Oliver EvansNo parent likes experiencing that knot in their stomach as they drop off their little one at school, hoping they’d have a good day.
For many parents, schools nowadays don’t always measure up to being healthy learning environments.
Challenges like overcrowded classrooms where your child feels left behind or the lack of support for their unique learning style leave many families feeling frustrated. Others have complained about outdated curriculum and issues with student diversity.
It’s these types of experiences that led us, the Waterview Vancouver writing team, to search for the very best elementary schools Vancouver has to offer. Here are our findings.
How much does it cost to send your kids to elementary school in Vancouver?
Sending your kids to a public elementary school in Vancouver is technically free. However, parents should budget at least 150 CAD for school lunches, field trips, sports, and other activities.
The actual cost varies depending on the school.
1. Choice School for Gifted Children
Address: 20451 Westminster Hwy
Contact Details: +16042732418
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 8:30 AM to 3 PM
- Friday – 8:30 AM to 12:45 PM
Website: http://choiceschool.org/
We love Choice School for Gifted Children because it’s a place that truly understands bright and creative kids. We like how they have no shortage of programs to keep children engaged.
Parents love the Choice Challenge program, where kids can focus in a class once a week on a subject they have a passion for.
We like that they have everything from alternative energy and astronomy to international cuisine and even Latin and scrapbooking. Students actually come home excited every week after these classes.
We also like the Managed Acceleration program that keeps kids engaged and challenged. Several parents appreciated that their kids could learn at a level that suited their advanced minds. Many children also do activities like chess, yoga, student council, and more.
What we absolutely love, though, is their small class sizes. With only up to 16 students, each kid gets more individual attention from the teachers. Parents told us they’ve seen a real difference in their kids’ confidence in asking questions and participating in class.
However, some parents complained about the communication from the administration being a bit slow. Several had questions about enrollment, and it took a few days to get a response.
Provides the necessary programs, coaching, and teaching
“Choice is having a huge impact on our child’s educational and social/emotional growth. While a very small, niche school, Choice provides the necessary programs, coaching, and teaching that gifted children need. Often times gifted children have different educational learning needs, and Choice is able to accommodate those.
It is quite remarkable to see the change in our child’s love for school. It is the right environment for her learning needs.”
–Matt Lesyk, Google Reviews
Both of our children love it there and are truly thriving
“Our experience with Choice School has been amazing. Both of our children love it there and are truly thriving. We especially love how they focus on students’ strengths first, while also accommodating their challenges. Their small class sizes provide awesome individualized support and the presence of an in-school Occupational Therapist has also been super helpful. Their accelerated curriculum keeps our kids engaged and focused, allowing them to participate in and contribute to the classroom in such wonderful ways. We’ve seen so much progress academically, emotionally, and socially since beginning at Choice School. We cannot overstate the difference that this school has made for our family and are incredibly grateful to have found Choice.”
–Nikki Pataracchi,Google Reviews
2. Mount Pleasant Elementary School
Address: 2300 Guelph St
Contact Details: +1 604-713-4617
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday – 8:30 AM to 3 PM
Website: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/mount-pleasant
We really like Mount Pleasant Elementary School’s strong sense of community. Many parents raved about how it’s a very welcoming place.
What we especially love is their commitment to diversity and their efforts towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities. Parents told us they’ve seen this reflected in school events and what their child learns in class.
We also appreciate their strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy. We like how their teachers have fun, interactive read-aloud sessions and use real-world problem-solving activities in math classes.
Their strong Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is another big plus. We’ve attended a few meetings, and we love that there’s a real partnership between the school and families.
We also like that the school participates in the Active Travel Planning program. We love that they encourage kids to walk or bike and get some exercise before school.
The only thing some parents have mentioned is that with over 260 students, the school can sometimes feel a little crowded, especially during drop-off and pick-up times.
Everyone felt like family
“I grew up in this school and loved it. Because it is small, everyone felt like family.
