French Immersion Schools in Victoria

Updated August 24, 2026 with current SD61 and SD62 program information

French Immersion Schools in Victoria BC: Start With Your Address

French immersion is one of those topics that becomes much more important when you’re actually choosing where to live. A home can be close to one school, while the French immersion catchment points to another. Registration dates matter too, and available spaces can change from year to year.

Both of my children went through French immersion in Victoria, starting at Campus View Elementary and later attending Arbutus Middle. That experience is one reason I wanted this page to be more useful than a simple list of school names.

How French immersion works in Greater Victoria

French immersion is intended mainly for students whose home language is not French. In Greater Victoria School District 61, Early French Immersion normally begins in Kindergarten or Grade 1. Late French Immersion begins in Grade 6, and the district says no previous French knowledge is required for that entry point.

The amount of instruction in French changes as students move through the grades. Younger students spend most of their classroom time learning in French, with more English instruction added later. The goal is to build strong skills in both languages while students complete the regular BC curriculum.

Start with your address, not a school list

This is probably the most important part of the page. School districts assign catchments by residential address, and French immersion catchments do not always match English-program catchments. A school that looks closest on a map may not be the French immersion school attached to your address.

For families moving into Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt or View Royal, start with the SD61 School Locator. The district has a separate step for identifying the French immersion pathway after you determine the English catchment.

Greater Victoria School District 61 French immersion

SD61 serves Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal and parts of Saanich. Its current French immersion information lists the following schools. Programs can change, so I’d still confirm the current pathway with the district before relying on this list for a move.

Early French Immersion elementary schools

• Campus View Elementary
• Doncaster Elementary
• George Jay Elementary
• Macaulay Elementary
• Margaret Jenkins Elementary
• Marigold Elementary
• Quadra Elementary
• Sir James Douglas Elementary
• Willows Elementary

Middle school French Immersion

• Arbutus Middle School
• Cedar Hill Middle School
• Central Middle School
• Lansdowne Middle School
• Shoreline Middle School

Secondary school French Immersion

• Esquimalt Secondary
• Oak Bay Secondary
• Reynolds Secondary
• Victoria High School

See SD61’s current French Immersion information.

Early and Late French Immersion registration

Registration timing is important. SD61 handles Early French Immersion and Late French Immersion during specific January registration periods. For example, the district’s current information shows Early French Immersion registration for the 2027-28 school year opening January 11 to 15, 2027, with Late French Immersion registration January 25 to 29, 2027.

I’m including those dates because they are current when this page was updated, but don’t bookmark them as permanent dates. Check the district registration page for the school year you need. If you arrive in Victoria after the main registration period, contact the district rather than assuming you’ve missed every option.

French Immersion on the West Shore and in Sooke

If you’re looking at Langford, Colwood, Metchosin or Sooke, School District 62 has its own French immersion programs. Its current program page lists Early French Immersion beginning in Kindergarten and Late French Immersion beginning in Grade 6. The district notes that registration is subject to space and that a lottery may be used when demand exceeds available seats.

Current SD62 French immersion schools include École John Stubbs Memorial, École Journey, École Poirier, Millstream Elementary, Royal Bay Secondary and Edward Milne Community School. The exact school depends on grade and where you live.

Check current SD62 French Immersion programs and registration.

French Immersion in Saanich

Families looking farther north into the Saanich Peninsula should check School District 63 directly. French-language pathways, school assignments and available spaces can change, so I prefer linking families to the district rather than pretending a static list will stay accurate forever.

If you’re comparing Saanich with Victoria or the West Shore, school boundaries can be one of the practical differences worth checking before you narrow down neighbourhoods.

Francophone schools are different from French immersion

French immersion and Francophone education are not the same program. French immersion is designed for students learning French as an additional language. Francophone schools in BC are operated through Conseil scolaire francophone and have their own eligibility requirements.

Greater Victoria has Francophone options including École Beausoleil and École Victor-Brodeur. If your family may qualify, check the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique for current eligibility and registration information.

What I’d check during a Victoria house-hunting trip

If schools are a major part of your move, I’d spend part of your visit driving or walking the route between the neighbourhood and the likely school. A map can make two places look close even when a busy road, hill or awkward commute changes how the trip feels.

I’d also look beyond the school itself. Is there a park nearby? Can your child eventually walk or bike? Does the middle-school pathway take you to another part of town? Those everyday details matter more after the novelty of the move wears off.

If this trip is partly about deciding whether Victoria works for your family, my visiting Victoria before moving here page has a practical way to compare neighbourhoods, commutes and everyday errands.

For the housing side of that decision, my Victoria neighbourhoods guide is a good next page. If you’re only visiting for now, you can also mix school research with some of the free things to do in Victoria so the trip doesn’t feel like one long checklist.

Official pages worth bookmarking

• SD61 French Immersion
• SD61 School Locator
• SD61 Registration
• SD62 French programs
• Conseil scolaire francophone

French immersion was a very positive part of my own family’s school experience in Victoria. The main thing I’d do differently from many quick online guides is start with the address and current district information first. School lists are useful, but the catchment and registration details are what actually determine your next step.