Every SD43 Early and Late French Immersion school across Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam — with the home-search angle from a local REALTOR®.
SD43 (Coquitlam School District) runs one of the largest French Immersion programs in BC, with twenty separate schools spread across Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam. For a family committed to bilingual education, that breadth matters: the right home isn’t just inside a strong English catchment, it’s also inside a sensible Early or Late Immersion pathway from kindergarten through Grade 12.
This page lists every current SD43 French Immersion school by program stream and grade band, explains the difference between Early and Late immersion, walks through the Programs of Choice application, and adds the home-buying read you only get from working the Tri-Cities every week. Always verify current program availability with the specific school — SD43 reviews program placements every year.
Quick answers
How many French Immersion schools are in SD43?
Twenty — 17 in the Early French Immersion stream (10 elementaries, 5 middle schools, 2 secondaries) plus 3 Late French Immersion middle schools. Both streams converge at École Dr. Charles Best and École Riverside for Grade 9–12.
What’s the difference between Early and Late French Immersion?
Early French Immersion starts in Kindergarten (100% French K–2, dropping to 25% by Grade 11–12). Late French Immersion starts in Grade 6 (100% French in year one, no English Language Arts) and is designed as a three-year on-ramp so students can join the EFI cohort by Grade 9.
How do I get my child into French Immersion in SD43?
Apply through SD43 Programs of Choice the fall before Kindergarten or Grade 6. Placement is by random draw, with sibling priority where space exists. The 2026–27 intake closed earlier this year; the 2027–28 application opens in fall 2026.
Which neighbourhoods feed which French Immersion school?
Unlike English catchments, French Immersion is application-based and does not follow home address. You can apply to any EFI elementary in SD43, regardless of where you live, but transportation is the family’s responsibility. That said, families usually pick the closest immersion school to their home.
Does French Immersion affect home prices in the Tri-Cities?
Less directly than English catchments, because immersion is district-wide rather than address-driven. The premium shows up at the Grade 9–12 stage — homes inside the Dr. Charles Best or Riverside catchments still carry the standard school premium (8–12% on Best, 3–6% on Riverside) and those are the only two French Immersion secondary destinations.
SD43’s Early French Immersion program starts at 100% French in Kindergarten and steps down gradually so students can earn the bilingual Dogwood Diploma. Late Immersion follows a compressed version of the same arc.
Open to any SD43 family by application — transportation is the family’s responsibility. Start in Kindergarten; siblings already in the program get priority when space allows.
EFI elementary in central Port Coquitlam. Walking-radius homes typical of Mary Hill / Central PoCo — detached and townhomes around the river corridor.
Learn more →Port Moody’s only EFI elementary, anchoring the Glenayre family pocket. Established detached, with SkyTrain access via Burquitlam / Moody Centre nearby.
Learn more →EFI elementary in central Coquitlam. Long-established immersion cohort; mix of character detached and townhomes nearby.
Learn more →EFI elementary serving Coquitlam family neighbourhoods. Well-established immersion pipeline feeding into the Banting / Maillard middle stream.
Learn more →EFI elementary in PoCo’s Mary Hill neighbourhood. Family-rooted area with stable detached values and the most affordable strong-school immersion entry point in the Tri-Cities.
Learn more →EFI elementary on the Burke Mountain edge of Coquitlam. Newer-construction family neighbourhood; pairs naturally with École Maple Creek for the middle-school step.
Learn more →EFI elementary on Westwood Plateau — the Plateau’s only immersion elementary. Catchment-area housing values mirror the broader Plateau premium even though immersion is application-based.
Learn more →EFI elementary in Port Coquitlam. Smaller cohort, family-community feel; convenient for PoCo immersion families who want to stay in the city for the middle-school step.
Learn more →EFI elementary in central Coquitlam. Long-established immersion program with reliable French outcomes through the elementary years.
Learn more →Second EFI elementary serving the Westwood Plateau / North Coquitlam area. Strong PAC and active immersion-family community.
Learn more →Continuation of the EFI elementary cohort. 80% French instruction; English Language Arts and exploration subjects in English. Most students transition automatically from their elementary.
EFI middle school feeding into Charles Best Secondary. The natural middle-school step for many Westwood Plateau and North Coquitlam immersion families.
Learn more →EFI middle school in Port Coquitlam. Feeds into Riverside Secondary for Grade 9–12 French Immersion. Pairs with Mary Hill / Porter Street / Coquitlam River elementaries.
Learn more →EFI middle school in Maillardville — fitting given the area’s French-Canadian heritage. Feeds into Charles Best Secondary.
Learn more →EFI middle school on Burke Mountain. Newer facility serving the Burke and Coquitlam family pipeline; feeds into Charles Best Secondary for Grade 9–12.
Learn more →EFI middle school in Port Coquitlam. Continues the PoCo immersion pipeline toward Riverside Secondary.
Learn more →Both Early and Late Immersion streams converge here for Grade 9–12. 50% French in Grade 9–10, stepping down to 25% in Grade 11–12 alongside English Dogwood Diploma requirements.
SD43’s top academic secondary and the larger of the two French Immersion destinations. Strong AP depth alongside the immersion stream. Catchment carries an 8–12% premium on detached homes.
Learn more →PoCo’s flagship secondary. Hosts the French Immersion stream for the eastern Tri-Cities. Strong athletics and SD43’s deepest trades program alongside the immersion academics. Smaller catchment premium (3–6%) than Charles Best.
Learn more →Three-year intensive program for students new to French. Starts Grade 6 at 100% French (no ELA), drops to 80% in Grades 7–8. Graduates merge with the EFI cohort at Charles Best or Riverside for Grade 9.
