Top 100 Private Schools: A Three-Country Research Guide
35 English independent, 35 Canadian CAIS and 30 Victorian non-government school records. Not a global best-school ranking.
Private-school searches become more useful when the source and geographic limits are explicit. This guide selects 100 institutions across England, Canada and the Australian state of Victoria. It uses 35 English independent-school records, 35 Canadian CAIS-directory entries and 30 Victorian non-government secondary or combined schools. The article answers the broad worldwide search topic with a defined three-country comparison. It does not claim to rank every private school in the world or to measure their results on a single scale.
The complete 100-entry table
100 of 100 entries shown
| No. | Institution and source | Location | Type / status | Recorded information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Aqsa Schools Trust Listed website | Leicester, Leicester | Other independent school | Ages 3–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 2 | Avicenna School | Leicester, Leicester | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 3 | Bosworth Independent School Listed website | West Northamptonshire | Other independent school | Ages 11–22; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 4 | Brooke House College Listed website | Market Harborough, Leicestershire | Other independent school | Ages 11–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 5 | Abbey College Cambridge Listed website | Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire | Other independent school | Ages 12–21; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 6 | Abbot's Hill School Listed website | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire | Other independent school | Ages 0–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 7 | Al Hikmah Boys School Listed website | Luton | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Boys; No boarders |
| 8 | Aldenham School Listed website | Elstree, Hertfordshire | Other independent school | Ages 3–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 9 | ACS Hillingdon International School Listed website | Uxbridge, Hillingdon | Other independent school | Ages 3–19; Mixed; No boarders |
| 10 | Al Madina School for Girls Listed website | Barking, Barking and Dagenham | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 11 | Al Risalah Boys' School Listed website | London, Wandsworth | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Boys; No boarders |
| 12 | Al Risalah Secondary School | London, Wandsworth | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 13 | Argyle House School Listed website | Sunderland, Sunderland | Other independent school | Ages 2–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 14 | Ateres Girls High School | Gateshead, Gateshead | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 15 | Bahr Academy Listed website | Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 16 | Barnard Castle School Listed website | Barnard Castle, County Durham | Other independent school | Ages 4–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 17 | AKS Lytham Listed website | Lytham St Annes, Lancashire | Other independent school | Ages 0–19; Mixed; No boarders |
| 18 | Abbey Gate College Listed website | Chester, Cheshire West and Chester | Other independent school | Ages 4–18; Mixed; No boarders |
| 19 | Abrar Academy | Preston, Lancashire | Other independent school | Ages 11–21; Boys; Boarding school |
| 20 | Afifah School Listed website | Manchester, Trafford | Other independent school | Ages 2–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 21 | ACS Cobham International School Listed website | Cobham, Surrey | Other independent school | Ages 2–18; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 22 | ACS Egham International School Listed website | Egham, Surrey | Other independent school | Ages 3–18; Mixed; No boarders |
| 23 | Abingdon School Listed website | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | Other independent school | Ages 4–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 24 | Akeley Wood Senior School Listed website | Buckinghamshire | Other independent school | Ages 11–18; Mixed; No boarders |
| 25 | Al-Ashraf Secondary School for Girls Listed website | Gloucester, Gloucestershire | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 26 | Badminton School Listed website | Bristol, Bristol, City of | Other independent school | Ages 3–19; Girls; Boarding school |
| 27 | Blundell's School Listed website | Tiverton, Devon | Other independent school | Ages 11–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 28 | Bournemouth Collegiate School Listed website | Bournemouth, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | Other independent school | Ages 11–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 29 | Abu Bakr Al-Ihsaan Academy Listed website | Walsall, Walsall | Other independent school | Ages 4–16; Mixed; No boarders |
| 30 | Abu Bakr Boys School Listed website | Walsall, Walsall | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Boys; No boarders |
| 31 | Adcote School for Girls Listed website | Shrewsbury, Shropshire | Other independent school | Ages 4–18; Girls; Boarding school |
| 32 | Al-Burhan Grammar School Listed website | Birmingham, Birmingham | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 33 | Ackworth School Listed website | West Yorkshire, Wakefield | Other independent school | Ages 2–19; Mixed; Boarding school |
| 34 | Al Kauthar Girls Academy Listed website | Leeds, Leeds | Other independent school | Ages 11–16; Girls; No boarders |
| 35 | Al Mumin Primary and Secondary School Listed website | Bradford, Bradford | Other independent school | Ages 3–18; Mixed; No boarders |
| 36 | Calgary Academy Listed website | Calgary, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 37 | Calgary French & International School Listed website | Calgary, Alberta profile | website | CAIS-directory school | Grades: |
| 38 | Lycée international de Calgary Listed website | Calgary, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Preschool to Grade 12 |
| 39 | River Valley School Listed website | Calgary, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: pre-Junior Kindergarten - Grade 6 |
| 40 | Rundle College Listed website | Calgary, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 41 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Listed website | Foothills, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 42 | West Island College Listed website | Calgary, Alberta | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 7-12 |