RIP Ms.Harris”
–Kanna Ng, Google Reviews
Amazing school for kids
“It is an amazing school for kids”
–Bob Builder, Google Reviews
3. False Creek Elementary School
Address: 900 School Green
Contact Details: +1 604-713-4959
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday – 9 AM to 3 PM
Website:https://www.vsb.bc.ca/false-creek
False Creek Elementary School’s location is just incredible—we love that they are right by the seawall because the views are stunning, and it makes for such a unique learning environment.
We like how they incorporate nature into their learning curriculum. Kids love learning in the school garden because of how hands-on they can be. We like how they learn about different plant species and can help grow their own vegetables and other plants.
However, while the outdoor garden is amazing, the actual schoolyard itself isn’t huge compared to some other schools.
That aside, we love that the school funds programs like African dancing and hip-hop dance classes—many said their kids really enjoyed trying something new.
Other parents appreciate their integration of technology, like teaching their kids to code with Scratch—a block-based visual programming language educational tool.
We also like that the school is so diverse, with over 300 kids from so many different language backgrounds—more than 24 language groups. Parents like this because it helps their kids to learn to work alongside peers with different perspectives.
Amazing school with dedicated teachers
“Amazing school with dedicated teachers, great kids & the most breathtaking views from an awesome new playground!”
-Eric S, Google Reviews
Best school in Vancouver
“All my kids went there for years. Best school in Vancouver.”
-Yue Y, Google Reviews
4. Sir John Franklin Elementary School
Address: 250 Skeena St
Contact Details: +1 604-713-4709
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday – 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Website:https://www.vsb.bc.ca/sir-john-franklin
Sir John Franklin Elementary School has an awesome Excellence in Social Emotional Learning (ExSEL) program.
We love how they only accept 10 students in these special classrooms where kids can get the one-on-one attention they need from teachers and advance in their learning skills.
We also love the emphasis on verbal-linguistic skills. Many parents told us their children have become much more confident in expressing themselves, and we appreciate that the school celebrates different ways of learning and encourages creativity.
We also appreciate their focus on the learning needs of younger students through their Reading Recovery program. This tutoring has helped many struggling readers in the first grade to develop their reading comprehension skills.
Another activity parents love is their dedicated music program. Kids look forward to their music classes every week and showing off their talent in the school concerts.
We also like that they offer such diverse athletic opportunities, from dancing to pickleball—there really is something for everyone.
The only complaint we’ve heard from parents is the horrible drop-off during the morning—parents complained about the organization.
They are good teachers
“Very good school generally they are good teachers special Miss Maddy she is the best very helpful she helped my kids a lot”
-govand mohammed, Google Reviews
Principal is very nice
“The principal is very nice.”
–Matt McDonnel, Google Reviews
5. Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School
Address: 960 E 39th Ave E
Contact Details: +1 604-713-4799
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday – 8 AM to 3:30 PM
Website: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/sir-alexander-mackenzie
We love Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary School’s focus on Social Emotional Learning. It teaches kids to develop important life skills like resilience and a sense of belonging.
Many parents have seen a positive impact on their child’s confidence and how they interact with others.
Since they have around 400 students, we like how they use their Strong Start Program to ease younger kids (like Pre-K) into the school community. They use structured play and interactive learning to encourage familiarity with the daily school routine.
Their club diversity is pretty awesome too—from cross-country to enthusiastic Green Team and Spirit Clubs. Students love that they can make friends with others who share their interests while doing what they love.
That said, several parents said that sometimes information about different club activities wasn’t clearly communicated.
They have engaging programs for the children
“The school is really great, and I’m happy that my daughter had her first school experience in Canada at this school. They have engaging programs for the children. In fourth grade, Mr. Martin was a very good
teacher, and my daughter truly enjoyed his class.”
–forough khavari, Google Reviews
Excellent teachers
“Mackenzie Elementary is a wonderful school. Excellent teachers. Great library. A strong music program. An active parent community led by an inclusive PAC executive.. I’m so happy our children attend this school. ❤️”
–Erin Creek, Google Reviews
