The Fraser Institute has released its report on schools for several provinces including Ontario and London Central Secondary School is the top ranked high school in the province.  The report only includes the public and Catholic primary and secondary schools and not private schools.  Five London secondary schools are in the top quartile for the province.  London Central is a repeat in first place, Oakridge is ranked 76th, A.B. Lucas and Sir Frederick Banting are tied at 164 and St. Thomas Aquinas squeaks into the top 25% at 178th place.  Even though the city has five top schools, it also has four schools ranked in the bottom 10%.  They are John Paul 2, H.B. Beal, Clarke Road and Montcalm.

While London elementary schools do not reach the lofty heights of Central, there are five schools in the top 10% for Ontario.  Of the 2714 schools rated, Blessed Kateri is tops in London at number 105.  St. George is 192nd.  Both schools climbed over 100 places in the ranking.  Byron Summerset, St. Jude and Ryerson are tied in 251st place.  Just outside the top 10% is Masonville in 278th.  A significant number of London schools are in the to 25% in the province: Jack Chambers (313), John Dearness (356), University Heights (356), Stoneybrook (392), Nicholas Wilson (392), St. Catherine of Siena (470), Riverside (567), St. Martin (567), St. Marquerite d’Youville (622), Byron Northview (622), and Jean Vanier (676).

The city also has a number of elementary schools ranked in the bottom 10%: Ashley Oaks (2452), Arthur Stringer (2476), Wilfrid Jury (2508), St. Robert (2569), C.C. Carrothers (2583), Prince Charles (2583), Woodland Heights (2594), Franklin D. Roosevelt (2606), Sir Arthur Carty (2612), Trafalgar (2630), Bonaventure Meadows (2530), Hillcrest (2639), Knollwood Park (2645), Lord Elgin (2645), Sir John A MacDonald (2655), Lord Nelson (2667), Blessed Sacrament (2667), Evelyn Harrison (2676), Princess Elizabeth (2680), Aberdeen (2686), Lorne Avenue (2697).

What is most surprising is not so much which schools are on that list, but the total number of London schools ranked in the bottom 10% for the province.   While just 5 of London’s 85 elementary schools are in the top 10%, 22 of our elementary schools are in the bottom 10% in the province–that’s a whopping 26% of our city’s elementary schools in the bottom 10% of the Fraser Institute’s rankings.  The same pattern appears in our secondary schools: just one of our 18 high schools are in the top 10% for the province (and one just a hair outside the top 10%); and the four high schools in the bottom 10% which is 22% of our high schools and double the number of top performing schools.

You can access the full rankings here:

http://ontario.compareschoolrankings.org/secondary/SchoolsByRankLocationName.aspx