This guide is written for international students and their families who are considering Kells Academy（凯尔斯学院）, a private co-educational English school in Montreal, Quebec. Every fact below comes from the school’s official website (kells.ca), accessed on August 5, 2026. Where the school describes itself or its own achievements, that is flagged as the school’s own claim rather than an independent finding. Fees, deadlines and program details can change, so the official site remains the reference for the latest version.
Kells Academy at a Glance
Kells Academy is a private, co-educational English school in Montreal that describes itself as both a day school and a residential school, enrolling students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school’s own history page traces its roots to 1978, when founder Irene Woods opened a tutoring centre; that centre grew into an independent school now spread over three campuses, plus a dedicated residence for international students. The name Kells comes from the historic Irish town known for its monastery and the illuminated Book of Kells, a detail the school recounts on its history pages.
All three Kells Academy campuses sit in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), a residential neighbourhood in Montreal’s west end, within a few small blocks of one another. The footer of the official site lists the high school at 6865 De Maisonneuve West (H4B 1T1), the Grade 12 program at 6645 De Maisonneuve West (H4B 2Y3), and the elementary school at 2290 Cavendish (H4B 2M7). The school says the campuses are about a 10-minute drive from downtown Montreal and close to bus, metro (Vendome and Villa Maria stations) and suburban train lines.
One point international families often ask about is Quebec’s rules on English schooling. The province’s Charter of the French Language (Bills 101 and 104) normally restricts access to English-language schools, but Kells Academy’s eligibility page states that the school receives no provincial grants and can therefore admit students who do not hold a government-issued Certificate of Eligibility for English Language Education. The school also states on its fast-facts pages that it is fully accredited and recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) and is an associate member of the Quebec Association of Independent Schools.
Programs: From Kindergarten to the Grade 12 Diploma
Kells Academy’s elementary division covers Kindergarten through Grade 6. According to the school’s fast-facts page, students receive 65 minutes of French instruction per day, with enrichment for francophone or French-immersion students, and tuition includes a hot lunch and a tutoring and homework program. The elementary curriculum page describes a growth-mindset approach, a signature Flex elective program (coding, stop-motion animation, yoga and meditation, chess, dance and filmmaking), and competitive soccer and basketball teams at the Cycle 3 level (Grades 5 and 6).
The high school covers Grades 7 to 11 and leads to the Quebec MEQ diploma. The school describes a 1:1 technology device program for Grades 7-11, two to three levels of French at each grade, and a sports program that includes soccer, rugby, basketball, badminton, cross-country running and rock climbing. International students who need English support are placed in the Language Center: the school’s ESL page says classes are taught by Cambridge CELTA-certified teachers at a 1:10 teacher-student ratio, with three levels of instruction for Grades 7-10, assessments three times per year, and concurrent instruction in Math, Science and History so students can move into mainstream classes when ready. A remote English test is offered before arrival so students are placed in the right ESL level from the start.
The Grade 12 program, introduced in 2017, is Kells Academy’s university-preparation track. Students follow Ontario curriculum courses on-site at Kells and graduate with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The program page describes five streams — Science & Engineering, Health Science, Computer Science, Commerce, and Social Sciences — a 30-credit diploma requirement (up to 23 equivalent credits can be transferred from Grades 9-11 transcripts, with the remaining 7 credits earned at Kells), a minimum of 10 hours of community service, and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course in the second semester. A Bridge Program exists for applicants who are missing academic prerequisites. The school also launched a Sport-Études program in Fall 2025 for elite student-athletes in Grades 7 and 8, endorsed by the Quebec Ministry of Education in partnership with provincial sports federations, with a plan to welcome 25 students per year.
Entry Requirements and the Application Process
Kells Academy’s international admissions page advises international students to apply six months to one year in advance, and notes year-round acceptance based on space availability. Programs open to international students include the high school (Grades 7-11), the Grade 12 program (Ontario diploma), the ESL program and the ESL summer camp; the international program page adds that students may attend for as little as one semester. The admissions team assists with documentation for visa and CAQ (Quebec Acceptance Certificate) applications, arranges a Zoom interview, placement testing, orientation and a tour, and coordinates residence or homestay placement and medical insurance.
