Our School

The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) is Canada’s oldest independent day and boarding school for girls. We exist to inspire girls to be fearless and educate them to be leaders. We are a university prep school in Toronto for girls in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. We are pretty proud of our extraordinary past, super excited about our future and enthusiastically present for the girls who walk through our doors every day.

Leading the Way

On the first day of school in 1867, our founders opened their doors with the intention of educating girls and teaching them how to be leaders. It was a new idea in its day – we believed women were equals at a time when the concept was radical. There were 31 students enrolled that first year. There are over 900 this year – and each have their own ideas, their own voice and an equal place at BSS to carve out their own path.

Diversity and Inclusion

BSS is committed to continuing to foster a respectful, diverse and inclusive community. Fulfilling our Vision demands that our community understands and engages with the world we live in. We believe embracing and respecting differences honours our Anglican roots. For our students, the value to their intellectual and ethical development of learning amid diverse perspectives is to strengthen their confidence in their own voices while respecting the voices of others. Diverse perspectives enrich our learning environment and affirm our commitment to excellence. Our students’ futures will depend on their ability to work and live among the world’s citizens in an increasingly connected global community.

We know how girls learn

Our expertise comes from 150 years of teaching girls, along with ongoing research, collaboration and careful listening to our students, teachers and parents. We apply what we know to our day-to-day practices to create a welcoming and innovative place of learning. Our faculty are deliberate about helping each student experience meaningful growth so they are well prepared for life beyond BSS.