Oakridge Secondary School: Boundary, IB Program and Homes Nearby

Oakridge Secondary School is a Thames Valley District School Board public high school at 1040 Oxford Street West, in the heart of London's Oakridge neighbourhood. It opened in 1959, has about 1,000 students in Grades 9 to 12, and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Nearly every home in Oakridge is inside its boundary, but you should still confirm any address with the board before you buy.

If you want to see how it compares with all 19 high schools in the city, start with our ranking of the best high schools in London, Ontario. This guide goes deeper on Oakridge Secondary itself: which streets go there, how the IB program works, getting to school, and the homes around it.

What Should Families Know About Oakridge Secondary School?

Oakridge Secondary is the public high school for the Oakridge neighbourhood, and one of the strongest academic schools in the city. Here are the basics at a glance.

Quick facts	Oakridge Secondary School
Address	1040 Oxford Street West, London, ON N6H 1V4
School board	Thames Valley District School Board (public, English)
Grades	9 to 12
Students	About 1,000
Opened	1959
IB World School	Since January 2020 (Diploma Programme)
Fraser Institute rating	8.0 out of 10, second of London's 19 high schools (see the full ranking)

The rating comes from the Fraser Institute's 2025 report card, which is based on test results, so treat it as one input among several. Programs, fit and the daily trip to school matter just as much.

When Did Oakridge Secondary Open?

Oakridge Secondary opened in 1959 as a county high school, when much of what we now call Oakridge was still the western edge of the city. London annexed the surrounding area the next year, and the school has grown up alongside the neighbourhood ever since.

1959 is a meaningful year for my family too. It is the year we moved to Oakridge, so the school and my family have been part of this neighbourhood for the same stretch of time. Three generations later, I have watched the streets around the school fill in, the trees grow up over the roads, and the same homes pass from one young family to the next.

Some of my favourite memories are of getting to school. I loved walking or riding my bike there with friends, picking people up along the way and dropping them off at their streets on the way home. That is still one of the best parts of living this close to a high school: kids can get there on their own, together.

Which Streets Go to Oakridge Secondary School?

Almost all of Oakridge goes to Oakridge Secondary. When I checked the board's September 2026 boundaries against the City of London's address records for the neighbourhood, every Oakridge address came back as Oakridge Secondary except Halls Mill Road on the Byron edge, which goes to Byron Northview and then Saunders Secondary.

Which elementary school a home is assigned to depends on where it sits in Oakridge. All three Thames Valley public elementary schools in the neighbourhood lead to Oakridge Secondary:

Elementary school	Part of Oakridge	Example streets	High school
John Dearness Public School	Southwest	Hazelden Lane, Hunt Club Drive, Sanatorium Road, Old Hunt Road	Oakridge Secondary
Riverside Public School	East and centre, south of Oxford Street	Oakridge Drive, Plantation Road, Oak Park Drive, Flintlock Road	Oakridge Secondary
Clara Brenton Public School	North of Oxford Street	Guildwood Boulevard, Fontaine Road, Cedarwood Road, Prince George Road	Oakridge Secondary
West Oaks French Immersion (from Grade 1)	All of Oakridge	Any Oakridge address	Sir Frederick Banting Secondary (French Immersion)

A few streets are split. Riverside Drive goes to Riverside Public School for most of its length and to John Dearness from about 1099 west. Oxford Street West is divided between all three elementary schools depending on the block and the side of the street. Both still lead to Oakridge Secondary.

French Immersion takes its own path. Students start at West Oaks French Immersion in Grade 1 and continue at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary, not Oakridge Secondary, so plan for that if you were counting on a short walk to high school.

Boundaries can change after board reviews, so here is the process I walk buyers through before they write an offer:

1. Look up the exact address with the board's Find My Local School tool. Use the full street address, not the neighbourhood name.
2. Call the school if a home sits near a boundary edge. Staff can confirm which school serves the address and whether it has space.
3. Check Catholic and French-language options separately. Each board draws its own lines, so a home's public school tells you nothing about its Catholic school.
4. Put it in your search criteria if the school matters to your family, so we only look at homes that fit.

