LEADING THE WAY IN GIRLS' EDUCATION
WELCOME TO BRANKSOME HALL
We are Toronto's leading independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for girls. Our curriculum is globally focused. Our faculty, international. And our technology and facilities, state-of-the-art. We believe that intellectual curiosity and advanced problem-solving are key to thriving in a complex, changing world.
WHY BRANKSOME HALLApplications for 2027–28 Now Open!
Explore all that Branksome has to offer. Learn about our school, join one of our events or take a virtual tour.
Discover Our IB Program
Every Branksome Hall student from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 benefits from the IB curriculum. Cultivating curiosity, creative and critical thinking, and facilitating regular assessments and feedback, the IB offers unparalleled university preparation.
Pathways for Grades 11 & 12
Based on their post-secondary goals, students will choose to enter one of two Diploma program options. We believe choice offers agency and control, and a personalized course selection plays to each student’s unique strengths and assets.
Our IB Advantage
Primary Years Programme JK–Gr. 6
The Primary Years Programme is designed to nurture a lifelong love of learning. Students are challenged to think critically, research deeply and develop globally minded perspectives on a broad range of issues.
Middle Years Programme Gr. 7–10
The Middle Years Programme focuses on the development of the whole girl. Students use inquiry to discover content and knowledge, as well as to explore real-world applications, create new meaning and solve problems.
Diploma or IB Select Gr. 11–12
An emphasis on international-mindedness and intercultural understanding, providing context for young women to lead in a complex, interdisciplinary, globally connected adult world.
Branksome BY THE NUMBERS
1903 Branksome established
16–22 Average class size
$1.5 M Available in financial assistance
249+ Employees (26 per cent have been at Branksome for over 10 years)
910 Total enrolment, including 54 Boarding students
13 Countries represented by Boarding students
80+ Clubs, Athletic teams and community engagement opportunities
$6.2 M+ In scholarships awarded to 2026 grads
IDEAS COME TO LIFE
Innovation in Action
Inspiring community and sparking interdisciplinary learning, Branksome Hall's Karen L. Jurjevich Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre embodies our commitment to arts and innovation, uniting scholars, experts and our community under one roof.
About iCAST
MAKE WAY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Meet the Branksome Hall students and alums learning the skills to change the world.
Meet Elpida
She built two apps by Grade 6. Her next big idea is already loading.
Meet Student
MEET
Jaime
She leads on the water and in the community. Duke is just the beginning.
Meet Alum
MEET TITOLUWA
She built a home away from home, and a voice that reaches far beyond it.
Meet Student
Meet Milla
Milla’s goal is to become one of the few female pilots in the industry.
Meet Alum
Meet Elpida
She built two apps by Grade 6. Her next big idea is already loading.
Meet Student
MEET
Jaime
She leads on the water and in the community. Duke is just the beginning.
Meet Alum
MEET TITOLUWA
She built a home away from home, and a voice that reaches far beyond it.
Meet Student
Meet Milla
Milla’s goal is to become one of the few female pilots in the industry.
Meet AlumHeadlines from Campus
NYTimes Journalist Elizabeth DIAS’04 Returns to Branksome for PrincipalED Season 3 Premiere
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- News
- topic
- Community Engagement
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- 2 min read
Premiere In the Season 3 premiere of PrincipalED, Principal Grace McCallum sits down with Elizabeth DIAS’04—national religion correspondent for "The New York Times" and co-author of "The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America."
Branksome Hall Hosts ‘200 Women’ Canadian Premiere
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- News
- topic
- Arts
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- 2 min read
This fall, Branksome Hall proudly hosts the Canadian premiere of 200 Women: Who Will Change the Way You See the World, celebrating the global portrait exhibition’s 10th anniversary.
Branksome’s Noodle Program Evolves: From Selling Fast to Solving Problems
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- News
- topic
- Clubs
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- 4 min read
Now anchored in its new headquarters in iCAST, Noodle is introducing some of its most significant changes yet, moving participants from high-volume product sales to developing true entrepreneurial and design thinking.
2026 Installation Speech
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- News
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- 6 min read
Today, we do something important. We formally recognize those who have chosen to step forward and lead. And this year, I want to begin by remembering someone who understood deeply what it means to use your voice, to challenge what needs challenging, and to create space for others to lead.
