Top 5 Schools in Aurora & Newmarket (2026)

By Jatin Dua · Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty · Updated 30 October 2026 · 8 min read — A practical look at five YRDSB and YCDSB schools in Aurora and Newmarket, their programs, and what each means for where you buy or rent.

How I chose these five

Aurora and Newmarket share one public board and one Catholic board, so I treated them as one school market. I picked five schools that give families a clear program choice: an IB secondary, a specialized arts secondary with French Immersion, a Catholic secondary with Advanced Placement and immersion, and two Catholic elementary schools with French Immersion.

The list covers York Region District School Board (YRDSB) and York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB). Every name, address, program and date comes from the school’s own page or its board’s page. The order is my judgement, not an official ranking.

• Program depth: IB, specialized arts, AP, SHSM or French Immersion confirmed by the school or board.
• Balance: both towns, both boards, elementary and secondary.
• Access: which programs follow your address and which need an application.

Your exact address decides your school, and the IB and arts programs are tied to home address too. Check the YRDSB and YCDSB school locators before you buy.

1. Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School

What it offers

Dr. G.W. Williams is the IB school for this part of York Region. It appears on YRDSB’s list of IB Diploma Programme schools, and its own site lists Grades 9 to 12 with the IB designation.

The board describes the program as an enriched course of study in Grades 9 and 10 followed by the two-year Diploma from Grade 11, with Theory of Knowledge, a 4,000-word Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service at its core. The board also notes IB students have limited room for optional courses outside the IB curriculum.

What it means for buyers and renters

YRDSB says students apply to the IB school that serves their home address, in the fall of Grade 8, with the process usually opening in October. If IB is a priority, confirm on the locator that your address is assigned to Dr. G.W. Williams for IB before you commit.

YRDSB lists seven IB Diploma Programme schools in total, two of them still candidate schools, and courses vary from school to school. Ask Dr. G.W. Williams which subjects it offers in each IB group, since that shapes what a student can take at Higher Level.

Practical notes

• Address: 11 Spring Farm Road, Aurora
• Grades: 9 to 12, semestered
• Bell times: 8:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Phone: 905-727-3131

2. Huron Heights Secondary School

What it offers

Huron Heights is Newmarket’s specialized arts school and one of only four YRDSB secondary schools in the board’s Specialized Arts Program. Its Arts Huron program has streams in dance, music, drama and visual arts.

The school’s programs page also lists French Immersion, a High Performance Athlete program for students competing at provincial, national or international level, and pathways options including dual credits, OYAP and a Specialist High Skills Major.

How the arts program works

YRDSB’s Specialized Arts Program runs four years with two specialized arts credits each year, leading to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and a Specialized Arts certificate. Prior outside training is not required, but admission is by application in Grade 8.

For 2026, registration opens 3 November and applications are due 18 November. Students apply to the arts school serving their attendance boundary, and the board does not provide transportation for the program.

Practical notes

• Address: 40 Huron Heights Dr., Newmarket
• Grades: 9 to 12; the school lists French Immersion at Grade 9
• Phone: 905-895-2384

3. St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School

What it offers

St. Maximilian Kolbe gives Aurora’s Catholic families an enriched secondary option with French Immersion. Its home page lists an Advanced Placement program, French Immersion in addition to the English program, a Specialist High Skills Major and a high-performance athlete program.

Having AP and immersion in the same school means a strong French student does not have to choose between keeping their French and taking enriched courses. Ask guidance how the two programs fit together on a timetable.

The school also runs a library learning commons, chaplaincy and guidance services, and a required uniform. Its tagline is “Choice, Not Chance, Determines Destiny.”

What it means for buyers and renters

For a Catholic family with a child already in elementary French Immersion, this is the natural secondary continuation in Aurora. It also gives students who want university-level challenge an AP route without leaving the Catholic board.

The school posts its Grade 8 open houses and a skilled trades information night on its home page, so check there in the fall before registration.

