Walden International School

What Walden International School does

Walden International School is a privately held, founder-led independent school located at 2035 Upper Middle Road East in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Founded around 2016 by Head of School Daphne Perugini, a 30-year education veteran, the school serves students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8 and is positioned as Halton Region's only JK-8 institution offering both the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (JK-5) and Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-8). Its core products are three interconnected IB programmes: IB Early Years, IB PYP, and IB MYP, unified under the 'Making Good People' philosophy that pairs inquiry-driven academics with character development, wellness, and nature-centric learning.

The school operates on a subscription/recurring tuition revenue model with annual billing, supported by a small team of approximately 21 employees delivering instruction across a single campus. Technology is used minimally and intentionally, with the school explicitly positioning itself 'pro-human' and 'connection over screens,' though it did develop off-campus/online learning capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go-to-market is event-driven and local: recurring Open Houses, personal tours, and virtual information sessions feed a direct-enrollment admissions process for families in Oakville and Halton Region. Demand generation is reinforced by a monthly content-marketing blog authored by the Head of School, a monthly email newsletter, an active Instagram presence, and a strategic partnership with social enterprise ME to WE for service initiatives. Ownership is concentrated with the founder, with no disclosed external investment, no second campus, and no enrollment or financial data in the public source material.

Name

Walden International School

Legal name

Walden International School

Website

https://waldeninternationalschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Walden International School is a privately held, founder-led JK-8 private school in Oakville, Ontario, offering the IB Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes under a character-and-wellness-focused 'Making Good People' philosophy. It serves families in Oakville and Halton Region through a single campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-8 Private School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAG

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

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJABAA

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

Keywords

• Private school education
• International baccalaureate programme
• Primary years programme
• Middle years programme
• Character development education

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Walden International School operates as a private independent school, generating revenue through tuition fees charged to enrolled families. The school has a published Tuition & Fees page (/tuition-fees) though specific fee amounts are not detailed in the source material.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Walden International School is an independent private school offering a continuous JK-Grade 8 educational programme built on the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. The school delivers the IB Early Years Programme, Primary Years Programme (PYP) for JK-5, and Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6-8, combining inquiry-driven academics with a distinctive focus on character development, wellness, and empathy under the motto 'Making Good People'.

Product overview

Walden International School is an independent private school offering a unified JK–8 educational programme built around the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. The school provides two interconnected IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6–8. Together, these programmes form a continuous inquiry-driven learning continuum that emphasizes character development ('Making Good People') alongside academic excellence, with a focus on wellness, empathy, and global responsibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IB Early Years Programme Early childhood education programme for Junior Kindergarten students focused on foundational learning, character development, and age-appropriate inquiry-based activities as the entry point to Walden's IB continuum.
• IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) International Baccalaureate programme for Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5 providing inquiry-driven, globally minded learning with emphasis on character development alongside academic foundations.
• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) International Baccalaureate programme for Grades 6-8 supporting inquiry-driven learning and international-mindedness across the middle years of education.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ME to WEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalden International School has a ME to WE coordinator (Christine Johnston, PK Teacher) who coordinates service initiatives and community giving programmes. ME to WE is a social enterprise that creates products and experiences to help people do good, supporting charitable initiatives and student engagement in making a difference.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• MacLachlan College: MacLachlan College is a private independent school in Oakville serving a similar JK-Grade 12 footprint with a similar small-school, values-driven positioning. It is the most directly comparable private school in Walden's immediate Oakville market, competing for the same affluent Halton families.
• Fern Hill School: Fern Hill School is a private independent school in Oakville offering preschool through Grade 8 with a similar boutique, individualized approach. It is a direct competitor for the same demographic of Halton Region families seeking alternatives to mainstream schooling.
• Mentor College: Mentor College is a private independent school in nearby Mississauga serving JK-Grade 12 students. It competes with Walden for the same Greater Toronto Area private-school family segment with comparable small-school feel and personalized education.

Broad incumbents

• Branksome Hall: Branksome Hall is a prestigious Toronto independent school offering IB programmes from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12. It is a broader IB peer that competes for globally-minded GTA families seeking a continuous JK-12 IB pathway that Walden does not offer.
• Appleby College: Appleby College is a prestigious, well-established private school in Oakville offering Grades 7-12 with boarding and an IB programme. It is a much larger incumbent in the same Oakville market that competes for the same affluent Halton families at the higher grade levels Walden does not serve.
• Bishop Strachan School: Bishop Strachan School is a long-established Toronto independent school offering IB programmes with a character- and leadership-focused mission. It is a broader GTA private-school incumbent operating at much larger scale with comparable emphasis on holistic, values-driven education.
• Toronto French School: Toronto French School is a large, well-established private school in Toronto offering IB programmes from Pre-K through Grade 12 with bilingual immersion. It is a broader IB peer that competes for Globally-minded GTA families willing to commute for premium IB education.
• Country Day School: Country Day School (formerly King's College School) is a well-established private school in King City, Ontario offering JK-Grade 12 with IB programmes. It is a broader GTA private-school incumbent that competes for the same affluent, academically-oriented family segment.
• Upper Canada College: Upper Canada College is one of Canada's most established private boys' schools in Toronto offering IB programmes. It represents a broader incumbent competitor for GTA families seeking premium IB education, operating at a much larger scale and brand recognition than Walden.

Regional players

• Halton Waldorf School: Halton Waldorf School is a private independent school in the Halton Region offering a different alternative pedagogy (Waldorf). It competes with Walden for the same subset of families seeking non-traditional, values-driven private education in the Halton catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/waldeninternationalschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walden-international-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Walden International School