Vancouver

Public schools are an option for many families moving to Vancouver, including some arriving on work permits. The first step is to identify the school district serving your intended address and ask it to confirm tuition eligibility. Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and the Tri-Cities are not a single admissions system.

Then compare the school serving your address with any programmes or independent schools that meet a specific need. That might be French-language education, IB, boarding, a single-sex setting or particular learning support. Learning-support staffing and capacity vary between independent schools regardless of fee level, so discuss provision and availability directly.

For families assessed as fee-paying international students, VSB’s published 2027–28 schedule lists CAD 17,000 tuition, CAD 1,400 mandatory medical insurance and a CAD 400 application fee. Secondary students also pay a CAD 100 assessment fee. These are explicitly 2027–28 figures; request the schedule for your intended start date.

VSB’s document checklist asks work-permit families for a permit valid for at least one year and an employment letter confirming employment for at least one year at 20 hours or more per week. Identity, immigration and Vancouver residence documents are also required. Families with study permits or other circumstances should ask the district which category and evidence apply.

The provincial funding eligibility policy provides the broader framework. The district assesses each family’s actual status, living arrangements and documents; not every work-permit family qualifies automatically.

For kindergarten, VSB uses online registration followed by an appointment to verify documents. Children born in Canada are directed to their catchment school; those born outside Canada are directed to the Newcomer Welcome Centre. Complete this registration before applying separately for a district-choice programme.

The priority registration page describes a November 1–January 31 window, but the detailed cycle displayed in October 2026 still concerned 2026–27; the 2027–28 dates had not yet been posted. VSB also identifies full schools and explains that some children may be placed at another nearby school. Do not treat a lease within the catchment as a guaranteed seat.

If arriving during the school year, contact the district with your arrival date and records. The district arranges registration, places the child where a seat is available and schedules any language or learning-support assessment.

VSB offers early French immersion at kindergarten and late French immersion at Grade 6. Start with the board’s registration and district-choice guidance, which sets out entry years, selection rules and application windows. Boards outside Vancouver run their own procedures, which differ across Metro Vancouver.

Public IB is another option to investigate. VSB’s IB overview identifies its programmes, including the Diploma at Churchill and Britannia. West Vancouver Secondary and Port Moody Secondary offer further routes in neighbouring districts. Each programme sets its own residence eligibility, entry grade, subject choices and selection process.

Public IB can involve fees even for students who qualify for tuition-free schooling. Churchill’s published schedule lists three CAD 475 instalments for the graduating class of 2027. These dated instalments cover one cohort, not the full two-year cost for a new applicant.

Mini-schools, arts programmes and other specialist routes can also have separate applications. General school registration does not include these applications, and their deadlines fall in different months.

Compare actual addresses and school locations. A North Shore school can make a bridge crossing part of the daily routine if home or work is elsewhere. For an independent school, check the bus route, pickup time and arrangements after activities. For a public programme, ask whether transport is offered before assuming the district will provide it.

West Vancouver, Vancouver’s west side, Burnaby, Richmond and the Tri-Cities all deserve consideration where they suit the family’s circumstances. Housing costs, workplace location and programme access need to be considered together. Catchment boundaries and capacity are set by the district, and a lease does not secure a seat.

All amounts below are in Canadian dollars. These are starting points from the linked school schedules, not all-inclusive quotations; charges vary by grade, family status and payment plan.

• St. George’s School. Boys’ day and boarding school. Its 2026–27 day tuition is CAD 37,300 in Junior School and CAD 37,400 in Senior School for the resident category, or CAD 54,900 for international day students. Boarding ranges from CAD 77,700 for the Canadian category to CAD 105,200 for international students, with other categories between them. New students pay a CAD 7,500 registration fee; additional costs remain. Fee schedule

• Crofton House School. Girls, JK–Grade 12. Tuition for 2026–27 is CAD 35,300, including the CAD 3,000 deposit. Add the CAD 5,000 entrance fee for a new student and, where applicable, a CAD 5,000 grant fee. English+ has separate eligibility and charges; see the individual profile if relevant. Fee schedule

• York House School. Girls, JK–Grade 12. The published 2026–27 tuition is CAD 33,340, with a CAD 5,000 new-student entrance fee. Application, grade-specific and other charges are listed separately; this replaces the older 2025–26 figures previously on this page. Fee schedule