| 43 | Aberdeen Hall Preparatory School Listed website | Kelowna, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Pre-K to Grade 12 |
| 44 | Aspengrove School Listed website | Nanaimo, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JrK3-Grade 12 |
| 45 | Brentwood College School Listed website | Mill Bay, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 9-12 |
| 46 | Brockton School Listed website | North Vancouver, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 47 | Collingwood School Listed website | West Vancouver, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 48 | Crofton House School Listed website | Vancouver, British Columbia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 49 | Balmoral Hall School Listed website | Winnipeg, Manitoba | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 2 year-old Childcare to grade 12 |
| 50 | Gray Academy of Jewish Education Listed website | Winnipeg, Manitoba | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 51 | St. John's-Ravenscourt School Listed website | Winnipeg, Manitoba | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 52 | Rothesay Netherwood School Listed website | Rothesay, New Brunswick | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 6-12 |
| 53 | Lakecrest Independent School Listed website | St. John's, Newfoundland | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-9 |
| 54 | Armbrae Academy Listed website | Halifax, Nova Scotia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Preschool & Pre-Primary-Grade 12 |
| 55 | Halifax Grammar School Listed website | Halifax, Nova Scotia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 56 | King's-Edgehill School Listed website | Windsor, Nova Scotia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 6-12 |
| 57 | Sacred Heart School of Halifax Listed website | Halifax, Nova Scotia | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Jr. Primary - Grade 12 |
| 58 | Albert College Listed website | Belleville, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 |
| 59 | Appleby College Listed website | Oakville, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 7-12 |
| 60 | Ashbury College Listed website | Ottawa, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 3 to 12 |
| 61 | Bannockburn Independent School Listed website | Toronto, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Toddler-Grade 6 |
| 62 | Bayview Glen Independent School Listed website | Toronto, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Preschool (age 2) - Grade 12 |
| 63 | Branksome Hall Listed website | Toronto, Ontario | CAIS-directory school | Grades: JK-12 |
| 64 | Academie Solomon Schechter Academy Listed website | Montreal, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: Junior PreK-6 |
| 65 | Bishop's College School Listed website | Sherbrooke, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 7-12 |
| 66 | Lower Canada College Listed website | Montreal, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 67 | Miss Edgar's & Miss Cramp's School Listed website | Westmount, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-11 |
| 68 | Selwyn House School Listed website | Westmount, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 69 | St. George's School of Montreal Listed website | Montreal, Quebec | CAIS-directory school | Grades: K-12 |
| 70 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Listed website | Wilcox, Saskatchewan | CAIS-directory school | Grades: 9-12 |
| 71 | Sophia Mundi Steiner School | ABBOTSFORD, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 72 | Ave Maria College | ABERFELDIE, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 73 | Alphington Grammar School | ALPHINGTON, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 74 | Emmanuel College | ALTONA NORTH, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 75 | Mount St Joseph Girls' College | ALTONA, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 76 | Marian College | ARARAT, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 77 | Lauriston Girls' School | ARMADALE, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 78 | Geelong Lutheran College | ARMSTRONG CREEK, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 79 | Bacchus Marsh Grammar | BACCHUS MARSH, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 80 | Bairnsdale Christian College | BAIRNSDALE, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 81 | Ballarat Clarendon College | BALLARAT, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 82 | Fintona Girls' School | BALWYN, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 83 | Cornish College | BANGHOLME, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 84 | St Francis Xavier College | BEACONSFIELD, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 85 | Belgrave Heights Christian School | BELGRAVE HEIGHTS, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 86 | Mater Christi College | BELGRAVE, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 87 | Covenant College | BELL POST HILL, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 88 | Australian Christian College Victoria | BENALLA, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 89 | Catherine McAuley College | BENDIGO, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 90 | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College | BENTLEIGH, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 91 | St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar | BERWICK, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 92 | Urban College | BORONIA, VIC | Independent Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 93 | Kingswood College | BOX HILL, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 94 | Caroline Chisholm Catholic College | BRAYBROOK, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 95 | St Leonard's College | BRIGHTON EAST, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 96 | Brighton Grammar School | BRIGHTON, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 97 | Ilim College | BROADMEADOWS, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 98 | Melton Christian College | BROOKFIELD, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 99 | Marcellin College | BULLEEN, VIC | Catholic Secondary | Open school; Victorian government directory |
| 100 | Northside Christian College | BUNDOORA, VIC | Independent Pri/Sec | Open school; Victorian government directory |
List numbers are navigation identifiers except where the stated research/completion ordering or published NIRF rank is explained. Download the complete CSV.
