SD45 · What happens if…

West Vancouver: where each school choice leads

In West Vancouver, the secondary follows the elementary your child attends. Students move up automatically from their feeder elementary to its receiving secondary: Rockridge, Sentinel or West Vancouver Secondary.

The district's rules give priority at a full secondary to catchment students and to students from its designated feeder schools. So the elementary you choose at kindergarten largely chooses the secondary, even if you move later.

French Immersion runs at Cedardale and Pauline Johnson and continues only at Sentinel.

West Vancouver school locator →

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

Applications for September 2027 open October 15, 2026 at 8 a.m. Rank up to three schools. Places go by priority group, then by time stamp, so apply early with all documents uploaded.

  1. Kindergarten to Grade 7Your catchment elementary school.
  2. Grade 8 to 12The secondary your elementary feeds: Rockridge (from Caulfeild, West Bay and Gleneagles), Sentinel (from Chartwell) or West Vancouver Secondary (from Hollyburn, Irwin Park and Ridgeview). Westcot students go to Sentinel or West Vancouver Secondary.

How sure is that secondary place? Good. Students move up automatically with their feeder school.

Cost: Free.

Watch out
  • Moving to another part of West Vancouver later doesn't change the secondary automatically. You'd need to apply for a transfer.
  • For English kindergarten, the time you apply matters, because ties are broken by time stamp.
Ways to change course later
  • Late French ImmersionCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 5, 6 years from nowTiming, based on last year: From mid-October of Grade 5 (it opened October 15 last year)One Grade 6 class at Pauline Johnson, then a guaranteed place at Sentinel.
  • Apply to a different secondaryHard to get
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: From January 15, 2027, during Grade 7Your child goes to a different secondary, if it has space.
  • Catholic secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: October 14 to November 30, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 2027Grade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: St. Thomas Aquinas in North Vancouver (about 120 Grade 8 places).
  • Private secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Collingwood by November 1, 2026 and Mulgrave by December 1, 2026Collingwood takes about 28 new Grade 8 students (tuition $32,300). Mulgrave takes most new students at Grades 7 and 10 and adds Grade 8 students only when places open.
  • IB Diploma at West Vancouver SecondaryCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 9, 10 years from nowThis year's timing: Grade 9, for the Pre-Diploma year in Grade 10 (for fall 2027: January 31, 2027 from other schools, February 26 from inside)The IB Diploma at West Vancouver Secondary, open to students across the district.

Early French Immersion

Apply October 15, 2026 (8 a.m.) to November 30, 2026 (3 p.m.), with all documents uploaded. There is one lottery per school in early December, and you have 24 hours to accept.

  1. Kindergarten to Grade 7École Cedardale or École Pauline Johnson.
  2. Grade 8 to 12Sentinel, the only French Immersion secondary.

How sure is that secondary place? Strong while your child stays in French Immersion.

Cost: Free. Cedardale also runs the IB Primary Years Programme, which has a fee.

Watch out
  • Rank a French Immersion school first or second, and an English school as a backup.
  • Grade 1 entry is possible only until the end of the first term, if there's space.
  • Students who leave French Immersion at these schools go on to West Vancouver Secondary.
Ways to change course later
  • Apply to a different secondaryHard to get
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: From January 15, 2027, during Grade 7Your child goes to a different secondary, if it has space.
  • Catholic secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: October 14 to November 30, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 2027Grade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: St. Thomas Aquinas in North Vancouver (about 120 Grade 8 places).
  • Private secondary from Grade 8Competitive
    Apply in Grade 7, 8 years from nowThis year's timing: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Collingwood by November 1, 2026 and Mulgrave by December 1, 2026Collingwood takes about 28 new Grade 8 students (tuition $32,300). Mulgrave takes most new students at Grades 7 and 10 and adds Grade 8 students only when places open.
  • IB Diploma at West Vancouver SecondaryCompetitive
    Apply in Grade 9, 10 years from nowThis year's timing: Grade 9, for the Pre-Diploma year in Grade 10 (for fall 2027: January 31, 2027 from other schools, February 26 from inside)The IB Diploma at West Vancouver Secondary, open to students across the district.

Every chance to change course, by grade

Apply in Grade 5 · starts Grade 6

Late French Immersion

One Grade 6 class at Pauline Johnson, then a guaranteed place at Sentinel.

When: From mid-October of Grade 5 (it opened October 15 last year) (based on last year; check for new dates). Chances: Only one class. West Vancouver residents come first. No French is needed beforehand.

West Vancouver Schools: Late French Immersion

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Apply to a different secondary

Your child goes to a different secondary, if it has space.

When: From January 15, 2027, during Grade 7. Chances: Catchment families with siblings come first, then catchment families, then out-of-catchment siblings, then everyone else, with time stamps breaking ties. You can be on at most two waitlists, and they end May 30.

West Vancouver Schools: admissions guidelines

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Catholic secondary from Grade 8

Grade 8 is the main entry year for Catholic secondaries. Nearby: St. Thomas Aquinas in North Vancouver (about 120 Grade 8 places).

When: October 14 to November 30, 2026, for Grade 8 in September 2027. 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 · St. Thomas Aquinas: admissions

Apply in Grade 7 · starts Grade 8

Private secondary from Grade 8

Collingwood takes about 28 new Grade 8 students (tuition $32,300). Mulgrave takes most new students at Grades 7 and 10 and adds Grade 8 students only when places open.

When: Fall of Grade 7. For September 2027: Collingwood by November 1, 2026 and Mulgrave by December 1, 2026. Chances: Each school sets its own process, usually an application, interview and school reports. Offers come in February.

Collingwood School: apply · Mulgrave School: admissions

Apply in Grade 9 · starts Grade 10

IB Diploma at West Vancouver Secondary

The IB Diploma at West Vancouver Secondary, open to students across the district.

When: Grade 9, for the Pre-Diploma year in Grade 10 (for fall 2027: January 31, 2027 from other schools, February 26 from inside). Chances: You apply and are selected.

West Vancouver Schools: IB

Common questions

Does my elementary school decide my secondary school in West Vancouver?

Yes. Students move up automatically from their feeder elementary to its receiving secondary. Moving house later doesn't change that unless you apply for a transfer.

Does it matter when I apply for West Vancouver kindergarten?

For English kindergarten, yes: places go by priority group, then time stamp. For French Immersion, no: it's a lottery, as long as your documents are complete by November 30, 2026.

Where does French Immersion lead in West Vancouver?

To Sentinel Secondary. Early French Immersion is at Cedardale and Pauline Johnson, and Late French Immersion starts in Grade 6 at Pauline Johnson.

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

Sources

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