Waterloo Public Elementary School (WRDSB)

Homes for Sale Near Laurelwood Public School

Laurelwood Public School is a Kindergarten to Grade 8 public school at 460 Brentcliffe Drive in Waterloo’s Laurelwood neighbourhood, run by the Waterloo Region District School Board. It is one of the highest-rated elementary schools in Waterloo Region, offers French Immersion, and is a big reason Laurelwood is so sought after. Below are current listings near the school, plus the neighbourhoods nearby.

By George Dmitrovic, Realtor with Keller Williams Innovation Realty. Updated October 2026. Jump to the Laurelwood PS guide

Laurelwood PS at a Glance

School board

Waterloo Region District School Board (public)

Grades

Kindergarten to Grade 8

Location

460 Brentcliffe Drive, Laurelwood, northwest Waterloo

Programs

English and French Immersion (Grades 2 to 8, Limited Enrolment), outdoor learning circle, butterfly garden

High school

Laurel Heights Secondary School (formerly SJAM)

School facts

Opened 1998; about 550 students when this guide was first written

Laurelwood Public School is a JK to Grade 8 school run by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) at 460 Brentcliffe Drive, in Waterloo’s Laurelwood neighbourhood. It opened in 1998, teaches in English and French Immersion, and is one of the three highest-rated public elementary schools in Kitchener-Waterloo. It is also part of a boundary review that could change who attends from September 2027, so read this before you buy.

About Laurelwood Public School

Laurelwood opened in September 1998, as the neighbourhood around it was being built. It calls itself the Home of the Lightning, and its grounds border a woodlot and a neighbourhood park. The school lists an outdoor learning circle, a butterfly garden and outdoor creatives among its features.

English and French Immersion: the English program runs from JK to Grade 8 and French Immersion from Grade 2 to Grade 8. All WRDSB students take Core French from Grade 1.
Grades 7 and 8 from Abraham Erb: since September 2019, all Grade 6 graduates of Abraham Erb PS, which stops at Grade 6, move to Laurelwood for Grades 7 and 8.
Before and after school care: the WRDSB runs fee-based Extended Day (JK to Grade 2) and Youth Development (Grades 3 to 6) programs at the school.

How Laurelwood Public School Rates

In the Fraser Institute’s latest Report Card on Ontario’s Elementary Schools (the 2025 report, using 2023-2024 results), Laurelwood is rated 8.5 out of 10 and ranked 199th of 3,052 Ontario schools. That ties it with Vista Hills for third among public elementary schools in Kitchener-Waterloo, behind Millen Woods (8.9) and Abraham Erb (8.6).

The rating is built from provincial EQAO test results. It does not measure the arts, sports, French Immersion or how one child will do, so treat it as one measure among many and visit the school if you can.

Which Neighbourhoods Feed Into Laurelwood Public School?

Laurelwood serves part of the Laurelwood neighbourhood from JK to Grade 8, plus Abraham Erb families for Grades 7 and 8. For high school, Laurel Heights Secondary School, rated 8.7 and the highest in Kitchener-Waterloo, is in the same neighbourhood on Laurelwood Drive. It has no French Immersion: WRDSB high school Immersion continues at KCI and Galt CI, with Extended French at Waterloo CI and a few other schools. Catholic families are served by St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School on Laurelwood Drive.

Boundaries may change for September 2027. The WRDSB’s West Waterloo Boundary Review started on September 28, 2026 and covers Laurelwood, Abraham Erb, Vista Hills and Edna Staebler. Its aim is to make space for current students and growth and to draw more walkable boundaries. A public session is on October 20, a draft recommendation is due November 16 and the final report goes to the board on December 14, 2026. No changes will happen before June 2027.

Laurelwood is not accepting out-of-boundary requests for 2026-27, and its French Immersion program is marked Limited Enrolment. Grade 2 Immersion places are filled by lottery each January, with preference for students in the school’s boundary, and the board does not bus out-of-boundary students. The board’s capital plan also lists an addition at Laurelwood, approved for funding in 2020. To check an address, use the STSWR School Eligibility tool at bpweb.stswr.ca, and check again once the review is decided.

