If you’re considering a move to Victoria or have children approaching high school age, you may be wondering what the high school situation looks like. There are plenty of strong public schools throughout Greater Victoria, and schools to be found in every municipality. In this article we’re going to break down each public high school in Greater Victoria, including their location, size, history, notable programs and athletics.
To start, each public high school found in Greater Victoria is organized into one of three school districts:
- School District 61:
The largest of the three, The Greater Victoria School District is home to roughly 20,000 students and 7 high schools. SD61 territory includes Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal and pieces of both Saanich and The Highlands.
- School District 62:
The Sooke School District is a fast-growing one, serving roughly 13,000 students. SD62 includes 3 high schools across the western communities of Sooke, Metchosin, Colwood, Langford and Port Renfrew.
- School District 63:
The final district is The Saanich School District, which contains 3 high schools and represents roughly 8,000 students within Central Saanich, Sidney, North Saanich and Saanich.
Here’s a breakdown of the Greater Victoria High schools by district:
The Greater Victoria School District (SD61)
Esquimalt High School
Location: 847 Colville Road in Esquimalt
Esquimalt High School is the only high school in the municipality of Esquimalt, home to approximately 900 students across grades 9-12.
The motto at Esquimalt High School is “Esse Quam Videri”, which means “to be, rather than to seem” or be true to yourself. There are a unique combination of energies and talents at Esquimalt, and there are various programs in place to help students reach excellence.
One of the most notable programs is there French Immersion program, which educates students in the French language. There’s also the 4C Challenge Gifted Education program for high-achievers. In the world of sports, Esquimalt is known as the rugby school with their very own Rugby Academy. On top of the academy, Esquimalt has a ton of sports teams including Aquatics, Basketball, Field Hockey, E-Sports, Rowing, Soccer, Rugby, Wrestling and more. To prep kids for a career, Esquimalt has specific programs in General Mechanics and Culinary Arts, which help students make the transition from high school to trade school.
Oak Bay High School
Location: 2121 Cadboro Bay Road in Oak Bay
As the only high school in the municipality, Oak Bay High School is a large school of about 1,400 students between grades 9-12.
Oak Bay High School has a rich history, with the original high school building being constructed in 1915. A state-of-the-art high school has taken its place, but the reputation for outstanding academics, arts and athletics remains. A fourth pillar around community leadership and philanthropy has come about more recently, which has forged relationships with local organizations and encourages students to make a difference in the world.
For the arts, Oak Bay has programs for Choir, Band, Dance and Musical Theatre. Oak Bay does not have a dedicated academy for a specific sport, but they do have teams for cross country, track and field, field hockey, volleyball, rugby, soccer and rowing.
Victoria High School
Location: 923 Topaz Avenue in Victoria
Victoria High School is the closest school to downtown Victoria, making it the most central, and is home to about 800 students from grades 9-12. Also known as ‘Vic High’, the school is the oldest public school west of Winnipeg and north of San Francisco, as the original building opened in 1876.
Vic High is known for not only its variety of academic departments, but it’s plentiful selection of career preparation programs. Students are given the tools necessary to enter trade school or even the workforce directly thanks to programs for Autobody, Carpentry & Joinery, Information Technologies, Electrical, General Mechanics, Hairstyling, Rhythm & Blues, Metal Fabrication and more.
Vic High is one of the handful of schools that offer a French Immersion program, where students can take all of their courses in the French language and graduate as a fluent French speaker. For sports, Vic High has teams for badminton, basketball, cross country, rugby, soccer, track and field and volleyball.
Lambrick Park Secondary School
Location: 4139 Torquay Drive in Gordon Head
Lambrick Park Secondary School is one of the smaller high schools in Victoria at just under 700 students through grades 9-12. Located in the municipality of Saanich, Lambrick is in close proximity to both Mount Doug Secondary and Claremont Secondary.
Lambrick Park is most well-known for its Baseball/Softball Academy, complete with a baseball field, batting cages, weight room and indoor training facility. The academy provides elite level skills, strength and conditioning training for students interested in pursing the sport past high school, and has a terrific track record with several alumni going on to play Division 1 baseball, in the MLB and represent the Canada in the Olympics.
