Ridley College: Canada’s Leading IB Continuum Boarding School

Imagine your child living in a home away from home, where they can learn, grow and thrive with friends from around the world and have access to a world-class education that prepares them for a life of leadership and impact. This is what boarding at Ridley College offers.

Ridley College is one of Canada’s most prestigious boarding schools, founded in 1889 and located in the beautiful Niagara Region. It is also one of only four North American International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum boarding schools, offering a rigorous and holistic curriculum from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12/PG.

Ridley’s 90-acre campus welcomes over 375 boarding students from 59 countries each year. They offer a global education anchored in Canadian values, where students attend school ‘with the world,’ sharing life-shaping experiences and learning from different perspectives.

Ridley believes that education is the key to a flourishing life. Their classroom culture is learner-driven and encourages a student’s natural inquiry and curiosity. Enhanced by the philosophy of the IB curriculum, they teach students how to learn and why they learn, to help them grow into inquiring and knowledgeable global citizens who care deeply about creating a better and more peaceful world. Through the IB Continuum, a leading international education model for children aged 3 to 19, the IB curriculum develops students at their level and prepares them for their next educational leap.

Ridley offers a unique boarding experience in a culturally diverse and supportive community focussed on student wellbeing. Boarding begins in Grade 6, with a dedicated boarding house for girls and boys in grades 6 through 8 and nine gender-specific boarding houses for students in grades 9 through 12. Each house has a Head of House (HOH) and Assistant Head of House (AHOH) who live on campus in adjoining residences with their families (and pets!). These caring adults take great pride in participating in their students’ educational and personal journeys.

But it’s not just the HOH and AHOH who support students throughout their time on campus. Ridley sees each student as an individual with unique needs, and because of this, they employ a Circle of Care approach to ensure that every Ridelian is known, cared for and supported. The Circle of Care is an interconnected network of staff and faculty that help students flourish — by teaching the habits and strategies one needs to be successful in life.

Ridley’s boarding students also have the opportunity to participate in exciting and fun evening and weekend activities and excursions throughout Niagara and the Greater Toronto Area. Some highlights include visiting Niagara Falls, skiing, shopping, laser tag, escape rooms, waterparks, horseback riding, rock climbing, Toronto Blue Jay’s Games, Canada’s Wonderland, CN Tower, Ripley Aquarium and more.

During long weekends, unlike other boarding schools in Canada, Ridley offers students the opportunity to stay on campus or join one of their planned experiences. Previous long weekend trips include:

• Exploring Canada’s capital city, Ottawa.
• Experiencing the Arts in New York City.
• Staying active while skiing in Mount Tremblant.
• Appreciating history in Quebec City.

Ridley’s boarding students also benefit from a rich and diverse co-curricular programme, which includes athletics, arts, service, leadership and clubs. Ridley has a proud tradition of excellence in sports, from purposeful play to high-performance sport; athletics is at the crux of everything they do. Physical literacy, positive wellbeing and academic achievement combine to form a flourishing lifestyle.

Ridley also has a vibrant arts programme with opportunities to explore music, drama, visual arts and film. Ridley’s service and leadership programme encourages students to make a positive difference in their local and global communities through initiatives such as annual service trips to Malawi, Thailand and Guatemala.

In 2024, Ridley will celebrate the opening of new athletic and arts spaces worth over $40M, showing their commitment to providing an exceptional and well-rounded student experience. Their new Creative Commons will house a design makerspace, film classroom, ceramics room, wood shop and design studio. At the same time, their new world-class athletic facilities will promote health, wellness, connection and athletic excellence for both competitive sport and physical wellness. New spaces in their athletic complex include:

• Competition-grade squash centre
• Yoga studio
• Spin room
• Purpose-built fitness centre
• Rowing training room
• Six student/team change rooms

Ridley is more than just a school. It is a family. Their boarding students form lifelong friendships and connections with their peers, teachers and mentors; they become part of a global alumni network that supports and inspires each other; and they develop a sense of belonging, resilience, and wellbeing that lasts beyond their time at Ridley.

Want to see Ridley College from the comfort and convenience of your own home? Check out their virtual tour, showing off their academic, co-curricular and boarding spaces. Their tour offers 360 views of their campus and creates a truly immersive experience.

Learn more about Ridley College at ridleycollege.com.

 

2 Ridley Road
P.O. Box 3013
St. Catharines, ON Canada L2R 7C3
admissions@ridleycollege.com
(905) 684-1889

www.ridleycollege.com