The international application-forms page lists the required documents: a completed application form with the application fee; report cards from the current academic year and the previous two years; a copy of the assessment if the student has a learning disability; a copy of the birth certificate and immunization records; a passport-size photograph; the international student contract; IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo results for Grade 11 and Grade 12 applicants; and a Confidential Student Report form. Once the package is complete, the admissions office arranges an interview, placement testing and a class visit. International interviews can be conducted by Facetime or Skype, per the high school FAQ.
For the Grade 12 program, the how-to-apply page sets explicit requirements for international applicants: certified English translations of high school transcripts from Grades 9 through 11, a copy of the passport, a CAQ, a study permit and medical insurance. Students who have not completed their last 3 years of study in an English-speaking country must also provide proof of language proficiency — a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a minimum Duolingo score of 120, with test results dated within 6 months of the application date. Because Kells Academy is privately funded, no Certificate of Eligibility is required.
Tuition, Fees and Accommodation for 2026-27
Kells Academy’s international fees page publishes the following annual tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year: Kindergarten 20,500 USD; Grades 1-6 21,500 USD; Grades 7-11 22,000 USD; and Grade 12 23,700 USD. Tuition is paid in two installments — the first due by August 3, 2026 (payment dated August 19, 2026) and the second by January 29, 2027 — or through a 10-payment plan with a 25 USD administrative charge per post-dated payment.
Non-refundable accessory fees include a new student transfer fee of 1,500 USD, an activity fee of 750 USD, a supplies and technology fee of 900 USD (due upon acceptance), and a building fund of 2,000 USD; Grades 11 and 12 add a graduation fee of 500 USD, and medical insurance is 975 USD (non-refundable). Language support is billed separately: the English Language Learner (ELL) program costs 750 USD per month and the after-school ESL program 550 USD per month. The school offers a family discount on full fees only — 10% for the second child, 15% for the third and 20% for the fourth or more. Scholarships range from 1,000 to 3,000 USD and are not automatically renewed. The Grade 12 program has additional line items (application fee 150 USD, admission fee 250 USD, OUAC account creation 250 USD) and the school states that it does not issue refunds for the Grade 12 Program.
For accommodation, the school offers residence and homestay options. The residence, described as on-campus for elementary and Grade 12 students and minutes away for high school students, houses students aged 12 to 18 (about 40 students in total) in furnished rooms with three meals per day, full-time supervision and video surveillance, and mandatory evening prep time Monday to Thursday and Sunday. Monthly residence rates are 1,650 USD for a triple room, 1,950 USD for a double and 2,300 USD for a single. Homestay costs 1,900 USD per month plus a non-refundable 200 USD placement fee, with families screened by the school’s homestay counselor; students can choose an English- or French-speaking family, and a 24-hour on-call coordinator is available. For Grade 12, the school requires a 9,500 USD homestay deposit or a 9,900 USD residence deposit upon acceptance.
Living in Montreal and Student Support
Montreal is a bilingual city, and Kells Academy’s international program page notes that students are exposed to both English and French in daily life, with French classes offered at different levels. The school describes a community of over 45 nationalities on its international program page, and its Montreal page puts the international student body at roughly 250 students from more than 20 countries, including the United States, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Mexico and South America. The Montreal page also lists McGill and Concordia among the city’s universities and says Kells graduates have gone on to top CEGEPs in the city — claims made by the school itself.
Beyond classes, Kells Academy supports international students through the Language Center (with remote English testing before arrival and three ESL levels), after-school coaching and tutoring, a study hall, and access to sports teams, clubs and the Flex program. The residence provides tutorial support and ESL classes alongside its evening prep structure, and the school assists with visa and CAQ documentation, medical insurance and airport transfers for Grade 12 students.
This guide reflects the official Kells Academy pages as of August 5, 2026. Tuition, fees, deadlines and program details are all subject to change, so the official website should be treated as the authoritative source. If you would like to weigh your child’s grade level, English proficiency and family budget together, you can discuss your specific situation with our advisers, who can help map out an application timeline, a document checklist and a realistic cost picture.