A listing that says "near Oakridge Secondary" tells you about distance. It does not confirm the boundary, so always check.

Does Oakridge Secondary Offer the IB Program?

Yes. Oakridge Secondary became an International Baccalaureate World School in January 2020 and is the only school in the Thames Valley board that offers the IB Diploma Programme. The Diploma Programme runs over Grades 11 and 12 and is a demanding, internationally recognized university-prep program built around research, writing and critical thinking.

The detail many families miss: living in the Oakridge Secondary boundary gets you the school, not a seat in the IB program. Because it is the board's only IB school, students from across Thames Valley apply to it, and entry has its own application separate from your home school. If IB is part of your plan, ask the school about the Grade 8 application timeline and any pre-IB courses in Grades 9 and 10.

What Else Does Oakridge Secondary Offer?

Beyond IB, Oakridge Secondary runs the full range you would expect from a large Ontario high school. The Oaks field teams across a range of sports, the arts program includes drama productions, and there are clubs for most interests.

Like every Thames Valley high school, it also offers co-op and the standard Ontario pathways toward university, college, apprenticeship and the workplace. The school's own website and guidance office are the best place to check current programs, since course offerings change from year to year.

Is There a School Bus to Oakridge Secondary?

Only for students who live more than 3.2 km from the school. Thames Valley high school students qualify for a bus when their home is more than 3.2 kilometres away and inside the school's boundary, and you can check any address with the eligibility tool on mybigyellowbus.ca. The board's transportation page has the full rules.

In practice, most Oakridge homes are within that distance, so most students walk, bike or get a ride, just as my friends and I did. The school sits right on Oxford Street West, close to the Oakridge Mall area and LTC bus routes along Oxford, which also helps older students get to part-time jobs and activities on their own.

A tip from experience: walk the route at 8 a.m. on a weekday before you buy. Traffic on Oxford and the side streets looks very different at drop-off time than it does at a Sunday open house.

What Are the Homes Like Near Oakridge Secondary?

Most homes within walking distance of the school were built between the late 1950s and the 1970s. You will see a lot of side-splits, back-splits and bungalows on generous lots, with mature trees and quiet crescents. Pockets like Oakridge Acres, Oakridge Park, Hazelden and Hunt Club each have their own feel, and a few streets have newer custom homes where older houses were rebuilt.

What this means for buyers:

• Expect competition from families. Homes close to a well-known high school draw steady interest, especially in late winter and spring, when parents plan for the next school year.
• Look past the original finishes. Many of these homes have solid bones and big lots. Kitchens, windows and electrical are the updates I see buyers budget for most often.
• Check the inspection items common to the era. Older sewer lines, original windows and the electrical panel are worth a close look in any 1960s home.
• Think about the long game. A good lot near a strong school tends to hold its appeal, which matters when it is your turn to sell.

If you want homes near the school sent to you as they list, use the get listings near Oakridge Secondary form. You can also browse current Oakridge listings, see every school in the neighbourhood in our Oakridge community guide, or get to know the streets on the Oakridge area page.

What Other High Schools Are Close to Oakridge?

Oakridge families have a second strong option on the same road. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, at 1360 Oxford Street West, is run by the London District Catholic School Board and is the highest-rated Catholic high school in London, at 7.8 out of 10 in the Fraser report card.

For French-language schooling, École secondaire Gabriel-Dumont serves eligible Francophone students across London. Catholic and French-language boards set their own boundaries and eligibility rules, so check those separately for any address.

Having both public and Catholic options this close is an advantage when you sell, too. It widens the pool of families who see an Oakridge address as a fit.

Thinking About a Move Near Oakridge Secondary?

Choosing a home around a school is a big decision, and the details matter: the exact boundary, the walk to class, the age of the house, and how the home will hold its appeal once your kids have graduated. My family has called Oakridge home since 1959, the same year this school opened, and I am happy to help you sort through it. Book a call with me and we will talk through your timeline, the streets that fit your family, and what is coming up for sale near the school.

Photo of Oakridge Secondary School: Cniesel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.