Sources and selection method
35 English independent schools ages extending into secondary + 35 Canadian CAIS schools + 30 Victorian non-government secondary/combined schools.
Three-country sample only. Different directory definitions; no global quality rank.
Source: GIAS England, CAIS Canada and Victoria school locations. Source records checked 2026-10-01. Current admissions, courses and fees require the institution’s own current evidence. Each row links to its source.
Read what private means in each source
England’s sample uses open “Other independent school” records with age provision extending into secondary education. The Canadian component uses CAIS directory membership. Victoria uses Catholic and independent sector records classified as secondary or combined. Those definitions are related but not interchangeable. Membership, legal registration and performance are distinct evidence types. The table keeps the source visible rather than converting them into a universal quality badge.
Choose the qualification and age range
Schools can offer different awards and grade structures across the three systems. A family needs the child’s actual entry age, available subjects and route to the next stage. Combined schools may teach both younger and older pupils. Ask about the intended campus and intake. Qualification recognition depends on the receiving institution or regulator, not on the presence of a school in a private-school guide.
Examine teaching and support provision
Request a current curriculum, ordinary timetable and description of learning support. Ask how teachers communicate progress and how concerns are escalated. Language support and disability provision should be checked against the pupil’s needs. A directory cannot establish the quality of individual classrooms or the availability of specialist help. Link any inspection or accreditation claim to the correct campus and date.
Budget in the original currency
Compare tuition, deposits, uniforms, devices, activities, transport and examinations. If boarding is needed, verify that it exists and obtain a separate cost schedule. Ask about refunds and annual increases. A currency conversion should use a dated rate and stay separate from the original quoted amount. The guide avoids invented fees because the intake, grade and services can change the actual bill.
Use a documented shortlist
Reduce the table to feasible locations and qualifications. Then verify applicant eligibility, available places and written offers. For international moves, check residence and child-care arrangements through the relevant authority. Save a current source for every important claim and note unanswered questions. A clear fit between the pupil, provision and family budget is more informative than a fabricated global position.
Decision checklist
- Read the three-country limits
- Confirm the intended qualification
- Check support at the campus
- Budget in the quoted currency
- Keep approval and membership distinct
Shortlist worksheet
For three feasible options, record the exact programme or year group, current eligibility, full cost, support provision, travel and the official evidence date. Leave a missing answer unresolved instead of estimating it.
Questions before you decide
Why only three countries?
They have usable official or membership directory records for this defined comparison. The limitation is stated openly.
Are the first entries better schools?
No. The list is sampled and ordered for navigation.
Does private mean boarding?
No. Boarding requires separate confirmation.
Does membership equal government approval?
No. Evidence types must be checked separately.
Can fees be inferred from a country?
No. Obtain the exact school, grade and intake schedule.
Related guides
- Top 100 Boarding Schools: An Eight-Country Research Guide
- Top 100 International Schools Worldwide: A 15-Country Cambridge Guide
Compiled by VisitBest from the stated public sources. Current course, admission, service and price details should be obtained from the relevant provider. Send corrections with the exact record and a supporting source.