When there is enough interest, and if space is available, any school may be considered as a possible site for the French Immersion program. The decision to expand into other schools is made by the end of March for the following school year. Please note that these are just some of the factors staff consider when determining which schools will offer an Immersion program.

Students who live within the boundary of the neighbourhood school, or who have an older sibling attending a French Immersion school, are considered “home” students for the purpose of Grade 1 French Immersion registration. Students in these situations have priority for entry into the Grade 1 French Immersion class if they register by January 31. All registrations after February 1 are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

We try to accommodate as many students as possible. We must adhere to Ministry of Education class size guidelines. Should there be a demand for spots in Grade 1 French Immersion, wait lists are created at each school.

You can apply for your child online at www.wrdsb.ca/french. Each year, the application process opens in early January and closes on January 31 so that we can establish the schools that will offer the program for the following school year. By using a lottery system, we can establish Grade 1 French Immersion classes, with preference given to neighbourhood students who register before January 31. We continue to accept applications for the remainder of the year, up to the middle of September of the Grade 1 year.

Parents must decide to start their child on the French Immersion pathway in Grade 1. Tutoring will not provide your child with the required number of hours in French language instruction to ensure that they are at the same level as their peers by Grade 2.

Each case is assessed individually depending on the type of French program in which the student was previously enrolled and the level of French written and spoken by the student. An assessment would be required before your child can attend the program.

More information about applying for Grade 1 French Immersion is available on our website

A Principal must accept an out of boundary student for Kindergarten if the student has a sibling enrolled in the French Immersion program at the school. Otherwise, the decision to accept the student is made by the principal of the school with the French Immersion program, in consultation with the Principal of the school the child normally would attend.

No. In this case, the student is considered to be from within the school boundary if they had a sibling currently enrolled in the Immersion program.

Most schools can accept out of boundary students. However, due to capacity, some schools may not be able to accept any out of boundary students, or only a limited number.

You may apply at an out of boundary school if your home school does not offer French Immersion. Please note that transportation to an out of boundary school is the responsibility of the parent/caregiver. Please refer to our Student Transportation policy for details. Due to site constraints and over enrolment, some schools may limit out of boundary registrations for Grade 1 French Immersion. Please see the list of limited enrolment schools.

The regular walking distance policy applies to students attending their neighbourhood home school for the French Immersion program. Transportation to an out of boundary school is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Please refer to our Student Transportation policy for details.