For families who value specialized education, two programs stand out. French Immersion and the International Baccalaureate. Both are available in Markham, and understanding where and how to access them matters for families whose home choice is driven by program access.
Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, sets out how each works and where each is offered.
How YRDSB French Immersion Works
French Immersion is a program in which students learn subjects in French, developing bilingualism. The York Region District School Board offers French Immersion at designated schools throughout Markham.
The structure is specific and worth understanding before you plan around it. The program begins in Grade 1 and is designed for children whose first language is not French. In Grades 1, 2, and 3, all subjects are taught in French. Starting in Grade 4, instructional time is shared equally between French and English. The program continues into secondary school, where students can work toward a French Immersion certificate requiring a specified number of French Immersion credits.
The Grade 1 Entry Point Matters
Because YRDSB French Immersion begins in Grade 1, families relocating with a child already past that stage face a different situation than families entering at the intended point. If French Immersion is a priority, the timing of your move relative to your child's grade is a genuine planning consideration, not an afterthought.
Registering for French Immersion
Registration for YRDSB French Immersion typically takes place in the winter for students entering Grade 1 the following September. For the 2026 intake, registration ran from January 16 to February 9, 2026, with an information session held in January. Registration during the published period is not first-come, first-served.
Families register through their home school, or at the designated French Immersion school if they are not currently in a YRDSB school. Timelines and processes change year to year, so verify current details at yrdsb.ca rather than relying on a previous year's dates.
Neeraj Moolchandani on Buying Around a Specialized Program
Neeraj Moolchandani, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate, flags one distinction that costs families the most confusion here. A regular catchment and a program catchment are not the same thing, and French Immersion in particular is often offered at designated schools that serve a different geographic area than a family's home school. Buying a house because it sits in the right neighbourhood, without confirming the program pathway, is a common and avoidable error.
For IB specifically, Neeraj's guidance is to treat it as an application rather than an entitlement. Being in the right catchment identifies which IB school a student applies to; it does not guarantee a place in the program. Families should build their plan with that distinction understood, and should confirm the current process directly with the board before letting it drive a purchase decision.
The IB Program in Markham
The International Baccalaureate is a rigorous, internationally recognized program. The IB Diploma Program, offered at the secondary level, is valued by families seeking academic challenge and international recognition.
Here is the Markham fact many families do not know. Milliken Mills High School in Markham is one of YRDSB's five IB sites. The board's IB program operates at five schools across York Region: Alexander Mackenzie High School, Bayview Secondary School, Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School, Maple High School, and Milliken Mills High School. Milliken Mills is the Markham location.
Applying to the IB Program
The YRDSB IB application is completed centrally for all York Region IB schools through the EDSBY platform. For the September 2026 intake, the application process opened on October 16, 2025, with IB Information Nights held at each of the five sites. During the application process, the IB school serving a student's home address is identified.
Application processes and timelines change. Verify current details at yrdsb.ca and directly with the specific IB school before planning around them.
Plan the Program Pathway Before the Purchase
Program catchments and regular catchments are different questions. Book a private consultation with the Kaizen Real Estate Team.
What This Means for Choosing a Home
For French Immersion: identify the French Immersion elementary and secondary schools serving a prospective address, understanding that program catchments often differ from regular catchments. Because the program runs from Grade 1 through secondary, consider the full pathway rather than the elementary assignment alone.
For IB: Milliken Mills High School is the Markham site. Students apply to the IB school serving their home address, so confirm which site serves a prospective address, and treat admission as an application rather than a given.
Verify everything. Both programs have specific catchments, application processes, and timelines that change. Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, helps families confirm program pathways before a purchase rather than after.