Our School

Each child holds our attention at GNS, a co-educational, university preparatory school that is firmly rooted in the values of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Round Square.

As one of only 5% of the 377 IB schools in Canada authorized to offer the full continuum of IB programmes, GNS is proud of its unique 'IB Advantage': a 21st-Century approach which educates the whole child and creates global thinkers. GNS offers boarding options for students who are not residents of Victoria, and provides an extensive co-curricular program.

A magical waterfront setting in Oak Bay is home to our Junior School. Young students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5 learn at a school where the beach is their playground and sometimes even their classroom. The grounds include the original home of architect Francis Rattenbury. At the centre of the campus, this gracious, historical landmark hosts the library, music room and offices. Classrooms, the gym and the art room are housed in other buildings around the campus.

Nestled in the six acres of the Pemberton Woods Campus are the Glenlyon Norfolk Middle (Grades 6–8) and Senior (Grades 9–12) Schools. Buildings are connected by pathways that lead through small gardens, giving the campus a peaceful, university-like feeling. Facilities on site range from a 340-seat performing arts hall to art, music and band rooms; turf field; gymnasium; fitness centre; libraries; classrooms; and labs for science and information technology. Though separate, the Middle and Senior Schools share some facilities and programs, combining the advantages of age-appropriate approaches with an overall sense of community.

The foundation of the GNS student experience is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. Comprised of three separate but complementary strands—the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP)—this modern, inquiry-based approach to learning is designed to enable students of all abilities to find success in their studies and to develop the skills necessary to lead happy and rewarding lives. As an IB World Continuum school, we pride ourselves on delivering a program that ensures students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 learn foundation skills at a challenging level enabling them to develop higher-level thinking skills such as research, analysis and synthesis.