Nonetheless, its long track record suggests deep institutional strength and parent-school alignment.
20. St. John’s School
Also scoring 8.5, St. John’s is an independent Anglican school with a liberal arts ethos. Families here are likely drawn from the professional-managerial class, with an emphasis on global citizenship, the arts, and inquiry-based learning. The school’s performance suggests that its broad curriculum does not come at the expense of core academic skill development.
Conclusion
The Fraser Institute’s rankings confirm a well-documented pattern: in Vancouver, high-performing elementary schools cluster in neighborhoods and communities where structure—whether religious, cultural, or economic—is tightly maintained. Whether through elite tuition, shared faith traditions, or high parental oversight, these schools benefit from coherent expectations and stability.
Yet the presence of public schools like Jamieson and others signals that academic success is not strictly tied to wealth. Rather, it’s the alignment of home and school—of discipline, support, and aspiration—that appears to be the true engine of educational excellence in one of Canada’s most dynamic cities.
