We've built an interactive map that shows every French Immersion school in the Kingston area, so families can see at a glance where these programs are before they choose a neighbourhood.
One of the first questions we hear from families relocating to Kingston is "Where are the French Immersion schools?" The answer is spread across two school boards, several program types and a dozen different web pages. Putting it all on one map makes it much easier to compare neighbourhoods with schools in mind.
What's on the map
The map shows 17 schools in Kingston, Amherstview and Napanee, from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Each school has a numbered pin, and the pin's colour and shape tell you what kind of school it is.
On the elementary side, the map includes seven Limestone schools with Early French Immersion and three Catholic schools offering French Immersion from Kindergarten to Grade 8. On the secondary side, it includes Frontenac, Kingston and Napanee District Secondary Schools for public French Immersion, and Holy Cross and Regiopolis-Notre Dame for Catholic Extended French and French Immersion.
How to use the map
Tap a pin. The page jumps to that school's card, which lists its name, address and program.
Get directions. Each card has an "Open in Google Maps" link for directions or a closer look at the street.
Immersion, Extended French and French-language schools
The map covers three different kinds of French education. They're easy to mix up, and the difference matters when you're choosing a school.
French Immersion is designed for students whose first language isn't French. Most of the school day is taught in French, especially in the early grades, and the share of English grows as students get older.
Extended French is also for non-francophone students, but with fewer subjects taught in French than immersion. At the secondary level, it's often the next step for students coming from elementary programs.
French-language schools are run by separate francophone boards. In Kingston, these are the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO), the public board, and the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), the Catholic board. Everything is taught in French, and admission generally depends on a parent's French-language education rights. Madeleine-de-Roybon (CEPEO) and Marie-Rivier (CECCE) are on the map so families can see them alongside the immersion options. CEPEO's registration page explains how to enrol.
Each board sets its own entry points and rules for joining a program, so check with the board before counting on a spot.
Why it matters when you're buying a home
If French Immersion is on your list, it should shape where you look for a home. Immersion programs are only offered at certain schools, and each of those schools serves its own catchment area. That area is often different from the boundary of the closest English-program school.
Before you write an offer, it's worth checking three things:
The catchment. Confirm with the board which immersion school serves the address you're considering.
Transportation. Ask whether busing is provided to the immersion school from that address, especially in rural parts of Frontenac and Loyalist Township.
Space. Some programs fill up or have set entry grades, such as Kindergarten or Grade 1. Find out when registration opens.
Tri-Board Student Transportation, which handles busing for both the Limestone and Algonquin & Lakeshore boards, makes these checks easier. On its School Information page, choose a board and a school to see that school's details and an interactive map of its boundary. The same site's Which School do I Attend? tool lets you enter a street address and see which school serves it.
Program offerings and boundaries change from year to year. Treat the map as a starting point, and confirm the details with the Limestone District School Board or the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board before you rely on them in a purchase decision. If a specific school is important to you, you can also make the Agreement of Purchase and Sale conditional on confirming it.
Find a home near the right school
If you're planning a move to Kingston and French Immersion matters to your family, we'd be happy to help you narrow the search to the neighbourhoods that fit. We know these communities, from Amherstview to the North End, and we can help you confirm school details before you make an offer.