Practical notes

• Address: 278 Wellington St. East, Aurora
• Class hours: 8:20 a.m. to 2:18 p.m.
• Programs: AP, French Immersion, SHSM
• Phone: 905-727-5652

4. St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School (Aurora)

What it offers

St. Joseph in Aurora is a long-established Catholic elementary school offering French Immersion. The school says it is marking its 65th year, and its home page shows French Immersion available, with a separate immersion boundary map.

It is OPHEA Healthy Schools certified at the gold level and takes part in the Healthy Hunger program. The school also lists child care and transportation pages, a standardized dress code, and nut-safe and scent-safe policies.

What it means for buyers and renters

Because the school has its own French Immersion boundary map, the immersion catchment can be different from the English-program boundary. A house may be in range for one and not the other.

The immersion boundary map is linked as a PDF from the school’s home page. I suggest downloading it at the start of your search and marking each listing you like against it, then confirming the result with the YCDSB locator before you make an offer.

Families planning to continue into secondary immersion can look ahead to St. Maximilian Kolbe in Aurora, which also offers French Immersion.

Practical notes

• Address: 2 Glass Dr., Aurora
• Class hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Programs: French Immersion; kindergarten
• Phone: 905-727-5782

5. St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School (Newmarket)

What it offers

St. Elizabeth Seton is a Newmarket Catholic elementary school that runs French Immersion in addition to its English program. That makes it a practical choice for families with children in both streams.

The school lists child care and student transportation services, has an active Catholic School Council, and is nut-safe and scent-safe. Its motto is “Learning Inspired and Energized by God’s Unconditional Love.”

What it means for buyers and renters

With both programs in one building, siblings can share a school even if only one is in immersion. That is worth a lot on school mornings, and it keeps the family connected to one school council and one parish community.

The school lists student transportation among its services, but eligibility depends on board rules and distance, so ask before you count on a bus.

As with every immersion school, the boundary for French Immersion can be larger than the English boundary. Check the YCDSB locator for both before you rely on it.

Practical notes

• Address: 960 Leslie Valley Dr., Newmarket
• Class hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Programs: English and French Immersion
• Phone: 905-853-0340

The five at a glance

What this means if you’re buying or selling in Aurora and Newmarket

In York Region, the specialized secondary programs follow your address. YRDSB says students apply to the IB school that serves their home address, and arts applicants apply to the arts school serving their attendance boundary, so the right house can open the door to an application.

Timing matters this fall. Arts applications for 2026 run 3 to 18 November, and IB applications usually open in October of Grade 8. If you are moving with a Grade 8 student, ask the board how a mid-year move affects eligibility.

For younger children, Catholic French Immersion schools publish separate immersion boundaries. Check both the English and immersion maps for each address on your shortlist, because they are drawn separately.

Think about the full route from kindergarten to Grade 12. A Catholic immersion family in Aurora can move from St. Joseph to St. Maximilian Kolbe, while a public-board family looking at IB or arts will apply in Grade 8 based on address. Picking a home that fits every stage can save you a second move.

Renters should check the same things. A lease sets your home school for as long as you live there, and the same address rules apply to IB and arts applications.

Sellers should confirm the current school assignments on the locators before advertising them. Buyers with children will check, and boundaries do change.

If you want to compare streets near any of these schools, I can pull current listings and recent sales in Aurora and Newmarket so you can weigh the options.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School — York Region District School Board
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme — York Region District School Board
• Specialized Arts — York Region District School Board
• Huron Heights Secondary School — York Region District School Board
• Our Programs — Huron Heights Secondary School
• St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School — York Catholic District School Board
• St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School (Aurora) — York Catholic District School Board
• St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School — York Catholic District School Board

Related reading

• Top 5 Schools in Pickering, Ajax & Whitby (2026)
• Top 5 Schools in Scarborough (TDSB / TCDSB) (2026)
• Top 5 Schools in Leaside & Lawrence Park (TDSB / TCDSB) (2026)
• Top 5 Schools in Etobicoke