Lambrick also has a thriving fine arts department, with courses, clubs and organizations for Theatre, Musical Theatre, Choir, Media Arts, Concert Band, Jazz Band, String Orchestra, Visual Art, Digital Imaging and Journalism.
Reynolds Secondary
Location: 3963 Borden Street in Saanich
Reynolds Secondary is home to about 1,000 students in grades 9-12, centrally located in Saanich, in the Lake Hill neighbourhood.
Before Reynolds became a school in 1967, it was occupied by farmland. Now, it’s part of a thriving Saanich community with a surrounding shopping centres, sprawling athletic field space and the Galloping Goose trail, which runs right next to the school.
Reynolds is well known for its Centre for Soccer Excellence Academy. In combination with usual academics, academy students get access to high quality soccer instruction, along with coaching and mentorship in health, nutrition, strength, sport psychology and more.
Reynolds also offers a French Immersion program, and a vibrant music program that encompasses over 15 vocal and instrument ensembles, along with an award-winning marching band.
Mount Douglas Secondary
Location: 3970 Gordon Head Road in Gordon Head
Mount Douglas Secondary School, locally known as ‘Mount Doug’, was founded in 1931 and is home to roughly 850 students in grades 9-12. Mount Doug is located in the Gordon Head neighbourhood of Saanich, right near Lambrick Park Secondary.
For students with a passion for math and science and a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics), Mount Doug offers a STEM Certificate that includes rigorous coursework that will open the door for post-secondary opportunities.
Mount Doug is also well known for their successful Rams Football Program. Founded in 1996, the club has a long history of championships, and for developing players into D1 athletes and beyond. Besides football, Mount Doug has teams for basketball, badminton, cross country, curling, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
Spectrum Community School
Location: 957 West Burnside Road in Saanich
Spectrum Community School is a high school of about 1,000 students in grades 9-12, located in the Burnside neighbourhood, near the Gorge and the Trans Canada Highway.
Spectrum replaced what was known as Mount View Secondary in 1974. When the new school was built, a committee of students, parents and teachers decided on a philosophy of humanistic ideals, that celebrates the uniqueness of every student in a nurturing climate.
Spectrum is home to range of clubs, programs, courses and teams. They’ve got a STEM program for students interested in a career of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, plus Musical Theatre programs, and career prep programs for Cooking, Law and Outdoor Leadership. They’ve also got successful concert and jazz bands, a marching band, a state-of-the-art library and two computer labs. Most notably, Spectrum is known for it’s Hockey Skills Academy, which is dedicated to training and development with on and off-ice programs.
The Sooke School District (SD62)
Belmont Secondary School
Location: 3041 Langford Lake Road in Langford
Belmont Secondary School is a large high school with roughly 1,400 students from across the Westshore communities, located right between Glen Lake and Langford Lake.
Belmont has been around since 1947, originally in repurposed Canadian Armed Forces barracks, but in September of 2015 the school district opened the doors of a new school in the Westhills area of Langford.
Belmont is home to two separate academies dedicated to both hockey and baseball/softball. In these academies, students are trained in skill development, off-ice/field training, strength and conditioning, and classroom theory.
Being one of the largest high schools in Greater Victoria, Belmont is home to dozens of specialized programs, clubs and organizations. They have a large Band and Music department, French Immersion, a Cosmetology program, a Performing and Visual Arts program and much more.
Royal Bay Secondary School
Location: 3500 Ryder Hesjedal Way in Royal Bay
Built in 2015 in the oceanside community of Royal Bay in Colwood, Royal Bay Secondary School is Greater Victoria’s newest school. The school has around 1,400 students, making it one of the largest.
Royal Bay Secondary is home to three different academies. The Lacrosse Academy gives students the chance to compete across North America, and covers strength and conditioning, nutrition, skills, sport psychology and more. The Dance Academy offers skill development for both technique and performance in their very own Dance Studio. The Soccer Academy has players on the field doing skills training 3 days a week and off-field doing other fitness training and learning for two days a week.
