SD39 · What happens if…

Vancouver: where each school choice leads

In Vancouver, your home address decides your secondary school, not the elementary school your child went to. Grade 7 students are registered automatically at the catchment secondary for the address the district has on file. For September 2026, that was the address on January 1, 2026.

So the kindergarten choice matters because of where it leads. Choosing the English program at your catchment school means your catchment secondary, unless you apply for something else later. French Immersion has its own secondary catchments, and mini schools, Catholic and private schools are separate applications.

A catchment address gives priority, not a guaranteed seat. If a school is full, a student can be placed at another school.

Find your catchment schools (VSB catchment boundaries) →

What happens if…

Pick up to two paths to compare. Tell us your child's grade to see which doors are still open.

Paths to compare

Catchment English school

Register at your catchment elementary between November 1 and January 31 of the year before kindergarten.

  1. Kindergarten to Grade 7Your catchment elementary school.
  2. Grade 8 to 12Your catchment secondary school, set by your home address.

How sure is that secondary place? High, but not guaranteed. If your catchment secondary is full, your child can be placed at another school.

Cost: Free.

Watch out
  • This is the default. Unless you apply for something else, your address picks the secondary.
  • Popular secondaries such as Lord Byng, Point Grey, Prince of Wales and University Hill rarely take students from outside their catchment without a sibling there (based on older district data).
Ways to change course later
  • Late French ImmersionCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 5, 6 years from nowTiming, based on last year: January to early February of Grade 5 (January 6 to February 3 in 2026)Douglas, Laura Secord or Trafalgar for Grades 6–7, then a French Immersion secondary (Churchill, Kitsilano or Vancouver Technical). That can be different from your English catchment secondary.
  • Mini schoolsCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: November 16 to December 17, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 202718 small enriched programs at 15 secondaries, such as Byng Arts, Churchill Ideal, Hamber Challenge, Point Grey, Prince of Wales and Britannia Venture. A place takes your child to that secondary, whatever your address.
  • Apply to a secondary outside your catchmentHard to get
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: February of Grade 7Your child goes to a different secondary's regular program, if it has space.
  • Catholic secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Fall of Grade 7. Notre Dame and Little Flower Academy hold entrance exams in late November and early DecemberGrade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: Notre Dame, St. Patrick's, Little Flower Academy (girls) and Vancouver College (boys).
  • Private secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Crofton House by November 1, 2026 and York House by November 13, 2026Grade 8 is a main entry year. For example, St. George's takes 40–50 new Grade 8 students and Crofton House up to 44.
  • Move into a different catchmentUsually possible
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Before the district's address date in Grade 7 (for Grade 8 in September 2026, the address on file on January 1, 2026)Your child is registered at the catchment secondary for your new address.
  • IB DiplomaCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 10, 11 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Grade 10, for Grades 11–12The IB Diploma program at Britannia, King George or Churchill.

Early French Immersion

Register at your catchment school first, then apply through the kindergarten choice program application (January 6 to February 3 for September 2026). Places are decided by random draw.

  1. Kindergarten to Grade 7A French Immersion elementary: Hastings, Jules Quesnel, Kerrisdale, Laura Secord, L'École Bilingue, Lord Selkirk, Tennyson, Douglas, Quilchena, Strathcona or Trafalgar.
  2. Grade 8 to 12A French Immersion secondary: Churchill, Kitsilano or Vancouver Technical, set by your French Immersion secondary catchment.

How sure is that secondary place? Good while your child stays in French Immersion. Placement uses separate French Immersion catchments.

Cost: Free.

Watch out
  • If your child leaves French Immersion while at a secondary outside your English catchment, they lose that seat and need a cross-boundary place to stay.
  • Joining after Grade 1 is only possible if there's space.
Ways to change course later
  • Mini schoolsCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: November 16 to December 17, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 202718 small enriched programs at 15 secondaries, such as Byng Arts, Churchill Ideal, Hamber Challenge, Point Grey, Prince of Wales and Britannia Venture. A place takes your child to that secondary, whatever your address.
  • Apply to a secondary outside your catchmentHard to get
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: February of Grade 7Your child goes to a different secondary's regular program, if it has space.
  • Catholic secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Fall of Grade 7. Notre Dame and Little Flower Academy hold entrance exams in late November and early DecemberGrade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: Notre Dame, St. Patrick's, Little Flower Academy (girls) and Vancouver College (boys).
  • Private secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Crofton House by November 1, 2026 and York House by November 13, 2026Grade 8 is a main entry year. For example, St. George's takes 40–50 new Grade 8 students and Crofton House up to 44.
  • Move into a different catchmentUsually possible
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Before the district's address date in Grade 7 (for Grade 8 in September 2026, the address on file on January 1, 2026)Your child is registered at the catchment secondary for your new address.
  • IB DiplomaCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 10, 11 years from nowTiming, based on last year: Grade 10, for Grades 11–12The IB Diploma program at Britannia, King George or Churchill.

