Pacific Spirit School

What Pacific Spirit School does

Pacific Spirit School is a Vancouver-based not-for-profit independent school offering play-based, arts-enriched, inquiry-driven education from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Founded in 1987 as Lifesong School by a group of educators and parents and rebranded under its current name in 2007, the school is owned and operated by New Learning Society, a volunteer-governed not-for-profit organization. The school is licensed by the BC Ministry of Education and delivers the provincial curriculum while emphasizing social-emotional development, multi-age classrooms (Sages K-1, Maples 2-3, Oaks 4-5, Cedars 6-7), a four-day school week (Monday-Thursday), daily outdoor time exceeding 90 minutes, minimal homework, and assessments without grades or tests. Its pedagogy includes proprietary methods such as French immersion through role-playing game adventures and passion-based learning inspired by Google's 20% time model.

The school's core products are two on-site programs at the Jericho Hill Centre (4196 West 4th Ave., Vancouver): Pacific Spirit Elementary School (K-7) and Pacific Spirit High School (Grades 8-12), launched in Fall 2021 in response to years of family demand. A free Homeschool Registration Program operates as a sub-product, leveraging the school's standing as a BC school authority to register homeschool families at no cost. The technology stack is intentionally minimal: technology-light in elementary grades with a BYOD model only at the high school level, and a Squarespace-hosted website and Google Forms for enrollment. The school maintains a 1:10 teacher-to-student ratio in high school and caps elementary classes at 20 students with a minimum one-teacher-plus-assistant model.

Revenue is generated through a three-tier sliding-scale tuition model (ranging from approximately $10,250 to $25,250+ annually depending on family financial means), supplemented by approximately 50% BC Ministry of Education funding as an independent school, and bridged by charitable donations (the school is a registered charitable society issuing tax receipts for contributions over $25). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on information sessions, school tours, classroom observation visits, and word-of-mouth referrals within the Vancouver progressive-education community. The school serves Vancouver families seeking an alternative to traditional academic environments, with main intake at Kindergarten and Grade 8.

Name

Pacific Spirit School

Legal name

Pacific Spirit School

Website

https://pacificspiritschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pacific Spirit School is a Vancouver-based not-for-profit independent school offering play-based, arts-enriched K-12 education. It serves Vancouver families seeking progressive education through sliding-scale tuition, supplemented by BC Ministry of Education funding and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Tuition: Sliding scale tuition fees ranging from approximately $10,250 to $25,250+ annually depending on family financial means. One of the most affordable independent schools in Vancouver.
2. Government Funding: Receives 50% of funding from BC Ministry of Education as an independent school. Independent schools in BC are licensed by the Ministry and cover the BC curriculum.
3. Charitable Donations: Relies on donations from families, friends, and grandparents to bridge funding gaps and support extraordinary programs. Registered charitable society (#13184 9564 RR0001) issuing tax receipts for donations over $25.
4. Homeschool Registration: Free registration service for homeschool families in BC - no cost for this service

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pacific Spirit School is a BC-licensed independent K-12 school delivering play-based, arts-enriched, inquiry-driven education at its Jericho Hill Centre campus in Vancouver. It offers an elementary program (K-7) and a high school program (Grades 8-12, launched Fall 2021), and additionally serves as a free school authority for BC homeschool registration. The school covers the full BC curriculum while emphasizing social-emotional development, small multi-age classes (capped at 20 students), and minimal homework on a four-day week.

Product overview

Pacific Spirit School operates as a single unified educational institution offering two distinct programs: an elementary school (Kindergarten through Grade 7) and a high school (Grades 8-12, launched 2021). The school also provides a homeschool registration service for families seeking independent education. The elementary program forms the core offering built on play-based, arts-enriched, inquiry-based learning principles established in 1987, while the high school extends this philosophy with customized approaches for teenagers including passion-based learning and mindfulness. All programs feature the school's signature 4-day school week, multi-age classroom groupings, and social-emotional development focus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pacific Spirit Elementary School Independent elementary school program (Kindergarten through Grade 7) at Jericho Hill Centre in Vancouver, featuring play-based and inquiry-based learning, arts-enriched curriculum, multi-age groupings, and social-emotional development. The program covers BC curriculum in math, science, French, reading, writing, and social studies with minimal homework and a 4-day school week (Monday-Thursday).
• Pacific Spirit High School Independent high school program (Grades 8-12) launched in fall 2021, offering student-centered academic instruction with BC curriculum coverage, passion-based and project-based learning approaches, mindfulness practice, and mixed-age classrooms. Operates Monday-Thursday with a 9:30am start time and maintains a 1:10 teacher-to-student ratio.
• Homeschool Registration Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 years of established progressive education practice, predating BC's 2017 curriculum reforms that now align with PSS's approach

