If you’re moving to Abbotsford, you want your child to have the best education. I’m going to give you all the information you need on what I believe are the top 5 high schools in Abbotsford BC.
Even if your children are in elementary school, this matters because schools usually only accept students who live in the surrounding area.
You want to plan for what high school you want your kids to go to because the elementary schools feed the one middle school in the area, which in turn feeds the one high school. However, specialized programs allow crossing boundaries.
I know what each school has to offer because I have taught in the Abbotsford School District since 2018. I started out as a teacher on call and would substitute in for teachers at all of the public high schools in the district.
There are private schools in Abbotsford, however, they all have a religious component. I will specifically be focusing on public schools for this post.
What Are The Best Schools in Abbotsford BC?
I’m not going to rank the schools because different reasons determine which school is the best fit for your child.
I will discuss school culture, academics, sports and extracurricular activities.
After reading this you will know how to decide what school is best for your child and family.
Abbotsford Senior Secondary School
Robert Bateman Secondary School
Final Thoughts: Finding the Best School in Abbotsford
Rick Hansen Secondary School
Rick Hansen is in West Abbotsford. I taught at this high school first when I came to Abbotsford, and it’s a great school with amazing staff. If your child wants to focus on business or science in university, this school is a great choice.
School Culture
The majority of the students at Rick Hansen Secondary are of South East Asian descent. There aren’t as many Caucasian students at the school, so if that is something that would bother you – don’t go here.
Even with this diversity there is a strong community feeling at the school. The students behave well and focus on their academics.
Academics
My favorite thing about Rick Hansen Secondary is that it is a school for business and science.
In grade 11/12 students can join the School of Business or School of Science.
This program allows students, who want to work in science or business, to gain work experience in the field through a 6 week internship.
It also allows students to take 2 university courses in grade 12 during the end of the school year. Students have the benefit of having their teacher to help them in tutorials while they take these courses.
I was a teacher for the School of Business and I would recommend it to any students looking to go to university for business or science specifically.
Sports and Extracurricular Activities
With such a high population of south asian students, the demographic is more focused on academics. Because of this, the sports at Rick Hansen are below average. They don’t offer as many sports as the other schools on the list.
Once in a while they have a good basketball team but that’s about it.
There are extracurricular activities available but nothing other schools don’t have.
Don’t choose Rick Hansen if your child is wanting to play different sports at a higher level.
Abbotsford Senior Secondary School
Abbotsford Senior is the oldest school in Abbotsford. It’s got a long history of achievements, however, I don’t think the school carries a high status anymore.
I have lots of friends who work here and love working here. They are great teachers, and I would love for my own kids to be taught by them.
Along with friends working here, I have nieces and nephews going through Abby Sr. right now. They always say good things about their teachers and have stayed out of trouble.
School Culture
Abby Sr. is likely the most diverse school in Abbotsford. Students from all different backgrounds go here. Students who have terrible lives and endless trauma at home to refugees to students living in massive houses not having to worry about anything.
With so many students from different backgrounds, there tends to be lots of cliques here. For that reason I would say the culture here is OK. It’s not great, it’s not bad.. Just OK.
Academics
Abbotsford Senior Secondary has an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which is a more intense program that prepares students for university. According to stats, students in IB programs are more likely to gain university acceptance than regular students.
Not everyone can enter the IB stream because students must apply and gain acceptance. There is a limited amount of seats available for this program so only the strongest students make it.
They also have a specialized hairdressing and chef program.
Choose Abby Sr if your child wants to take IB or a practical trade course.
They also have programs at Abby Sr. for students who are very low, lack motivation to come to school, and need extra support.
Overall, they have a wide range of options available for all types of students.
Sports and Extracurricular Activities
Abbotsford Secondary used to be a powerhouse in all sports but that isn’t the case lately. They have a good amount of sport offerings but they are middle of the pack most of the time.
What they do have, which other schools don’t, is a soccer academy. You can join the academy program and go to Abby Sr. regardless of what area of Abbotsford you live in. With the soccer academy, you would get instruction during school time.
Extracurricular activities like jazz band and drumline are also available.
W.J. Mouat Secondary School
Mouat is the largest school in Abbotsford with approximately 1,500 students. Being a large school has its benefits and my favorite thing about Mouat is that they have tons of course offerings.
School Culture
As such a large school, it’s easy to feel lost with so much going on, but the school does a good job of bringing everyone together, and many kids mix with one another. When I was a substitute at the school, I just thought it was too big!
