Blyth Academy

Our school story begins in 1977, Blyth Academy was a pioneer in the early years of education and adventure travel. Among various educational firsts, was the establishment of a Canadian high school in France, the Lycée Canadian en France. As well as a university campus, the University Canadian En France, and the first accredited high school program on the campus of Oxford University.

In the field of travel, Blyth Academy operated the first bike tour in the People’s Republic of China in 1979 as well as adult bike trips behind the Iron Curtain in the early 1980’s. High-latitude travel followed with icebreaker expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. By 2000, we were the global leader in the field, opening up new areas to environmentally sensitive exploration.

In 2002, Blyth Academy opened its first high school in Canada on the third floor of a walk-up building in the heart of Toronto. With enrollment of 12 students and three classrooms, it was a modest but promising start. In 2005, a second school followed in Thornhill, and thereafter one or two schools each year. We now have 10 schools in Canada, as well as Blyth Academy Online, Global High School and Blyth Academy International Summers.

Globeducate is a network of over 50 premium international schools and online programs educating more than 25 thousand students in 10 countries on three continents. As part of Globeducate, we believe that our students will only succeed in the world of tomorrow, if they are prepared for the challenges that they will face. In addition to providing an excellent education, we ensure that our students develop skills and abilities beyond the purely academic. Unprecedented innovation in science and technology will transform the way we live, and the way we work. Our students will need to constantly align their skill set to keep pace.

We prepare our students for jobs that have not been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have not yet been anticipated. To navigate such uncertainty our students must develop creativity, self-confidence and perseverance; they will need to respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives and values of others, and they will need to care about the well being of their wider community and planet. As educators we have the opportunity and responsibility to lay the foundations for a better future. We prepare each of our students to become a global citizen who can shape the world.

Blyth Academy is an Ontario Ministry inspected educational institution and one of Canada’s top providers of private education. We are also a member of the Ontario Federation of Independent Schools. Today, we mentor and teach over 2,500 students annually. We offer full-time, summer school, night school as well as private classes at each of our ten campuses across Ontario.

Your child’s Blyth Academy journey begins in our Lower School program, where academic excellence and compassionate student care intersect to prepare our youngest students for success. It is often overwhelming to think of our Grade 5–8 students as university-bound, but they indeed are! The Blyth Academy Lower School Program immerses students into an academic setting reminiscent of the very best post-secondary institutions; very small class sizes (averaging under eight students), roundtable discussions as opposed to desk-based lessons, and rich, experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom introduce students to this new way of learning.

Students will begin to gain confidence as they transition from the more rigid school environment to the Blyth Academy model, where students are encouraged to participate, where every seat is a front row seat, and no-one is left behind. The class environment is highly interactive as teachers are able to fully engage in meaningful discussion and give individual attention. The Blyth Academy model has been proven year after year to increase academic success through constant feedback and the ability to customize learning to the individual, something that is impossible in a larger classroom setting. Participation builds confidence, self-esteem, and empathy, valuable life skills that form the foundation of a happy, engaged, and academically successful child who is heard and understood.

Your child’s Blyth Academy journey continues in our Foundations Program, where experienced and empathetic faculty build on the students’ academic success, while adding a complete and comprehensive life skills curriculum. The Foundations Program is unique to Blyth Academy. It combines the development of important life skills with the Ontario Ministry mandated academic curriculum. In order to best prepare students for the road ahead, the program has been developed for students in Grades 9 and 10 to enrich and enhance their understanding of such important skills.

The academic year of the Blyth Academy Foundation Program is divided into four terms of ten and half weeks. This cutting-edge restructuring of the traditional academic school year has dramatic benefits for the student. Our Foundations students take only two courses per term, as opposed to a more traditional semester setting (four courses a semester) or a full-year setting (eight courses daily spanning the entire academic year), meaning that our students are able to manage their academic workload much more effectively. Two-hour classes, taken five days a week, allow more time for in-depth review and for individual attention to our students on an ongoing basis.

Students select their courses at the start of the school term and are given their schedule and room assignments. The life skills portion of the Foundation Program is taught in their third “spare” period. Blyth Academy is ministry inspected, and adheres to all provincial standards, including the provision of an Ontario Provincial Report Card and official transcripts to post-secondary institutions.

The academic year of the Blyth Academy University Preparation Program is divided into four terms of ten and a half weeks. This cutting-edge restructuring of the traditional academic school year has dramatic benefits for the student. Our University Preparation students take only two courses per term, as opposed to a more traditional semester setting (four courses a semester) or a full-year setting (eight courses daily spanning the entire academic year), meaning that our students are able to manage their academic workload much more effectively. Two-hour classes, taken five days a week, allow more time for in-depth review and for individual attention to our students on an ongoing basis.

Students select their courses at the start of the school term, and are given their schedule and room assignments. The third period is free for independent study, assignments, extracurricular activities, guidance counselor visits, independent exercise programs, sports training, or other homework.

Students entering Grade 12 at Blyth Academy may only need six credits to graduate. In this case, Grade 12 students take two courses in Term 1, two courses in Term 2, two courses in Term 3, and then are eligible to graduate in April, leaving time to enjoy a victory lap, one of our exciting travel programs, or take a part-time job in advance of departing for University. If desired, Grade 12 students can take two Blyth Academy Summer School credits during July and August before the start of the school year, allowing for graduation and all of its benefits as early as February.

Blyth Academy is ministry inspected and adheres to all provincial standards, including the provision of an Ontario Provincial Report Card and official transcripts to post-secondary institutions. Blyth Academy follows the Ontario curriculum. To read more about the Ontario Curriculum, please select a Grade level.