Welcome to Claude Watson School for the Arts (CWSA). CWSA is a dynamic school which offers an enriched arts education to students in grades 4-8. Each year we admit 60 students into our grade four program. Students spend approximately half their day on the academic curriculum (language, French, math, science, social studies, health and physical education). The other half of their day is spent immersed in the arts. All students participate in dance, drama, music and visual arts.
Claude Watson School for the Arts is proud to operate as part of the Toronto District School Board. CWSA is a publicly funded school and does not ask families to pay tuition. Each year there is significant interest in families applying to our program. The only prerequisite for applying to our program is to live within the city of Toronto. Families interested in applying are encouraged to check out the "Future Students" section of this website. Each year we audition approximately 500 children for entrance into our program.
Claude Watson School for the Arts nurtures students who are passionate about artistic expression and creative growth, engaging every learner in dance, drama, music, and visual arts. We foster excellence across all four arts disciplines through instruction by subject specialists with professional experience and a shared commitment to equity, inclusion, and well-being. Through artistic excellence, creative innovation, and strong connections with school families and the wider community, our students learn to create, perform, and collaborate with empathy, confidence, and curiosity while contributing to the world around them.