Every chance to change course, by grade

Apply in Grade 5 · starts Grade 6

Late French Immersion

Douglas, Laura Secord or Trafalgar for Grades 6–7, then a French Immersion secondary (Churchill, Kitsilano or Vancouver Technical). That can be different from your English catchment secondary.

When: January to early February of Grade 5 (January 6 to February 3 in 2026) (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: Places are decided by lottery. No French is needed beforehand.

VSB: Late French Immersion Grades 6–7 · VSB: French Immersion

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Mini schools

18 small enriched programs at 15 secondaries, such as Byng Arts, Churchill Ideal, Hamber Challenge, Point Grey, Prince of Wales and Britannia Venture. A place takes your child to that secondary, whatever your address.

When: November 16 to December 17, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 2027. Chances: About 1,400 students apply each year for around 500 spaces, and only Vancouver residents can apply. Each program chooses its students. Offers come at the end of February, with a second round in March.

VSB: Mini school programs · VSB: Mini school questions and answers · VSB: Mini school applicants and spaces

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Apply to a secondary outside your catchment

Your child goes to a different secondary's regular program, if it has space.

When: February of Grade 7 (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: Siblings come first, then Vancouver residents, then a lottery. A school can declare itself full by January 31, and popular schools rarely have room.

VSB: Administrative Procedure 300, admission to school (PDF)

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Catholic secondary from Grade 8

Grade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: Notre Dame, St. Patrick's, Little Flower Academy (girls) and Vancouver College (boys).

When: Fall of Grade 7. Notre Dame and Little Flower Academy hold entrance exams in late November and early December (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: Students from Catholic elementary schools and practising Catholic families come first. Families from public schools can get a place if space remains.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Catholic school admission priorities and tuition · Notre Dame Regional Secondary: admissions · Little Flower Academy: admission dates

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Private secondary from Grade 8

Grade 8 is a main entry year. For example, St. George's takes 40–50 new Grade 8 students and Crofton House up to 44.

When: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Crofton House by November 1, 2026 and York House by November 13, 2026. Chances: Most schools use an entrance test (often the SSAT), an interview and school reports. Offers come in mid-February.

Crofton House: how to apply · York House: how to apply · St. George's School: day applicants

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Move into a different catchment

Your child is registered at the catchment secondary for your new address.

When: Before the district's address date in Grade 7 (for Grade 8 in September 2026, the address on file on January 1, 2026) (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: The most reliable route, but a catchment address still isn't a guarantee if the school is full. You need original proof of address.

VSB: Grade 8 registration · BC School Act, section 74.1: who gets priority for a school place

Apply in Grade 10 · starts Grade 11

IB Diploma

The IB Diploma program at Britannia, King George or Churchill.

When: Grade 10, for Grades 11–12 (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: We couldn't find the rules for students from outside each school's catchment. Ask the school.

VSB: International Baccalaureate

Common questions

Does my elementary school decide my secondary school in Vancouver?

Not directly. Your home address decides your catchment secondary. The elementary choice matters because programs like French Immersion lead to their own secondaries.

My child is in the English program. Can they still switch to French Immersion?

Yes, through Late French Immersion, which starts in Grade 6. You apply during Grade 5, usually in January, and places are decided by lottery.

How else can my child go to a different secondary in Vancouver?

In Grade 7 you can apply to mini schools (November to December), to a secondary outside your catchment (February), or to Catholic and private secondaries (fall). Moving into a different catchment before the district's address date also works.

Other districts: Burnaby · Richmond · North Vancouver · Surrey · Coquitlam · West Vancouver · New Westminster · Delta · Langley · Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows

Sources

Last checked October 2, 2026. Dates can change, so always confirm with the organizer.