Branksome Arts Students Cast in Mirvish Production of 13 Going on 30: The Musical
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- News
- topic
- Arts
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- 3 min read
Two Branksome Hall students are stepping into the spotlight on a major professional stage. Grade 10 student Shazdeh and Grade 8 student Zoë have both been cast in the upcoming Mirvish production of 13 Going on 30: The Musical, which runs from December 1, 2026 to January 24, 2027.
Branksome Hall Opens Canada’s First K–12 Centre for Girls in STEM, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Arts
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- News
- topic
- Arts
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- 5 min read
What if a student could learn physics by working backstage in a theatre, develop a business idea and prototype it down the hall, or move from coding a robot to producing a podcast, all in the same school day?
A Branksome Homecoming: Welcoming Kathryn Barnes, Deputy Principal
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- News
- duration
- 3 min read
Kathryn Barnes has officially started her role as Branksome’s new Deputy Principal, marking a meaningful return for an educator whose personal and professional roots run deep within the school’s community.
Remembering Aija Zommers, History Teacher and Head Debate Coach
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- News
- duration
- 2 min read
Branksome Hall remembers former educator and debate coach Aija Zommers, celebrating her decades of dedication to public speaking, critical thought, and student mentorship.
PrincipalED Podcast Wins Silver 2026 CASE Circle of Excellence Award
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- Awards
- topic
- Innovation
- duration
- 2 min read
Branksome Hall has won a Silver 2026 Circle of Excellence Award from The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) the PrincipalED podcast.
Kristin McKINNON’05 is Shaping Toronto’s World Cup
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- News
- duration
- 3 min read
Kristin McKINNON’05 is part of the communications team behind the City of Toronto’s FIFA World Cup events.
Make A Gift Today
Each day, more than 900 students benefit from your generosity.
At Branksome Hall, we’re not just enriching students’ minds – we’re giving them minds of their own, so they can challenge the status quo, set new standards and carve their own path to success.
Make A Donation
Start your journey
Connect With Us
Follow BH across our socials for all the latest news and innovations in girls' education.
Opportunity. 💚 Confidence. 💪 Pizza. 🍕
What do these all have in common? They`re the words that come to mind when our new students describe their first year Branksome Hall! Register for next week`s Open Houses and come meet this "awesome," "cool" and "creative" community!
Visit the link in bio to register today.
#BranksomeHall #Admissions #OpenHouse #Torontoschool #IndependentSchool #BranksomeSpirit
What a week, Branksome! 🐸 Our Grade 9 friends from @branksome_hall_asia visited campus for an eventful IDU Week, exploring the arts and physical education! Printmaking 🎨, songwriting 🎶 and choreographing and performing a flash mob 💃 were a few of the activities students participated in.
Junior School students welcomed their BHA big sisters with open arms as they practised Korean phrases, learned about Korean culture and played games.
The visit culminated in a celebration in the AWC Gym today, where we reflected on this action-packed week. While we are sad to say farewell for now, we look forward to reuniting in 2027 when our Grade 9s head to South Korea for part two of this year`s partnership! 🎉
#BranksomeHall #IDUWeek #SeeYouSoon #BranksomeHallAsia #independentschool
Generations Day is a treasured annual event in the Branksome Hall Junior School, where our students proudly share their learning with a grandparent, aunt, uncle or close family friend.
📅 Junior School families are invited to join us on Thursday, November 12
✉️ Check your email to reserve a spot!
Who could use this advice right now? 🙋♀️ “Wait to worry.” Things can solve themselves, or you will have more information.
👉 Listen to the full episode on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube now.
@principaledpod @elizabethjdias
#BranksomeHall #PrincipalED #Podcast #WomeninJournalism #newyorktimes
Internationally renowned Canadian author Sheila Heti is joining Branksome Hall’s Experts in Residence program as the school’s first Writer-in-Residence for the 2026–27 school year. 📝📖🎉
Ms. Heti kicks off her residency this week, teaching a mini-unit to our Grade 11 Literary Arts students. From November to February, Ms. Heti will hold biweekly office hours in the iCAST Ideation Garage, which will be open to all Middle and Senior School students.
