Ontario Virtual School

Ontario Virtual School: online secondary education from Ontario

Ontario Virtual School (OVS) is an accredited private school that delivers online courses for grades 6 through 12 and enables students to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Its model is designed for students who cannot attend classes regularly for personal or health reasons, due to athletic commitments or full-time jobs, as well as for those who want to improve their marks in challenging courses and increase their chances of admission to competitive post-secondary programs.

Origins and evolution of the school

OVS launched in 2010 with three courses and half a dozen students. Today, according to its own presentation, it offers more than 170 courses and a team of over 200 instructors certified by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), and has served more than 25,000 students worldwide. The school states it has issued over 30,000 OSSD credits and notes that 98% of its students are accepted into post-secondary institutions. Its principal is Vinay Aggarwal.

Academic offerings and admission pathways

The catalogue includes summer school courses, courses for grades 6 through 12, upgrade or repeat courses, free non-credit courses, French immersion, international languages and ESL courses. The school admits a range of profiles: high school students in grades 9 to 12, students in grades 6 to 8, mature adult students, out-of-province students, international students, homeschool students and students who want to get a head start moving from grade 8 to 9. It also offers a prerequisite waiver form.

Teaching and assessment method

After registering, students receive a welcome email from their teacher and gain immediate access to lessons, available at any time of day from anywhere in the world. Each lesson is a pre-recorded video of a PowerPoint presentation narrated by the teacher, with integrated animations, videos and simulations. Most lessons include a formative quiz and preparation tasks for the unit's summative exam. Students can contact their teacher at any time and receive a response within 24 business hours. Assessments are varied and teacher-led — assignments, essays, projects, video presentations and exams — and are downloaded from the website to be completed and submitted by email or through the student portal. The final exam is taken under supervision.

Student support and post-secondary guidance

OVS offers free guidance and post-secondary career counselling by appointment. It has a student success team that monitors attendance patterns and works with students and their parents or guardians when additional support is needed. The school has a student code of conduct and accommodations for students with an IEP (Individual Education Plan). It also publishes information on OSSD requirements, college applications through OCAS and university applications through OUAC, and on its partner universities.

STEM and tutoring

OVS's STEM approach incorporates interactive simulations and hands-on activities in all math and science courses. The school includes free one-on-one math tutoring at no extra cost within its registration fees.

Presence and reviews

The school presents itself as Canada's number 1 online school and states that 99% of its students rated it 5 stars. It has more than 245 Google reviews and additional testimonials on Our Kids.net, a site specialising in private schools.

Location and contact

Phone: 416-907-4899 · Email: info@ontariovirtualschool.ca