Glenlyon Norfolk School

GNS teaches the full International Baccalaureate continuum: the Primary Years Programme from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme from Grade 6 to Grade 10 and the Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12. PYP and MYP teaching follows the British Columbia curriculum within the IB framework, so graduates also meet provincial requirements. In Grades 11 and 12 students can pursue the full IB Diploma or combine individual Diploma courses with British Columbia provincial courses.

English is the language of instruction. French is taught from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12. Spanish is introduced to all students in Grade 6, after which they choose French or Spanish to continue through the Middle Years Programme; a beginner Spanish course is also available in Grade 11. Language study supports the requirements of the IB Diploma.

GNS is organised in three schools on two campuses. The Junior School (Junior Kindergarten for three- and four-year-olds through Grade 5) is on the Beach Drive Campus and follows the IB Primary Years Programme. The Middle School (Grades 6–8) and Senior School (Grades 9–12) share the Pemberton Woods Campus; students follow the IB Middle Years Programme to Grade 10 and the IB Diploma Programme or a personalised pathway in Grades 11 and 12.

Boarding is available from Grade 8 for students from outside the Victoria area. GNS offers two options: Family Boarding, a homestay programme in which students live with local host families, and Gryphon Boarding, a residential programme in Gryphon House. Both are designed to provide a safe, supportive and academically focused environment, and boarding fees for 2026–27 range from CAD 52,300 to CAD 66,300 depending on residency status.

The school motto is Do your best through truth and courage. GNS aims to help every student achieve their personal best in learning and in life, and to prepare caring citizens who lead, serve and take responsibility for their communities. Its five core values are truth, courage, caring, individuality and community.

GNS fields teams in badminton, basketball, climbing, cross country, field hockey, golf, rowing, rugby, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, ultimate and volleyball, with many provincial-level results. The Gryphons Golf Prep Program is run in partnership with The Golf Performance Project. The arts include choir, concert band, jazz, orchestra, musicals, a theatre company, a performance studio, a photography club and an art club. The school has a strong debating tradition, along with robotics, service projects, outdoor education and a nature school for younger students.

The Beach Drive Campus sits on the waterfront in Oak Bay and includes a 28,000 sq ft Junior School building opened in 2020 with a high-performance gymnasium, an art room with kiln, an open-plan learning commons and an Innovation Lab, along with a restored boathouse, playground and all-weather field. The six-acre Pemberton Woods Campus has a 340-seat performing arts hall, art, music and band rooms, a turf field, gymnasium and fitness centre, a full-service dining hall, a university guidance centre, a health and wellness centre and science and design labs.

Families can use school buses shared with St. Michaels University School, with routes across Greater Victoria and an inter-campus shuttle. Pemberton Woods has a full-service dining hall and a lunch programme, and the Junior School offers after-school care. Learning strategies teachers, a health and wellness centre and a university guidance centre support students, and merit scholarships and financial assistance are available. GNS also runs summer camps.