There are a lot of things that are top of mind when searching for a new home. You’re both excited and overwhelmed by all of the small details that add up to one spectacular vision. Every feature plays a part, the location, the lot size, the view, the layout, the kitchen, and more.

If that home is in Markham, you have much to look forward to. This city is both beautiful and convenient, full of restaurants, a dynamic shopping district, and a fascinating history. There are also numerous trails, parks, and playgrounds where you can revel in the peacefulness and tranquillity of nature.

Markham is one city where we can safely say there truly is something for everyone. And let’s not forget about the historic district of Unionville, with its vibrant theatre scene and scenic tree-lined streets. Connectivity with Go Transit, York Region Transit and even some TTC routes make it easy to get wherever you want to go!

For parents, nothing takes a higher priority than having access to high-quality education. In many cases, the attributes of the home itself take a back seat to the one thing that is everything: What schools are in your catchment area? 

In this post, we’ll provide you with some valuable tips and little-known insights that will help you find the right neighbourhood for you, where you’ll have access to the amenities you want, along with the best education options for your little ones.

Markham’s Education System: An Overview

Markham is part of the York District School Board, which is the third-largest school district in all of Ontario. The board represents 180 elementary schools and 33 secondary schools serving more than 128,000 students throughout the region. Most importantly, students within the district consistently perform highly on provincial tests, making the board one of the top performers in Ontario. 

Catholic schools fall under the York Catholic District School Board, which oversees 85 elementary and 16 secondary schools throughout the region. Whether you’re searching for a public or Catholic education, you will be thrilled with the quality of schools you’ll find in Markham. 

The city is also home to several private and Montessori schools designed with your young child’s success and happiness in mind, including Markham Montessori School, Sunrise Montessori School, Royal Cachet Montessori School, and All Saints’ Montessori School.  Town Centre Private Schools offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum at both the elementary and secondary levels, along with its own Montessori program for preschool children.

The French School Board also offers several French Immersion options that are perfect for giving your child an added advantage later in life; the highly ranked Elementary School Catholic Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys is a premium option.

Looking for more tips for buying a home in the GTA? Here is some related reading you will find helpful:

• Inside the Hunt for a House in the GTA
• Should You Buy or Sell First?
• Can You Make a Home Offer Appealing Without Paying More Money?

How Do You Rate a School?

In this digital age, there are several ways to evaluate a school without stepping through its doors. In fact, you can find out all kinds of information without even being in the same province. Apps, online rating systems, and independent reviews are all available right at your fingertips. 

The big question is how accurate are they? More importantly, will they lead you to the best choices for your child? Every child is different, and a rich and quality education is so nuanced that it’s difficult to quantify through online review systems. 

You can, however, get a really good overview of how a particular school operates. With that in mind, here are a few tools that many parents use to assess their education choices.

The Fraser Institute

When you hear or read about a school that has achieved “high rankings,” chances are that report is from the Fraser Institute. The Fraser Institute is an independent research and education-based organization with offices in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

Like students in class, the schools themselves get a report card from the institute, with 10 being the maximum score. If you’re curious about how a school in your catchment area stacks up, you can find out at compareschoolrankings.org. How accurate is the grade? There is some debate about that. 

The results are tabulated based on standardized tests, a process that reassures some parents while leaving others uncertain. It’s a helpful tool because it gives you something tangible to quantify; the higher the number, the better. However, some students may be brilliant yet not perform well on standardized tests. 

That’s one reason some parents take the findings with a grain of salt. Or to put it another way, the Fraser Insitute is one tool to evaluate your options; it is not your only tool. 

EQAO

Many parents consider the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) to be a more complete resource to evaluate schools for their children. It’s a government institution that was established to ensure accountability from school boards in the publicly funded system. 

Once again, the results from the EQAO are limited by standardized tests in math, reading, and writing, but there is one significant difference. 

They also evaluate what percentage of students believe they are talented in those subjects, and whether or not they enjoy them. 

As a parent, you’ll still want to do your own independent research and think carefully about whether a school is a good fit for your child. However, it can help to know that the vast majority of its students enjoy math and reading and believe they have potential. 

Are you ready to start your home search? Book Your Free Buying Strategy Session Here

Find a School App

Have you tried the Ontario Government’s new school-finding app? You simply enter a postal code, and all of the public schools within a radius will come up. From there, you can click on a particular school to learn more, including the student population, what grades they teach and the results from Grade 3 and Grade 6 standardized tests. 

At the time of this writing, the app may not provide enough information alone to help you decide on what house you want to buy based on its catchment area. However, it does give a broad overview of the system, which is an excellent start.

Forge Your Own Path

Standardized tests and independent ranking systems may be a step in the right direction to create consistent results from schools. If a school ranks highly, chances are it is an excellent facility. However, there’s more to the quality of education than numbers on a report card. Finding the right school is a nuanced process, and a lower ranking isn’t necessarily bad. 

For example, a school that is more hands-on, has a superb art program, or special education may not rank as well as a one that prioritizes math and STEM. And the rankings only reveal final test scores. They don’t show the daily progress students are making or their level of improvement. Some of the most important questions cannot be answered by any of these evaluation tools. Here are a few considerations:

• Are the students happy?
• Are they improving?
• Do they have access to the support they need to develop their skills?
• What extracurricular activities are available?

Does your move depend on the successful sale of your existing home? Learn more about our customized selling plans here. 

Becoming Your Child’s Advocate

How can you gather even more information about the schools in your community? It may be time to get creative. If you can, visit a school during recess or after class to get a feel for its spirit. Chatting with parents after school can give you a real-world perspective far beyond anything you learn from an official rating system. 

Many schools also have an ambassador program, where students volunteer as liaisons between the staff and current students and those considering attending. Meeting with one of these ambassadors is a great way to ask the hard questions and gain valuable insight as to the quality of the school. Since education is so critical to your child’s future, gathering all of the facts is well worth the effort. 

Do you have questions about living in Markham? We’re happy to help point you in the right direction. Reach out today at info@teamrajpal.com or call 647-875-8000 for more information.

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