London International Academy
Polaris School and Centre
361 - 365 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3C2, Canada
235 Donald St, Suite 159, Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 1N1, Canada
Coed, Girls
Traditional, International Baccalaureate
Learning, Behavioral
Dedicated gifted school
Highly group-oriented and with a strong emphasis on creative and imaginative play, Waldorf preschool and Kindergarten programs have very little to no emphasis on academics. A Waldorf environment will often feel more like a home than a traditional classroom -- the goal being to instill comfort and and a sense of predictability in students' day. This emphasis on comfort and predictability also manifests through a heavy use of repetition: for example, teachers might read the same story multiple days in a row. Waldorf schools ask parents to refrain from offering children TV or computers at home, and aim to develop in children a connection to the natural world. If you want to learn more about Waldorf education, check out our comprehensive guide.
Yes: grades K - 8
"Within the nest which her classroom represents, she is secure in the certainty of what is and is not, yet free to explore and make sense of the world and her place in it."
Safaa Abdelmagid - Parent (Sep 15, 2021)
My daughter adores her teachers at Kindergarten and feels a strong sense of ownership towards her cl...
"I have been impressed by how the teachers have been tackling Math in first grade as I watched my son learn..."
Noha Naqeeb - Parent (Sep 15, 2021)
Polaris has been a wonderful safe haven for my anxious, restless son. Everyday he came home with les...
"There is a commitment at Polaris to truly know and meet each child where they are, even when they are having a difficult day."
Leah Cogan - Parent (Sep 15, 2021)
My sons have found in Polaris a gentle refuge, particularly during this last year and a half of unpr...
London International Academy was founded in 2002 with an explicit attention to preparing students for success at university in North America. In the years since the student population has grown considerably, as has the school's mandate. Today annual enrollment is 350 students who arrive from around the world. The school has developed a full palette of services with the international student in mind, including language instruction, university guidance, cultural exchange programs and a challenging curriculum. The ideal student is one with an eye to succeeding in post-secondary studies in Canada.
Founded in 2018, Polaris is relatively new, formed through the coming together of a number of families seeking something different, more responsive, perhaps richer than was available at the time. The school isn't a Waldorf school in name, though is built on the Waldorf principles, the core being that learning should begin from a place of imagination and creativity, and build from the students' innate curiosities. Polaris is the pole star, the north star, the one that people for centuries have used for navigation, and the metaphor is apt—education is conceived here as a kind of navigation through the curriculum, through the world, and toward a greater understanding of ourselves, our talents, and our relationships with others. The school is small, and has all the benefits that we associate with small schools, including a high degree of student engagement with others, a rich, close-knit social experience, and a marked agility in developing unique programs. Interaction with families and parents is close, regular, and open.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
STEM Elite Program
Four academic intakes in a year
London International Academy (LIA) is a Private Secondary Day and Boarding School, located in the beautiful forest city of London, Ontario. LIA is the only private secondary school in London, Ontario to be authorized as an IB World School and offer the IB Diploma Programme. LIA offers academic OSSD courses from Grades 9 - 12 for both international and domestic students. LIA offers not only OSSD and IB, but also a STEM Elite Program, Summer Courses, Summer STEM Camps, and offers four intakes throughout the year.
Our holistic approach focuses on the whole child, head, heart and hands. We strive to help students become confident, creative & independent thinkers ready to face the future, with the tools needed to meet an ever-changing world. Artistic expression, practical skills and movement are integrated into academic subjects through hands-on and experiential learning, providing a rigorous academic program. Learning becomes an engaging journey of discovery of the world and oneself that inspires a lifelong love of learning.
The Academy prides itself in providing students with a challenging and excellent high school educational program almost invariably leading to admission to one of the leading universities in Canada. The school also provides a well rounded education with much organized social, recreational and educational activity at the school and class level. As testimony to the quality of our students and our educational program students from the Academy have achieved and continue to achieve outstanding results in mathematics, computing and physics contest organized by the Canadian Mathematics Society and the University of Waterloo.
London International Academy has a first rate academic program, a fully qualified and very well educated teaching staff, bright and comfortable classrooms, continuous student counseling and advising, and a very effective and enthusiastic student support staff. All of these factors contribute to student enjoyment, motivation and adaption to North American culture which obviously includes the rapid acquisition of English. This is confirmed and illustrated by the tremendous disproportionate success of international students enrolled in the school in obtaining university and college places.
