Bishop Strachan School

All students become part of the continuing living legacy and promise of BSS. This is not an ordinary education but rather an extraordinary opportunity, that exposes students to humanity’s great thinkers and creators across all disciplines and cultures – celebrating the richness of our shared human experience. Our proven approach serves to expand hearts and minds, as our girls develop into intellectually curious, intelligent and independent, compassionate and creative global citizens – able to lead and navigate successfully this increasingly complex and connected world.

The Signature of a BSS Girl is a set of personal attributes that are encouraged, nurtured and taught at The Bishop Strachan School. The seven attributes of the Signature - a growth mindset, ethical citizenship, curiosity, self-awareness, grit, voice and leadership - are critical to the development of character and set the stage for success. We believe working towards these attributes helps each student realize their full potential and make a difference in the world. Everything that happens at the school, from academics to co-curricular activities, is designed to help students develop these important attributes.

The Signature is the product of intensive research on contemporary girls’ psychology, wellness, character development and leadership models.

Students take an active role in school culture. From the Junior School through to Grade 12, they understand that their actions can have a positive impact on the world around them. Girls build confidence, teamwork, decision-making, leadership and communication skills. In the Senior School BSS has many leadership positions which give students the opportunity to strengthen school culture by running events and activities that build a sense of pride and community.

When students enter BSS, they are placed in a House with 8 to 10 other students from their grade. There are 12 different Houses in the school: Pyper, Acres, Dupont, Grier, Griffith, Lamont, Langtry, Macnaughton, Marling, Nation, Rosseter, and Walsh. The school has approximately 80 Boarders from Grades 8 to 12 from over 21 countries. Each Boarder is a member of a Boarding House (St. Hilda's or St. Monica's), as well as a day house. The Boarding program includes regular evening study (including tutorial support). There are 11 Prefects elected by the school and the Grade 11 class to serve in their graduating year, with positions such as Head Prefect, Head Boarder, Grad Prefect, House Prefect, and 7 other non-portfolio positions who work with various aspects of school life. Other leadership roles include council heads such as Arts Council Head and Events Council Head.

The school offers programs in the arts and a variety of musical ensembles. It stages a classical production and a musical annually with Upper Canada College. BSS also offers a co-educational Summer Academy during July.

Boarding is a true community, with caring live-in staff members available at all times. Recognizing that being far from family can be hard, the school ensures that a counsellor is also available to support the well-being of every student. We strike the perfect balance, helping Boarders become independent while ensuring they feel safe and cared for.

We know it can be a big step to leave home and live in a new city (and in many cases, country.) That’s why we do everything we can to support the transition and create a warm, encouraging atmosphere.

For a young person away from home, Boarding is an opportunity to become more self-reliant and self-aware. It’s a chance to develop confidence and learn to lead. The Boarding experience supports academic success while helping each Boarder grow as a person.

Advertisement in The Busy Man's Magazine, 1907

The Bishop Strachan School had a variety of temporary homes since the founding:

First opened on September 1867 at Pinehurst, formerly Mrs Forster's Girls School (1853-1866) on west side of McCaul Street between Dundas Street and Grange Road near the Art Gallery of Toronto (currently the Art Gallery of Ontario).[3] The site is now OCAD Sharp Centre.

Relocated in 1868 to John Strachan's Bishop's Palace on Front Street and York Street[4] after his death in 1867.

Relocated to Wykeham Hall near Bay and College Streets in 1870, this was the former home of Sir James Buchanan Macaulay or Wykeham Lodge. After the schools departure it became Central Military Convalescence Hospital and finally College Street Armouries before being demolished in 1928 to make way for Eaton's College Street store.[5] A marker on the College Park building at the southwest corner of Yonge and College Streets provides history of the site.[6]

In September 1915, The Bishop Strachan School opened as a large gothic-style structure, made of Credit Valley limestone, at its present-day Forest Hill location at 298 Lonsdale Road.[6] This new addition included new classrooms, a fitness centre, a full gymnasium and underground parking. The new wing creates a functional courtyard for playgrounds while reducing the mass of the building along the residential streetscape. To preserve the highly valued outdoor playing field and tennis courts, the fitness centre, gymnasium and parking are located below ground and connected to the main building via a skylit corridor link. This new structure pays homage to the original architecture while bringing the school into the realm of 21st-century architecture.

The school building was designed by the architectural firm of Sproatt & Rolph. The structure is listed in the City of Toronto's Municipal Heritage register; it confirms the school building opened in 1912 with the chapel opening in 1926.[7] "In 1911, the school purchased land for $72,000 in Forest Hill. The sod was turned in 1913 for the construction of a permanent site for the school, which opened in September 1915 at 298 Lonsdale Rd./ The Collegiate Gothic style structure — built from Credit Valley Limestone — was designed by architectural firm Sproatt & Rolph, whose other gems include Hart House at the University of Toronto, College Park and the Royal York Hotel. The construction of its chapel was delayed until after the First World War. By 1926, the neo-Gothic structure was built and dedicated. "[8]

• Viola Allen - Actress
• Thea Andrews - Actress and TV personality

• Caroline Cameron - Sportsnet Anchor
• Margaret Campbell - Municipal and provincial politician
• Lin Chi-ling - Taiwanese model and actress
• Caitlin Cronenberg - Canadian photographer and filmmaker
• Kai (Alessia De Gasperis Brigante)- Singer/Songwriter
• Marina Endicott - Canadian novelist
• Michelle Giroux - Canadian stage actress
• Kate Hewlett - Canadian actress, writer and songwriter
• Laurie Holden - American-Canadian actress[9]
• Rachel Honderich - Canadian Badminton player, Team Canada, 2021 Tokyo Olympics
• Anne Innis Dagg - Canadian zoologist, biologist, feminist, and author of numerous books
• Larysa Kondracki - Writer/director of The Whistleblower
• Emily Murphy - Canadian women's rights activist, the British Empire's first female judge & one of The Famous Five (Canada)
• Mary Louise Northway - Canadian psychologist
• Marjorie Pickthall - Poet and writer
• Valerie Pringle - Canadian television host and journalist
• Ann Southam - Composer
• Veronica Tennant - Prima Ballerina, National Ballet Company of Canada
• Linda Thorson - Actress best known for her role in The Avengers.[10]
• Daryl Watts - Canadian Hockey Player
• Margaret Wente - Columnist for The Globe & Mail
• Beatrice Helen Worsley - first female computer scientist in Canada

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bishop Strachan School.

• Official website