• Mulgrave School. Co-educational IB school in West Vancouver. The 2026–27 tuition is CAD 30,290 through Grade 5, CAD 33,370 in Grades 6–10 and CAD 34,180 in Grades 11–12. Add grade-specific consolidated fees and the CAD 3,000 joining fee. The CAD 25,000 family loan is interest-free and refundable in the fall after the last child leaves. A CAD 7,000 annual non-resident or grant-related charge can apply in K–Grade 12. The CAD 4,000 first tuition instalment is part of tuition. Fee schedule

• West Point Grey Academy. Co-educational, JK–Grade 12. The 2026–27 tuition is CAD 33,300, plus a CAD 3,500 entrance fee. Its schedule lists an additional CAD 4,500 for non-BC-resident students. Fee schedule

• Stratford Hall. Co-educational IB school. The 2026–27 tuition is CAD 30,670 in K–Grade 10, CAD 33,440 in Grade 11 and CAD 34,450 in Grade 12. New students pay a CAD 3,000 registration fee in addition to the enrolment fee: CAD 9,000 for the first child, CAD 6,000 for the second and waived for additional children. International students pay CAD 10,000 extra annually, including medical insurance. Fee schedule

• Collingwood School. Co-educational, JK–Grade 12 in West Vancouver. Standard 2026–27 tuition ranges from CAD 30,075 in JK–Grade 5 to CAD 32,750 in Grades 10–12; targeted support programmes have higher rates. New students pay a CAD 7,500 administration fee. The schedule separately lists a CAD 5,000 non-resident fee and a CAD 3,900 fee for students ineligible for the provincial grant; other annual costs are additional. Fee schedule

• Vancouver College. Catholic boys’ school, K–Grade 12. Its 2026–27 tuition is CAD 10,100, or CAD 27,250 for international students. Fee schedule

• Cousteau. The French International School of Vancouver lists 2026–27 tuition of CAD 19,600 for its North Vancouver pre-K–Grade 9 school, with a 35% surcharge for international or non-resident students. New-student charges include a CAD 150 application fee, CAD 1,600 admission fee and CAD 5,000 bond, reduced to CAD 2,500 for siblings. Its separate La Calypso preschool in Vancouver lists CAD 10,450 tuition, a CAD 150 application fee and CAD 500 admission fee. Fee schedule

Independent schools can apply their own published fee categories and pass on costs where a student does not qualify for a provincial grant. A work permit alone does not tell you which independent-school fee applies. Public-school tuition eligibility should also be confirmed separately.

Give each shortlisted school the same information about the child’s and parents’ status, residence and expected arrival. Ask for a written first-year quotation showing tuition, entrance charges, grant-related fees, compulsory levies and any refundable loan. Clarify whether a deposit is credited to tuition and what can be refunded if plans change.

The provincial grant policy explains funding for eligible independent schools. It does not replace an individual school’s assessment of your family’s charges.

For September 2027, St. George’s lists October 30, 2026 for its main day-school intake. Limited-entry grades and boarding follow different arrangements. Crofton House lists November 1 for Grade 8 and November 20 for JK, SK and Grade 6. Its current application page gives October 2 for the discounted Grade 6 and Grade 8 application fee. See the St. George’s day process and Crofton application instructions for the relevant grade.

Mulgrave lists December 1, 2026 for PK4 and kindergarten through Grade 11, with PK3 applications due February 1, 2027. Its financial assistance deadline for new applicants entering Grades 7–11 is January 29, 2027. Assistance is assessed separately and should not be assumed in the budget before an award is confirmed. See its admissions and affordability information.

Some official pages mix new-cycle information with older assessment dates. The individual St. George’s and Crofton profiles identify conflicts found during review; application, supporting-document, assessment and financial-aid deadlines can differ. For mid-year entry, ask about a current vacancy before paying an application fee.

Cousteau’s North Vancouver school and La Calypso preschool are separate options with different age ranges and costs. Ask about the language expected at entry, support for a child joining from another curriculum and the next school after the final year offered.

The public Conseil scolaire francophone has its own admissions criteria. Contact the district about your family’s eligibility and the school serving your address. French-language public education and French immersion have different purposes and entry processes.