London, Ontario is a healthy, safe and pleasant small city which facilitates student involvement in the local community. Students who enroll in the Academy will be embarking on a pleasant but rigorous and stimulating educational journey culminating in acceptance by an excellent university.
Paul Debenham
Waldorf schools are available from preschool to Grade 12, though they are most popular at the younger ages. Waldorf schools are unmistakably "progressive". Rudolf Steiner, their intellectual forefather, believed the educator's first task should be to help students develop an aesthetic appreciation for life and learning. Sometimes incorrectly conflated with Montessori schools, Waldorf schools focus on developing the "whole child" - emphasizing collaborative, hands-on learning, along with the arts and music, which are integrated into other areas of study.
London International Academy (LIA) is certified in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Education to offer academic courses from grades 9 to 12. LIA is authorized to grant the Ontario Secondary School Diploma to all successful students. An optional program offered at LIA places a strong focus on STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, we also have several clubs with a STEM focus.
The Waldorf curriculum meets the changing cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of the student as they travel through the different stages of development in their grade school years. Our interdisciplinary and holistic approach integrates experiential learning, creativity, academic rigor, and social responsibility. Students are presented with a wide variety of cognitive, artistic, physical and practical tasks and activities to help them flourish and express themselves on multiple levels. Our teachers cultivate a life-long love of learning with engaging, hands-on activities and a deep respect for building relationships in a classroom setting that also values individuality.
Math classes are delivered by the main lesson teacher and utilize different activities especially in the lower grades that address the three main cognitive learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Through stories, artwork, movement, natural math manipulatives, and practical applications students at a Waldorf school experience math in a truly multi-sensory approach. As well, math work is reinforced in other classes like Handwork, Woodwork, Foreign Languages and Eurythmy. The students' math knowledge and understanding is deepened in the upper grades with increasing complexity, continued multisensory approaches and scheduled skills classes to support ongoing skill development, fostering a deep mathematical understanding.
Students make their own "textbooks", solidifying what they have learned, and making the experience meaningful and joyful, as well as serving as a tool for memorization. From grade six on, students are also presented with various sources of supplementary materials.
Calculators are not used until later in middle school, often not until grade eight. until then the focus is on mental math and pen and paper math, ensuring arithmetic calculations and mathematical concepts have been deeply cemented before moving to a tool to aid in calculations.
Although Waldorf education's approach to reading and writing is different from traditional methods practiced in mainstream education, "literacy development in Waldorf schools cultivates awareness, appreciation, and skill in both the spoken and written word, following a developmentally sound approach that helps to ensure that students claim a love of literature, language and writing as their birthright." Dianne McGaunn and Kat Marsh, Early Literacy Learning in Waldorf Education
The Waldorf curriculum places a strong emphasis on hand-writing skills particularly on cursive writing which often begins in grade two. From the very beginning, Waldorf students are creating their own lesson books with printing and handwriting and illustrations reflecting their new knowledge in the focus subjects whether that be a simple fable, a lesson farming, or a class in geography, physics or physiology. The students take pride in their work and naturally the books become more elaborate and the writing more comprehensive in the middle school grades. Not only is cursive writing an important tool for cognitive development, it also gives our teachers another opportunity to reinforce literacy skills including vocabulary building, spelling, comprehension and grammar throughout the various subject lessons.
The rich literature chosen for each grade reflects the students' developmental stages and permeates every class and lesson through poetry, plays, stories and novels. The Waldorf curriculum strives to inculcate love for language and expression in all its forms and every curricular subject is used to grow moral values, ethics, respect and curiosity for the world in all of its diversity. The literature chosen and the comprehensive approach allows fundamental concepts and a wide variety of themes to be explored freely and appreciated in both classroom work and theatrical productions.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, Geography and History lessons are explored so that children develop an awareness of different landscapes, cultures and human conditions. The succession of events in history, presented in the form of storytelling, brings students to appreciate a wide variety of aspects of humanity and its evolution geographically, culturally, socially and economically. Cause and effect in the natural world awakens the students' awareness and sense of responsibility and compassion. Social Studies classes in the early grades begin with the students' immediate surroundings and then explore Canada's diverse regions. In the Upper Grades, critical thinking and analytical judgement are developed through studying the Revolutions and Modern History. Historical eras are also explored through other mediums like music, art and drama.
