Quest Alternative Senior School is a unique educational institution within the Toronto District School Board that serves one class of Grade 7s and one class of Grade 8s. Quest was founded in 1983 by two teachers with a dream of creating authentic learning opportunities based on outdoor education and experiential learning. Quest has maintained that vision for the last 37 years while incorporating innovative pedagogy, global competencies, and the cultivation of 21st century skills. Today, long-standing school traditions like our Winter Concert, Industrial Arts and EcoQuest mingle with technological skills like website creation, 3D printing and digital video editing. We maintain high expectations for our students and ask them to be engaged, active members of our educational community. We task them with taking pride-of-ownership in a two-year program in which they are our most valuable stakeholders.
Quest Alternative Senior School is located at 25 Bain Avenue,
on the 3rd floor of Withrow Avenue Jr. Public School
Quest Alternative Open House
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
5:30pm to 6:15pm
First Round of Student-Led Tours
6:15pm to 6:45pm
Educator Presentation
6:45pm to 7:15pm
Second Round of Student-Led Tours
Elementary Alternative Applications
Applications are available from January 6, 2025 until January 31, 2025 at 4pm.
Please visit the TDSB Elementary Alternative Schools webpage for more information about programs and the application process.
Online Application Process
The online application form opens at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025. Application deadline is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.
NEW! Applicants can apply up to two (2) schools: a PRIMARY school choice and an ALTERNATE school choice. The Alternate choice is optional. A complete list of elementary alternative schools is available on the TDSB Elementary Alternative Schools website.
The Alternate school choice will only be considered after all primary school choice applications have been considered in accordance with our priorities (see section Elementary Alternative Schools Admission Priorities).
Applicants from outside the TDSB, except for City of Toronto JK applicants, will only be considered after all TDSB applicants have been considered for their Primary and Alternate school choices.
Seats are generally available in the entry grades of each school, that is Junior Kindergarten (JK) (for JK-6 or JK-8) and Grade 7 (for grades 7 to 8).
There are very limited seats available in other grades. Applicants will be permitted to apply for other grades. If there are available seats in the non-entry grades, applicants will be entered into the random selection process. If there are no seats available, applicants will be contacted prior to the random selection process and informed that they will not be entered into the random selection process.
Elementary Alternative Schools Admission Priorities
The TDSB will prioritize applicant admissions to elementary alternative schools in the following order:
- Priority 1: First Nations, Métis, or Inuit Peoples
- Priority 2: Applicants who have sibling(s) already at the school and returning in September 2024
- Priority 3*: After the placement of Indigenous students and applicants with siblings, 25% of any remaining spaces at every grade (where available) in each school will be allocated to applicants who are current TDSB students and self-identify in one or more of the following:
*Note for Priority 3: In order to maintain the minimum 25% of prioritized seats, if a Priority 3 student declines a seat, the first Priority 3 student on the waitlist will be offered this seat in advance of other students.
- Priority 4: TDSB Priority 3 applicants not yet placed will be combined with other TDSB applicants for the remaining spaces
- Priority 5: Other applicants whose parents’/legal guardians’/caregivers’ primary residence is in the City of Toronto (e.g., from independent/private schools, other school boards, home schooling, etc.) will be considered for placement if spaces are available.
- Priority 6: Applicants whose parents’/legal guardians’/caregivers’ primary residence is outside the City of Toronto will be considered for placement if spaces are available
**Note for students with a disability: According to the Human Rights Code, the term “disability” covers a broad range and degree of conditions. A disability may have been present at birth, caused by an accident, or developed over time. Section 10 of the Code defines “disability” as:
- any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
- a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
- a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
- a mental disorder, or
- an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.
Random Selection Process
Random selection refers to a process/ program that is used to electronically select applicants for a placement in an elementary alternative school and grade. A random selection process will be implemented for the placement of all applicants.
Please click on the following scenarios to understand the possible outcomes if your child is offered a seat OR is put on the waitlist(s):
Scenario 1: Applicant only applies to their Primary school choice and receives an offer – what happens?
Scenario 2: Applicant only applies to a Primary school choice and does not receive an offer – what happens?
Scenario 3: Applicant applies to their Primary and Alternate school choices. Applicant receives an offer to their Primary school choice – what happens to the Alternate school choice?
Scenario 4: Applicant receives an offer to their Alternate school choice and accepts the Alternate school choice offer – what happens to the Primary school choice?
Scenario 5: Applicant receives an offer to their Alternate school choice and declines the Alternate school choice offer – what happens to the Primary school choice?
Scenario 6: Applicant receives an offer to their Alternate school choice and accepts the Alternate school choice offer and wants to be removed from their Primary school choice.
Questions?
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions page
Contact
EAS.Application@tdsb.on.ca