Havergal College

Havergal College is one of Canada’s pre-eminent independent schools for girls from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Founded in 1894, the school is situated on a 22-acre campus in Toronto, Ontario, and focuses on the liberal arts, providing an all-round education based on high academic standards, extensive co-curricular opportunities and boarding for students in Grades 9 to 12. Havergal features a stimulating and supportive learning environment, alongside a strong community that fosters self-confidence, leadership and teamwork.

A Havergal education provides an exceptional opportunity and sets the stage for future success, while laying the foundation for a lifetime of discovery and learning. Our students are taught how to think, how to learn and how to question. Most importantly, Havergal students discover themselves and the possibilities in the world around them.

When Havergal first opened its doors at 350 Jarvis Street in 1894, Toronto was experiencing tremendous growth. Havergal, too, was growing rapidly. From 1894 to 1899, enrolment grew from 40 to 239 students, and continued to increase. During its first 30 years, the Board made 13 real estate purchases and undertook three major building projects. In 1926, the school relocated to its current location on the corner of Avenue Road and Lawrence Avenue.

Havergal College was named after Frances Ridley Havergal, an exemplary Victorian woman who was a composer, hymnist, author and humanitarian. The school was committed to the education of women long before it was commonplace.

Miss Ellen Mary Knox was the first Principal of the school. She was a graduate of Oxford University, a teacher at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in England, a devout member of the Anglican church and Principal of Havergal College for 30 years. Miss Knox led the school with determination and vision through its first three decades and often posed the question to her students: “What are you going to do?” This question still resonates with today’s students as Havergal prepares young women to make a difference for good in the world. The school embraces its Anglican affiliation with pride and commitment in ways that are inclusive of the many faiths of the students enrolled at Havergal.

In the early 1900s, Miss Knox, had the foresight to purchase farmland “up north” in order to build a school in the “country.” Havergal’s main entrance looks very much like it did when the school first opened on Avenue Road in 1926. Following the move to the current campus, wings were added in 1959 and 1977. In 1999, a new Junior School was built and a new Upper School wing dedicated to the Humanities, the Sciences and Technology was opened. The Athletic Centre and the Dr. Catherine Steele 1928 Archives opened in September 2006. Over the course of the school year, Havergal holds numerous events and celebrates many special occasions with the school community. Below are just a few of Havergal’s traditions that are celebrated year after year.

Havergal has an outstanding reputation for encouraging young women to discover their passions and develop the confidence to chart their own path in life. At the heart of our approach is an education of character; for no matter what lies ahead, Havergal girls graduate with a strong sense of identity and a social responsibility to use their gifts to lead and serve with purpose.

Our outstanding faculty are dedicated to supporting girls to learn, strive and succeed. We respect and nurture the individual, and understand that when we listen to the voices of our students it enriches our capacity to provide an educational program that is responsive to the evolving needs of young people. To really appreciate the vitality of our community and the quality of our students’ experiences, please come and visit us.

Havergal College prepares young women to make a difference in their chosen pursuits by enabling each student to develop her full intellectual, creative, spiritual and physical potential. Through our outstanding curricular and co-curricular programs, we support every girl’s belief in her ability to acquire the knowledge and skills to achieve her goals and to make a difference in the world.

Middle School represents an exciting and special period of transition. The Middle School provides girls with the security of Home Forms and the room to grow within the broader Upper School (Grades 7 to 12). The program celebrates the emerging independent spirit of the adolescent girl. Our supportive and encouraging faculty and staff create opportunities for girls to try new things, navigate setbacks and celebrate success.

From the first day of Grade 7, each girl sees the possibilities that lie before her. She experiences a diverse academic program taught by specialist teachers in classrooms, laboratories, gymnasiums, music, art and drama studios, and the outdoors. Dedicated instructional time is woven into her program for the development of learning and organizational skills that research shows is correlated to academic success. The facilities, timetable and co-curricular opportunities create an atmosphere of challenge, choice and variety. Discover what student life is like in the Middle School.

The Middle School program is designed to provide each girl with the time and structure to explore and shape her emerging identity as she transitions from elementary into secondary school. It is an important period in a girl’s life where trusting relationships are developed with caring adults who are committed to knowing and supporting each girl as she develops her confidence and sense of self.

During Middle School years, parents collaborate with the school to support their daughter as she takes on more responsibility for her learning. While encouraging her growing independence, Havergal understands the importance of communicating directly with the parents throughout her time in Middle School.

The Senior School prepares girls to envision a future where anything can be achieved. Through an increasingly expansive and diverse academic offering, each girl can pursue her interests and discover her passion.

As students progress through the Senior School, each girl has increasing choice and flexibility in the design of her program with the constant element being academic rigour. Havergal offers several Advanced Placement courses, exposing students to university-level material in their Grade 11 or 12 year.

Each student assumes increasing responsibility for the decisions that shape her future. She is guided and mentored by inspiring and experienced faculty and staff who ensure that all girls have a successful experience at Havergal. Mentoring relationships help Senior School girls expand their network and to connect to opportunities close to home and across the globe. As a result, each student acquires the confidence and initiative to find her own way.

Post-secondary planning plays an integral part of our Senior School program, through our Guidance and Teacher Advisor programs. Havergal students graduate as informed and responsive global citizens, ready to take the next step whether that is studying at a university in Canada or abroad or taking a path less travelled. In addition, with the arrival of international Boarding School students in Grade 9, the Senior School is enriched by the voices of girls who bring different perspectives and worldviews to Havergal.

Parents continue to be partners with the school in the educational journey of their daughters. Although the nature of the relationship changes over the years, the school ensures parents are kept informed about the options available to their daughters. As such, our graduates, with the support of their parents and the school, are empowered to chart their own course for the future. And of our graduates (100%) study at the university of their choice, including prestigious institutions around the world.