Upper grade students have a budding inner awareness and a burgeoning interest in worldly matters and the Waldorf Humanities and Social Science curricula reflect this growth. The Social Science curriculum meets their interests with History studies that explore the Renaissance and Revolutions and with Geography classes that explore Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Topics in world geography that encompass physical, social, cultural, economic and political conditions allow for thoughtful reflection and lively debate. Biography classes, that focus on a wide variety of prominent figures from political leaders to scientists to activists, also engage the adolescents' own growing individuality.
The teaching of foreign languages in a Waldorf school is a vital part of the curriculum and learning another language has many benefits: flexibility of thinking, cultural connection, improved memory function, and enhanced problem solving skills. French is presently offered in the elementary grades and when available, German language instruction is also offered. There is a significant emphasis on auditory and oral learning in the first three grades and the teacher aims to immerse the students in the living atmosphere of the language and culture.
The Waldorf curriculum is fundamentally an artistic curriculum and artistic work permeates all facets of every lesson, every day. Both academic or technical subjects are approached with an aesthetic sensibility. Additionally, extra fine art lessons are also given to engage the developing child as their capacity for thinking, feeling and creating unfold. Students have the opportunity to develop skills in fine art disciplines including painting, music, sculpting, theatre, drawing and literature.
The elementary student is engaged intellectually, emotionally and physically through the interactions of teachers and students, nourishing their needs and promoting a natural approach to the transfer of knowledge and the development of capacities for learning. In the early grades the negative impacts of screen time outweigh the benefits of human interactions and outdoor play, so screen time is strongly discouraged. Upper grade students do have the opportunity to use technology to complete research projects and other academic tasks set by the teacher.
Although movement is always integrated into the Main Lesson, students have additional weekly Physical Education classes throughout all grades. Movement is considered essential for the harmonious development of the child due to its many benefits. Physical activity improves coordination, spatial awareness, orientation, balance, synchronization, social bonding, self-discipline, confidence, endurance, determination and mood. Classes are more playful and non-competitive in the early grades, while competitive games and team sports are introduced at the beginning of grade six.
The Kindergarten program celebrates childhood, respecting the developmental needs of young children, through joy and a sense of wonder. Each child is seen and honoured as a unique part of the class community. Relationships are at the heart of a warm and nurturing atmosphere, as the children make meaningful connections to themselves, others, nature and the world. Slowing down and protecting the children's senses brings a healing gesture to the children. Through creative free play, the children explore their interests, exercise their imagination, express themselves and develop their social-emotional skills. The enriched oral language program, through poetry, song, storytelling and beautiful books, lays a strong literacy foundation. Healthy bodies and sensory integration underlie learning, and movement is greatly encouraged.
In a safe, supportive environment, LIA will provide learning and living opportunities for all students to strive to realize excellence, their personal potential, and to develop an understanding of social responsibility and respect for individual and cultural differences. Our professional and highly motivated staff will challenge student thinking so they they will grow in knowledge through inquiry and quality learning, and foster interest and love of science, technology, and the arts.
London International Academy students will be successful, powerful learners who will strive to be global citizens. Our students have an understanding of social responsibility, and respect for individual and cultural differences. Our students celebrate cultural diversity and individual differences.
Each semester, teachers will indicate at-risk students and provide additional tutoring and counselling support.
No: grades 9 - 12
London International Academy (LIA) is looking for well rounded students with a focus on academics, who wish to continue their studies to post-secondary education. A student will be successful at LIA if they are community minded, a global citizen with respect for individual and cultural differences.
All families seeking an alternative, holistic, Waldorf-inspired education are welcome. When you join Polaris, you become part of a community and everyone is encouraged to become an active and engaged member of the school and of your child's school experience.
photocopy of your academic transcripts from your last two years of study
photocopy of your passport
Skype interview with Admissions and Academic departments
tutition deposit
At Polaris, our admissions process is meant to help facilitate the decision-making process and ensure that Polaris is the right school for your child and your family. We strive to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision and welcome your questions. Our admissions application was created to provide us with enough information to see if we can meet the needs of your child and your expectations. It is just as important for us to know who you are, as it is for you to know who we are.
Please visit our website for more details and/or to begin the admissions process.