Royal Bay is also home to the Construction & TASK (Trades Awareness Program). This hands-on program focuses on preparing students for further education and a career in carpentry, metal, pipe fitting, electrical, plumbing and urban forestry. In collaboration with Camosun College, students receive Industry Training Authority (ITA) C.O.R.E. certification upon completion.
Edward Milne Community School
Location: 6218 Sooke Road in Sooke
As the western-most school in Greater Victoria and one of the smallest, Edward Milne Community School is home to about 700 students in grades 9-12. Located in a more rural area, the school is surrounded by a beautiful setting of forest, and is minutes from the ocean.
As a community school, Edward Milne is more tied the community than most. They offer an extensive selection of evening courses that are available to current students and others. EMCS also works with the community to start groups and plan events like health and career fairs, musical and theatre productions, and athletic and cultural events.
EMCS is home to Softball, Hockey and Soccer Academy, along with an ECO Academy that explores scientific and food systems issues. There’s also a Garden, a Culinary Arts program, Band, and sports teams for basketball, soccer, rugby, volleyball, cross country and badminton.
The Saanich School District (SD63)
Parkland Secondary
Location: 10640 McDonald Park Road in North Saanich
Parkland Secondary School is one of the smallest high schools in Greater Victoria with about 525 students, located 30km north of downtown Victoria. But despite its size, Parkland has built a thriving learning community built upon a strong foundation of compassion, engagement, and school programs. Their goal is to develop strong graduates who are caring, knowledgeable and socially responsible young adults.
Parkland is home to the only IB Diploma Program on Vancouver Island, where students can earn an International Baccalaureate in their final two years of school. To take skills to the next level, Parkland has dedicated Academies for Judo, Hockey and Marine/Sailing.
On top of the IB Program and Academies, Parkland offers students specific courses around the marine industry, including Marine Science, Biology, and Marine Restoration & Repair. They’ve also got a Music Program with Concert Band and Musical, plus a wide range of sports teams.
Stelly’s Secondary
Location: 1627 Stelly’s Cross Road in Saanichton
Stelly’s Secondary is a larger school at about 1,000 students in grades 9-12, located near Saanichton Village and the Saanich Fairgrounds.
Stelly’s is found in a more rural area, but there are still plenty of neighbourhoods from throughout the Saanich Peninsula to pull students from.
The Boulders Climbing Gym is right next door to Stelly’s, which has helped the school open Victoria’s first ever Climbing Academy. Stelly’s also has a thriving Performing Arts Department that offers over a dozen classes related to dance, theatre, choir, band and stagecraft. Stelly’s offers French Immersion for those who wish to graduate as officially bilingual, plus there are plenty of sports teams to join, including aquatics, soccer, rowing, volleyball, basketball, wresting, rugby, track & field and more.
Claremont Secondary
Location: 4980 Wesley Road in Cordova Bay
With around 1,100 students in grades 9 through 12, Claremont Secondary School is one of the larger high schools in Saanich. Serving students from the Saanich Peninsula municipalities and Saanich, Claremont is found in the oceanside community of Cordova Bay, with its steep hills and stunning real estate.
Claremont opened its doors in 1962, and has grown to offer core academic courses plus, Arts Education, Applied Design, Skills and Technology, trades and Advanced Placement classes. There is a focus on the fine arts at Claremont, where students receive high-quality instruction and multiple opportunities to deep their learning and appreciation for Dance, Drama, Film and TV, Music, Musical Theatre, Stagecraft and Visual Arts.
Claremont also is home to four Sports Institutes: Rowing, Lacrosse, Golf and Aquatics, where students are able to hone their skills and push their athletic passion towards a university scholarship and/or career.
We hope you found this article informative. If you’re considering moving to Victoria, be sure to check out our current listings of Victoria homes for sale. If you’re unsure where you want to move to, learn more about each neighbourhood by checking out our collection of resources about Victoria neighbourhoods.