I haven’t been there for a few years, but with so many teachers, the school lacks some cohesion. However, great people in the building still bring students together when needed.
Academics
W.J. Mouat Secondary has the district’s only French Immersion program. You would choose to send your child to Mouat if that is the stream they want to pursue.
The size of the school helps bring more course offerings to students.
Academically, Mouat would be one of our weaker schools but they make up for it with a wide variety of applied skills and fine arts courses.
Sports and Extracurricular Activities
Mouat built a strong reputation for its sports history, dominating in athletics. However, the demographic has shifted, and it’s no longer the powerhouse it once was. Basketball, especially, was a sport the Mouat Hawks have excelled in but they are middle of the pack these days.
They are kicking butt in football again and I would expect that to continue.
W.J Mouat also has the population to have teams for many different sports and extracurricular activities so the students are active and engaged. There’s always something to do!
Robert Bateman Secondary School
I attended this high school in Abbotsford and loved my experience at Bateman. I’m biased, but it’s arguably one of the best school in the city.
The school sits in a quiet, family-friendly community.
I currently teach in the middle school that feeds Robert Bateman and the students are wonderful.
I’d love for my own kids to go through Bateman when the time comes.
School Culture
The school is becoming more diverse but the majority of the students here are caucasian.
Generally, students get along very well and are respectful.
Most(not all) kids come from good families and have good lives at home and it shows. If your kids are here, they will more likely be around other good kids and making good friends who make good choices. There is a strong sense of community here and your children would enjoy being a part of it.
Academics
Students here are strong academically and most want to do well.
Regular courses are offered here with some university prep courses for english, socials and science but Bateman Secondary really isn’t known for its academic programs.
I was into technology growing up and that is one area the school does have very strong programs.
Sports and Extracurricular Activities
Robert Bateman excels in football and rugby, consistently ranking as one of the top teams in the province.
Hockey is just getting going at the school and I would suspect that they will continue to be strong there too.
Girls Volleyball and basketball are usually decent but don’t consistently excel while the boys don’t really ever do great at these sports.
Robert Bateman also has a golf academy, which students must apply for.
If your child is into football, golf, hockey or rugby… choose Robert Bateman Secondary. I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes your best school in Abbotsford
Yale Secondary School
Yale is in a great location in East Abbotsford. Situated in the McMillan area, there is access to commercial facilities while still being family friendly.
If I was ranking, I would rank Yale Secondary higher than Robert Bateman. The biggest reason being the school does well in all 3 of our categories.
School Culture
The staff here is amazing and they create a great work environment for each other and the kids. I would say Yale has the most cohesive staff.
Having the staff cohesion helps because there is tons of school spirit at Yale Secondary. It is also growing to be more diverse but is still mainly Caucasian.
They have a strong student leadership program where the teachers and students are working tirelessly to get the school population to enjoy their time and have loads of fun.
There’s a good vibe when you walk through the school and the kids are generally very respectful.
Academics
I would consider Yale Secondary the strongest school academically in the district. In past years, they have had the most students receive scholarships.
The school offers many options for courses in all different areas and it leads the way in Abbotsford with the most AP course offerings. These advanced classes prepare students for university.
There is clearly a high standard for education at Yale Secondary. Choose Yale if you want to an opportunity to take AP courses.
Sports and Extracurricular Activities
Yale Secondary is consistently strong in every sport I see them play. They have amazing athletes at the school and in the last 10+ years have dominated in sports.
The boys do well but the girls sports teams here always tend to be good in every sport.
The Yale Hockey Academy is top notch and has seen 10 players reach the NHL. There is also a softball and baseball academy at the school as well.
They don’t have a football team but have most other sports running at the school.
Final Thoughts: Finding the Best School in Abbotsford
Whether your child focuses on academics, athletics, or the arts, the best schools in Abbotsford BC offer excellent opportunities to succeed and grow. Hopefully this post helped you decide what school is best for your child.
If you’re moving to Abbotsford, please fill out the form on my homepage and I will answer any questions you may have. I would love help make your move as smooth as possible.
With schools like Abbotsford Senior, W.J. Mouat, Rick Hansen, Robert Bateman, and Yale, your family can feel confident about the quality of education in Abbotsford.
If you’d like more information about moving to Abbotsford BC, please check out my Ultimate Guide to Living in Abbotsford, that will answer all your questions.
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