What Kells Academy does

Kells Academy is a private, co-ed English-language independent school based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, founded in 1978 by Irene Woods as Ms. Woods' Tutoring Centre and now operating across three campuses in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough (6865 De Maisonneuve West, 6645 De Maisonneuve West, and 2290 Cavendish). The school serves approximately 300 students from 45 nationalities across Kindergarten through Grade 12 and is fully accredited by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec (MEQ). Because Kells is a private school that does not receive provincial grants, it can admit students without the Certificate of Eligibility otherwise required for English-language instruction in Quebec, which is a structural differentiator against public English schools in the province.

The school operates a layered product portfolio. Core academic programs include Kells Elementary (K-6), Kells High School (Grades 7-11 delivering the MEQ curriculum), and a one-year Grade 12 Pre-University Program delivered in partnership with Virtual High School (Ontario) that issues an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and bypasses Quebec's CEGEP requirement. Supporting programs include an ESL Language Center with Cambridge CELTA-certified teachers at a 1:10 teacher-student ratio, a signature FLEX extracurricular program covering chess, robotics, cinematography, and yoga, a Sport-Études program launched Fall 2025 for elite athletes in Grades 7-8, a Summer School, and an International Residence serving roughly 40 students aged 12-18. Technology includes a 1:1 device program (iPad/MacBook for Grades 7-11), interactive whiteboards across all classrooms, an online portal for 24/7 family access integrated with Google Classroom, AI-powered learning tools, and assistive technologies such as WordQ and Antidote.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through tuition and ancillary fees on a subscription basis. Annual tuition for the 2026-2027 school year ranges from CAD $20,500 for Kindergarten to CAD $22,000 for Grades 7-11, billable in two installments or 10 monthly payments, with family discounts of 10-20% and merit-based scholarships available. International student services add monthly recurring revenue from ESL instruction (CAD $550-$750/month), residence fees (CAD $1,650-$2,300/month depending on room configuration), and homestay placement (CAD $1,900/month plus a CAD $200 placement fee). Summer school adds transactional revenue at CAD $675-$750 per course plus CAD $75/hour for 1:1 tutoring. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, with families recruited via campus tours, open houses, a Student-for-a-Day program, online readiness quizzes, digital newsletters, and Instagram. There is no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and no public listing.

Name

Kells Academy

Legal name

Kells Academy

Website

https://kells.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kells Academy is a private English-language independent school in Montreal, founded in 1978, operating three campuses serving approximately 300 students from 45 nationalities across K-12, with ESL, FLEX, Sport-Études, and a Grade 12 Pre-University program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Independent School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Independent school
• ESL language programs
• Pre-university preparation
• International student education

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Elementary (K-6): Annual tuition for kindergarten and grades 1-6, billed in two installments or 10 monthly payments
2. Tuition - High School (Grades 7-11): Annual tuition for grades 7-11, billed in two installments or 10 monthly payments
3. ESL Language Instruction: Monthly fees for English as Second Language support at the Language Center and after-school programs
4. Student Residence: Monthly fees for international student housing in triple, double, or single rooms including meals
5. Homestay Services: Monthly fees for homestay accommodation placement for international students
6. Summer School Programs: Fees for small group programs, credit courses, and 1:1 tutoring during summer months
7. Accessory Fees: Non-refundable fees including transfer fees, student activities, supplies & technology, building fund

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kells Academy is a private, co-ed English-language independent school operating three Montreal campuses that deliver MEQ-accredited K-12 education, including Kells Elementary (K-6), Kells High School (Grades 7-11), and a Grade 12 Pre-University Program in partnership with Virtual High School (Ontario) that bypasses Quebec's CEGEP requirement. The school serves approximately 300 students from 45 nationalities and supplements core academics with an ESL Language Center, FLEX signature extracurriculars, Sport-Études athletic program, Summer School, on-campus Residence, and Homestay services for international students.

