Glenlyon Norfolk School (格里杨诺克中学, GNS) is a private day and boarding school in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. If your family is weighing Canadian independent schools for primary or secondary education, GNS stands out for one structural reason: it runs the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12, so a child can stay inside one curriculum framework for their whole school career. This guide covers what the school is, how its programs are organised, what international applicants need to prepare, what the 2026/27 costs look like, and how the school’s support services connect into everyday life. Every fact below comes from the official website as of August 5, 2026.
About Glenlyon Norfolk School
Glenlyon Norfolk School was formed in 1986 when two Victoria schools joined: Norfolk House School, founded in 1913 as a girls’ school, and Glenlyon Preparatory School, founded in 1932 as a boys’ boarding and day school. Today the school describes itself as a co-educational, independent, not-for-profit IB day and boarding school, and it calls itself Victoria’s only independent JK-12 IB Continuum school. It is not a public school and receives no public funding for its core operation; families pay tuition, and the school publishes an updated fee schedule every February.
The school operates two campuses in Victoria: the Junior School at 1701 Beach Drive, and the Middle & Senior School at 781 Richmond Avenue. For international families, the practical implication of the two-campus structure is that the day-to-day location depends on the child’s grade, while boarding options sit alongside the day program for students coming from outside Victoria.
Programs and Curriculum
Glenlyon Norfolk School is authorised to offer three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Grade 6 to Grade 10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12. In the PYP and MYP years, teachers follow the prescribed British Columbia curriculum but organise it with IB teaching methods; the DP is an internationally standardised Grade 11-12 curriculum that includes first-year university-level concepts.
A distinctive feature at GNS is the choice structure in the senior years. The school states that students in Grades 11 and 12 can study only IB Diploma courses, take a mixture of IB and provincial curriculum courses, or work towards the full IB Diploma. In other words, not every student graduates with an IB Diploma; the school supports personal pathways to graduation. The school also notes that its teaching staff build on more than 30 years of IB training and experience.
Language support works differently from many Canadian private schools. GNS does not offer a traditional ESL program. Instead, it runs English Acquisition (EA), a specialised academic English course for students whose first language is not English. According to the school’s FAQ, EA is available to applicants for Grades 8 to 10, and support for students in Grades 1 to 8 is determined at application. French is offered from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and beginner Spanish is introduced in Grade 6 and Grade 11.
Entry Requirements for International Students
The application process at Glenlyon Norfolk School runs through an online portal. The first step is an Application Inquiry form; the school then emails instructions for creating a myGNS account, where the application form and a document checklist live. Supporting documents include a current photo of the applicant and family, proof of age and citizenship, report cards, and immunization records. A non-refundable application fee is paid by credit card as part of the application.
Two timing rules matter for international families. First, applications for Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten are due prior to November. Second, for all other grades there is no application deadline; the school accepts and reviews applications throughout the school year as space allows. Grade 12 applications are considered only under certain circumstances, and the school’s own materials note that graduation requirements should be checked before starting a Grade 12 application.
Once the application and documents are submitted, the candidate is invited to a School Visit, which may include a campus tour, interviews, academic assessments, and a student-led experience; candidates who cannot attend in person are arranged an online assessment and interview. If the candidate speaks English as a second or other language, a recent official Duolingo result is required, and IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge scores should be submitted as well. Assessments typically run from October to June, and the Admissions Committee usually sends a decision within 10 business days after the assessment: an offer, a place in the wait pool, or a not-offered outcome. After an offer, families complete a Tuition and Enrolment Agreement by the deadline in the offer letter, which includes a non-refundable registration fee.
Costs for 2026/27
Glenlyon Norfolk School publishes its full 2026/27 fee schedule on its website, with tiers by fee status and grade. For international day students, the annual tuition is CAD 45,705 for Junior School, CAD 46,850 for Middle School, and CAD 48,400 for Senior School; international day tuition is not eligible for instalment plans. By comparison, BC-resident day tuition is CAD 30,155, CAD 31,300, and CAD 32,850 for the same three levels, payable in 10 instalments.
Boarding combines tuition and residence. Family Boarding (homestay, Grades 9 to 12) costs CAD 66,300 per year for international students, and Gryphon Boarding (the school-run residence, Grades 8 to 12) costs CAD 90,200. Grade-based additional fees are charged for items such as technology supplies, curriculum field trips, and grade camps. Invoices are sent on May 1 or within 7 to 10 days of accepting an offer, and instalment plans carry a financing charge. The school notes that fees are approved annually by the Board of Governors, updated each February, and typically rise by 4% to 8% per year.
Two financial points are worth flagging for international families. The published fees assume the school receives the per-student provincial independent school grant; where a student does not qualify for that grant, the family bears the grant loss, up to approximately CAD 4,000. And needs-based financial assistance is currently available only to day students with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, so international applicants should treat the published fees as the working budget.
Application Support and School Services
Once enrolled, international students at Glenlyon Norfolk School plug into support that runs on three tracks: language, accommodation, and daily logistics. The English Acquisition course is the main language track, aimed at building the academic English that subject learning depends on. For accommodation, the school offers two boarding models: Family Boarding places students with host families in the community, while Gryphon Boarding provides a school-managed residence; both serve students from outside Victoria, including international students.
On the logistics side, the school runs city-wide bus routes, and After School Care is available for Junior School students on school days from 3:20 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (5:00 p.m. for Junior Kindergarten) at CAD 24.50 per day. The academic year is a linear full-year schedule: January entry is not permitted for Grades 10 to 12, while Grades JK3 to 9 may join in January if space and fit allow. For siblings, the school offers a progressive discount: the second child enrolled pays 5% less tuition, and the third and subsequent children pay 10% less.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Glenlyon Norfolk School have an application deadline? Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten applications are due before November; all other grades have no deadline and are reviewed on a rolling basis through the school year.
Do international students need an English test? Applicants who speak English as a second or other language must provide a recent official Duolingo result; IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge scores are also accepted as supporting evidence.
Does GNS offer ESL? No traditional ESL program; the school runs English Acquisition (EA) for students in Grades 8 to 10 whose first language is not English, with support for Grades 1 to 8 assessed case by case.
What does international tuition cost for 2026/27? Day tuition is CAD 45,705 (Junior), CAD 46,850 (Middle), and CAD 48,400 (Senior); Family Boarding is CAD 66,300 and Gryphon Boarding is CAD 90,200 for international students.
Can international students get financial aid? The school’s needs-based assistance currently applies to day students with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency; international families should confirm eligibility with the latest official policy.
If you are comparing Glenlyon Norfolk School with other Canadian schools for your child, share the grade level, English proficiency, and budget with our advisers, and we will help you line up the current official information on programs, deadlines, and costs.