Sheila Heti is the author of twelve books, which have been translated into twenty-seven languages. She won the Governor General`s Award for Literature for her novel "Pure Colour" and was shortlisted for the Giller Prize for her novel "Motherhood". She received a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship. The Washington Post called her “one of the freshest, funniest and most ingenious humans writing today… one of our best living authors,” and The New York Times named her one of “The New Vanguard,” a list of writers from around the world who are “shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.” In 2022, she was the Franke Visiting Fellow at Yale and an Associate Research Scholar and Lecturer in Religious Studies. In May 2027, she will publish the novel "The St. Alwynn Girls at Sea", about a girls` school on a ship at sea during wartime.
This real-world learning and mentorship in action is possible thanks to our incredible donors who Made Way for such unique and valuable student opportunities.
#BranksomeInnovation #WriterinResidence #SheilaHeti #Creativity #EmpoweringGirls
7 Marathons. 7 Continents. 7 Days. 🏃♀️🌍
"I want to do something that, when I complete it, I know I can do anything." Branksome Hall is proud to support Grade 11 student Ingrid Wells as she tackles the Great World Race next month! At age 16, Ingrid is embarking on this incredible challenge, alongside her father Dr. Greg Wells, inspiring our community along the way and potentially setting a Guinness World Record in the process. Follow her journey and watch the live stream at the link in bio!
#BranksomePride #GreatWorldRace #girlsinsport #777Challenge #SheCan
We were so proud to host CAIS Heads and Board Chairs on campus this past Sunday for a tour of our new Innovation Centre and Studio Theatre (iCAST) and dinner!
As educational leaders, we are all reflecting on how best to prepare students for an accelerating world of AI, shifting economic realities and complex global challenges.
Branksome`s answer to that call is iCAST, which represents a watershed moment for girls’ education in Canada.
What we all want is for our students to experience that pivotal spark of self-belief that spaces like these can provide when vision, design and pedagogy come together.
Thank you to our independent school partners for joining us, and for your leadership, collaboration and shared commitment to shaping the future of education.
@cais_schools
#branksomehall #BranksomeInnovation #iCAST
The penpal exchange program is a cherished tradition in Grade 10 French classes at BH, connecting students with their peers from France. On October 15, we welcomed these penpals for bonding activities including a scavenger hunt, trivia games, a campus tour and a gift exchange!
Mme Talaat, Mme Gagné and M. Walker are very proud of our Branksome students` warm and gracious welcome of their guests. It was wonderful to connect in real life with the friends we`ve gotten to know through pen and paper! 💚📝
#BranksomeHall #penpals #francais #branksomespirit #bff
What kind of courage is needed to stand at the very edge of frontline journalism? 🎙️
Principal Grace McCallum is joined for the Season 3 premiere of the PrincipalED podcast by Elizabeth DIAS’04, national religion correspondent for The New York Times and co-author of The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America.
She reflects on the courage needed to navigate her role, reporting from challenging environments where she has confronted perpetrators of atrocities, endured political hostility and covered high-stakes national events.
Listen to the full episode on Apple or Spotify or watch on YouTube now at the link in bio.
#BranksomeHall #PrincipalED #Podcast #WomeninJournalism #newyorktimes
Our hearts are heavy following Saturday’s tragedy at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
We extend our heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the members of the Canadian Armed Forces, their families and friends, and everyone affected. In memory and honour of the four dedicated Canadian Armed Forces soldiers who lost their lives, and the 39 members who were injured, we have lowered our school’s flag to half-mast.
We recognize that news like this can be difficult to process, and our support teams are available for anyone needing a safe space to talk. Please take time to care for yourselves and one another. 💚🍁
#CommunitySupport #StandingTogether #CFBWainwright #westandwithyou
Circle of Excellence Award
The PrincipalED podcast has won a Silver 2026 Circle of Excellence Award from CASE.
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Silver Prix d'Excellence
The PrincipalED podcast has won a silver CCAE 2026 Prix d'Excellence Award in the Best Podcast category.
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Bronze Prix d'Excellence
Branksome Hall's website has won a bronze CCAE 2026 Prix d'Excellence Award in the Best Website category.
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Web Excellence Awards
The BH website has won two 2026 Web Excellence Awards (Education/School & University).
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