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New Learning SocietycoreOthers · 1 January 1987New Learning Society is the volunteer-based not-for-profit organization founded in 1987 that owns and operates Pacific Spirit School (originally Lifesong School, renamed in 2007). The society's mission is to maintain a community providing educational programs for children and adults that promote community and the growth of the whole person. The board of directors provides strategic direction and financial/legal stewardship.
• BC Ministry of EducationcoreOthersPacific Spirit School operates as an independent school licensed by the BC Ministry of Education. Independent schools in BC are owned and governed by not-for-profit societies and are required to cover the BC curriculum. The school receives 50% of its funding from the provincial government.
• Jericho BeachminorOthersLocation near Jericho Beach provides outdoor learning opportunities and field trip access for students. School utilizes nearby field for Sports Day activities.
• Golden Ears ParkminorOthersAnnual family camping trip location just before school year ends in June. Group hike, water fights, outdoor potluck, marshmallow roasting, and campfire songs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• West Point Grey Academy: West Point Grey Academy is a prominent independent K-12 school in Vancouver with a strong academic reputation and similar small-class philosophy. It competes for the same pool of Vancouver families seeking independent education, though at a higher price point and more traditional academic orientation.
• York House School: York House is an independent K-12 girls' school in Vancouver with a long-standing progressive tradition. It is comparable in scale, philosophy, and target demographic to Pacific Spirit, with a similar emphasis on individualized learning and community.
• Crofton House School: Crofton House is a well-established independent K-12 girls' school in Vancouver with a similar values-based, community-centered philosophy. It targets the same demographic of Vancouver families prioritizing progressive, supportive education environments.
• Mulgrave School: Mulgrave is a prestigious independent K-12 school in West Vancouver serving the same North Shore and Vancouver family demographic. It offers an IB curriculum and competes directly for progressive-minded families seeking rigorous but supportive independent education.
• Little Flower Academy: Little Flower Academy is an independent K-12 girls' school in Vancouver with a faith-based mission. It serves a similar demographic of Vancouver families seeking values-based, community-centered education, though with a Catholic foundation Pacific Spirit lacks.
• Vancouver Waldorf School: Vancouver Waldorf School is an independent K-12 school in Vancouver offering a holistic, arts-integrated, play- and inquiry-based curriculum. It is the most philosophically aligned peer to Pacific Spirit, both serving families seeking alternative, non-traditional education in the same metro area.

Broad incumbents

• St. George's School: St. George's is a large, established independent boys' school in Vancouver and a major incumbent in the local independent school market. While more traditional in pedagogy, it competes for faculty and families and represents the scale ceiling for independent K-12 in the region. Pacific Spirit's High School Principal David Darling previously served 20+ years here.
• Vancouver College: Vancouver College is a long-established independent K-12 school in Vancouver with a Catholic tradition. As a broad incumbent, it represents a comparable scale and tuition tier in the local independent school market, though with a more traditional and faith-based orientation than Pacific Spirit.

Emerging players

• Bodhi High School: Bodhi High School is a smaller, alternative independent high school in Vancouver with a progressive, student-centered philosophy. It is comparable as an emerging alternative education provider in the same geographic market, though it serves only grades 8-12 and operates without the elementary foundation PSS has built since 1987.

Regional players

• Southridge School: Southridge is an independent K-12 school in Surrey, BC, serving the broader Metro Vancouver region. While located outside Vancouver proper, it competes for families seeking independent education and offers IB programs, providing a regional benchmark for tuition and positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-spirit-school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Spirit School