Product overview

Kells Academy is a private, co-ed English-language independent school in Montreal, Quebec, offering a multi-level educational program across three campuses. The institution operates a unified portfolio of programs: Kells Elementary (K-6), Kells High School (Grades 7-11), and a Grade 12 Pre-University Program (in partnership with Virtual High School, Ontario). Supporting programs include an ESL/Language Center, Summer School, signature FLEX extracurricular program, Sport-Études athletic-academic program, and International Residence. Founded in 1978, the school serves approximately 300 students from 45 nationalities and is fully accredited by MEQ (Quebec Ministry of Education) with no Certificate of Eligibility required for enrollment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kells Elementary MEQ-accredited K-6 elementary school program on the Cavendish campus in Montreal, focusing on individualized learning, STEM education, and holistic child development. Tuition: $20,500 (Kindergarten) and $21,500 (Grades 1-6) annually for 2026-2027.
• Kells High School Grades 7-11 high school program at the De Maisonneuve West campus delivering the Quebec Ministry of Education curriculum with flexibility and individualized learning approaches. Tuition: $22,000 annually for 2026-2027.
• Grade 12 Pre-University Program One-year Pre-University program in collaboration with Virtual High School (Ontario) leading to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) recognized globally. Replaces Quebec's two-year CEGEP requirement and provides a direct pathway to four-year universities worldwide across five streams: Science & Engineering, Health Science, Computer Science, Commerce, and Social Sciences.
• ESL Program (Language Center) English as a Second Language program with three levels of instruction for Grades 7-10, taught by Cambridge CELTA-certified teachers maintaining a 1:10 teacher-student ratio, with concurrent instruction in Math, Science, and History. Priced at $750/month (high school) and $550/month (elementary / after-school).
• Kells Summer School Summer academic program offering small-group English, French, and Math courses for Grades 7-9 ($750/course), credit course review for Grades 10-11 ($675/course), and 1:1 tutoring ($75/hour), running July 6-24, 2026.
• FLEX Program Signature Kells extracurricular option program carved into the academic day for students to pursue individual interests outside the regular curriculum, including robotics, coding, chess, yoga, dance, cinematography, cooking, stop-motion animation, drama, ESL support, math enrichment, multi-sports, and more.
• Sport-Études Program Specialized athletic-academic program for elite athletes in grades 7-8, endorsed by the Quebec Ministry of Education in partnership with provincial sports federations, providing flexible schedules and personalized support. Plans to welcome 25 students each year.
• Kells International Residence On-campus accommodation for elementary and Grade 12 students (minutes from high school) offering modern furnished suites in triple ($1,650/month), double ($1,950/month), or single ($2,300/month) rooms with three meals per day, daily structure, academic support, and enrichment programming.
• Homestay Services Monthly homestay accommodation placement for international students with local host families at $1,900/month plus a $200 non-refundable placement fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% college acceptance rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Quebec Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Endorsed by Quebec Ministry of Education for the Sport-Etudes program, a specialized educational program for elite athletes pursuing high-performance athletic training while completing academic studies. This endorsement validates the unique North American program.
• Provincial Sports FederationsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with provincial sports federations for the Sport-Etudes program, enabling student-athletes to balance rigorous athletic training with academic work in partnership with government-endorsed sports-education initiative.
• Virtual High School (Ontario)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration with Virtual High School, a private online high school based in Ontario offering accredited courses towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. This partnership enables Kells Grade 12 program leading to OSSD and direct admission to four-year universities, bypassing CEGEP.
• Apple Financial ServicesminorOthersThird-party financial services provider for processing bursary applications; families apply through Apple Financial Services website with $130 non-refundable application fee for financial aid consideration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Westmount Park School: Independent private school in the Greater Montreal area serving elementary and secondary students; overlaps with Kells in addressable market and English-language private positioning.
• Trafalgar School for Girls: Montreal private school with overlapping tuition band and English-language curriculum; overlaps with Kells in the Greater Montreal private-school market, particularly for families seeking individualized secondary education.
• Royal West Academy: Montreal-area private school offering enriched secondary education; competes with Kells for academically focused Quebec families seeking private English secondary instruction.
• Stanstead College: Quebec private boarding school serving Canadian and international students with structured academic programming; overlaps with Kells on boarding residence and Quebec-based private positioning.
• Bishop's College School: Quebec-based (Sherbrooke) private boarding school with international cohort and individualized learning approach; comparable to Kells' residence program and ESL/personalized academic model.

Direct peers

• Lower Canada College: Long-established Montreal private English-language K-12 school serving local and international families; directly competes for the same affluent Quebec families seeking private English education, including similar tuition levels and extracurricular breadth.
• Columbia International College: Large Canadian private school (Hamilton, Ontario) built around international student recruitment with on-campus residence and ESL pathways; highly comparable to Kells' international student ecosystem and OSSD-style outcomes.
• The Study School: Montreal-based private English-language school serving elementary and secondary students; competes head-to-head with Kells for local Quebec families seeking private English instruction without Certificate of Eligibility constraints.

Broad incumbents

• Upper Canada College: One of Canada's most prominent independent schools; comparable premium positioning, university placement outcomes, and breadth of extracurricular programs, though at significantly larger scale.
• TFS - Canada's International School: Larger Toronto-based private school with IB curriculum and significant international student population; comparable premium-priced, internationally-oriented private school with multilingual programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kellsacademy
• Xx.com/Kellsacademy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kells Academy