LFI middle school in Citadel Heights. Feeds into Riverside Secondary. The most logical Late Immersion entry point for PoCo families.
Learn more →LFI middle school in Port Moody, serving the western Tri-Cities. Feeds into Charles Best Secondary for Grade 9–12 French Immersion.
Learn more →LFI middle school in Coquitlam. Convenient pickup point for families across central and west Coquitlam. Feeds into Charles Best Secondary.
Learn more →Early Immersion is the default if you can secure a spot in Kindergarten and you want maximum French exposure. Late Immersion is a viable plan B if you missed the K window or if your child wasn’t ready for full-French K. Late students typically catch up by Grade 9, when both streams merge.
Unlike English-stream schools, French Immersion in SD43 is application-based across the entire district. Your home address doesn’t guarantee or block any immersion school — but transportation is on you, so most families still pick the closest option.
There’s no “study your way in.” SD43 uses random draw with sibling priority where space allows. Apply on time, list multiple acceptable schools, and have a Plan B for your local English catchment.
Students who complete the full Grade 12 immersion stream earn a bilingual Dogwood Diploma, recognised by universities across Canada and a real differentiator on federal-government and international job applications later in life.
You don’t need to speak French at home for your child to succeed. SD43’s position (backed by research) is that students of non-French-speaking parents perform as well as francophone peers when supported with English-language help on critical thinking, time management and study skills.
A pure-immersion premium is hard to isolate because applications cross neighbourhood lines. The clean signal is at Grade 9–12 — Charles Best (Coquitlam) and Riverside (PoCo) catchments carry the same school premium they would as English-only secondaries. That’s where home values respond.
Programs of Choice applications open in the fall for September placement the following year. Acceptance is by random draw — not first-come or merit. The 2026–27 application is closed; the 2027–28 window opens in fall 2026.
Early Immersion is for children entering Kindergarten (or Grade 1 with director approval). Late Immersion is for students entering Grade 6, regardless of prior French exposure.
On the SD43 Programs of Choice form, list multiple acceptable immersion schools in order of preference. Listing more options raises your odds of placement somewhere in the district.
Watch sd43.bc.ca for the opening date (typically October–November). Late applications fall to the bottom of the random-draw pool. Apply online — paper applications are no longer accepted.
SD43 runs the draw early in the calendar year. You’ll receive an email notification of placement (or waitlist) directly from the assigned school. Siblings already in the program get priority where space exists.
If you’re not drawn, you’re still entitled to your local English catchment. Plan ahead: some families re-apply for Late Immersion in Grade 6, or stay on the waitlist through Kindergarten.
Accepted families register directly with the placement school — no separate cross-catchment paperwork required. Confirm fall start-date and any orientation sessions.
Do my children need to know French to enrol in immersion?
No. SD43’s French Immersion programs are designed for children of non-French-speaking parents. No prior French exposure is required for either Early (K) or Late (Grade 6) entry.
What if English isn’t our first language at home?
Evidence consistently shows that English Language Learners do as well as Anglophone peers in French Immersion — and ELL students with literacy in their home language often perform better. Two languages plus a third has a cumulative advantage.
How quickly does a child start speaking French?
Comprehension comes first; spoken French typically follows by Grade 1 in Early Immersion. Late Immersion students are expected to communicate with some fluency by the end of Grade 6 — the program’s first year.
Will my child fall behind in English?
No. The BC curriculum framework is identical in both languages. English Language Arts is added in Grade 3 (EFI) or Grade 7 (LFI) and students complete the same provincial graduation requirements as English-stream peers.
Which Tri-Cities neighbourhoods are best for French Immersion families?
For Early Immersion at the elementary stage, location is less critical — immersion is district-wide. For the Grade 9–12 stage, the same school-driven home premiums apply: Westwood Plateau (Charles Best) commands 8–12% and Citadel Heights / Riverwood (Riverside) carries 3–6%. Most immersion families optimise around the secondary, not the elementary.
Is there a French Immersion school in every Tri-Cities city?
Yes. Coquitlam has the most immersion schools (six elementaries, three middles, one secondary). Port Coquitlam has four elementaries, two middles and the Riverside secondary stream. Port Moody has one elementary (École Glenayre) and one Late Immersion middle (École Moody).
Does SD43 provide transportation to immersion schools?
No — transportation to a Program of Choice school is the family’s responsibility. That’s why most families select the closest immersion elementary to home, even though they could technically apply district-wide.
Can my child switch out of French Immersion later?
Yes. Students can return to the English stream at any natural transition (end of elementary, middle, etc.). Returning students integrate without academic penalty; the BC curriculum is the same.
How competitive is the random draw?
It varies year to year by school. Westwood Plateau and Burke Mountain area immersion elementaries fill quickly; École Glenayre (Port Moody) and École Mary Hill (PoCo) typically have lighter pressure. Listing multiple acceptable placements is the single most useful thing you can do.
How does the bilingual Dogwood Diploma help in university admissions?
It’s a recognised credential at UBC, SFU, U of T, McGill and most Quebec universities, plus competitive on federal-government scholarship and bilingual job applications later. The signal value goes up significantly for federal-sector and international career paths.
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Contact SebastianSebastian Czarkowski | REALTOR® | Royal LePage Elite West | Coquitlam, BC. Program descriptions and school lists reflect publicly available School District 43 data, Fraser Institute school report cards, and local working knowledge — they are not formal academic rankings. Catchment boundaries and program availability are set by SD43 and subject to change without notice. Always verify a specific address using the official SD43 catchment tool and confirm current program availability directly with the school. This page is informational and does not constitute an educational or real estate advisory.