Homes Near Laurelwood Public School

In the MLS district that includes Laurelwood (441 Erbsville/Laurelwood), the median sale price for a detached home was $975,000 over the 12 months to September 2026, based on George’s analysis of ITSO MLS sales, compared with $859,000 for Waterloo as a whole. Townhouses had a median of $695,000.

Most homes near the school are detached two-storey houses built from the mid-1990s through the 2000s, with some townhouses and condos. See the full neighbourhood price table or browse homes by school district.

Is Laurelwood Public School a Good Fit for Your Family?

Laurelwood suits families who want a well-rated public school with both English and French Immersion, one school from Kindergarten to Grade 8, and a top-rated high school in the same neighbourhood. Laurel Creek Conservation Area, the John M. Harper Library and the Stork Family YMCA are all close by.

The trade-offs are worth knowing. Homes near the school cost well above the Waterloo median. Immersion places are limited and handed out by lottery, so living nearby does not guarantee a spot. And with the boundary review under way, a home inside Laurelwood’s boundary today could be assigned to a different school from September 2027. If the school is the main reason you are buying, follow the review closely.

To compare schools, see my guides to the best WRDSB elementary schools and French schools in Kitchener-Waterloo. Or book a free call and I’ll help you check addresses and follow the review.

Originally written by Will Kummer for WRX Property Group and fully updated by George Dmitrovic in October 2026.

Neighbourhoods Near Laurelwood PS

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Laurelwood PS FAQs

Answers to the questions families ask most about Laurelwood Public School and buying a home nearby.

Where is Laurelwood Public School?

Laurelwood Public School is at 460 Brentcliffe Drive in the Laurelwood neighbourhood of northwest Waterloo, north of Columbia Street West. Its grounds border a woodlot and a neighbourhood park. Abraham Erb Public School, St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School and Laurel Heights Secondary School are all in the same neighbourhood, and Laurel Creek Conservation Area is close by.

How has Laurelwood Public School ranked?

In the Fraser Institute’s latest elementary report card (the 2025 report, using 2023-2024 results), Laurelwood is rated 8.5 out of 10 and ranked 199th of 3,052 Ontario schools. That ties it with Vista Hills for third among Kitchener-Waterloo public elementary schools. The rating rests on EQAO test results, so weigh it alongside programs, French Immersion and your own visit.

Does Laurelwood PS offer French Immersion?

Yes. Laurelwood offers French Immersion from Grade 2 to Grade 8 alongside its English program. The board marks it Limited Enrolment, and Grade 2 places are filled by a lottery each January, with preference for students in the school’s boundary. Immersion students from Abraham Erb also move to Laurelwood for Grades 7 and 8. The board does not bus out-of-boundary Immersion students.

What grades does Laurelwood PS teach?

Laurelwood teaches Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 in English, with French Immersion from Grade 2. Since September 2019 it has also taken all of Abraham Erb’s Grade 6 graduates for Grades 7 and 8, because Abraham Erb stops at Grade 6. The board runs fee-based Extended Day care for JK to Grade 2 and Youth Development programs for Grades 3 to 6 at the school.

Where do Laurelwood PS students go to high school?

Laurel Heights Secondary School, known as Sir John A. Macdonald until 2022, is the WRDSB high school in the same neighbourhood, and its Fraser rating of 8.7 is the highest in Kitchener-Waterloo. It has no French Immersion, so Immersion students continue at KCI or Galt CI, or take Extended French at schools such as Waterloo CI. Check the exact address with the board.

Which other top schools are in Laurelwood?

Laurelwood shares the neighbourhood with Abraham Erb Public School (JK to Grade 6), rated 8.6, and St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School, rated 7.6. Laurel Heights Secondary School, rated 8.7, is the highest-rated high school in Kitchener-Waterloo. All three ratings come from the Fraser Institute’s latest report cards, which use 2023-2024 results.

Do I need to live in Laurelwood to attend?

In practice, yes. Students attend the school whose boundary covers their home address, and Laurelwood is not accepting out-of-boundary requests for 2026-27. The West Waterloo Boundary Review may also change which streets are in its boundary from September 2027. Even an address in the Laurelwood neighbourhood is not guaranteed a place, so check it with the board.