English+ is ideally suited to prospective students whose first language is not English but who have had some schooling in or outside Canada, where English is the language of instruction. Candidates are those students who may benefit from additional support to achieve the academic English fluency needed for high school and to prepare them for success in their college and university studies. 

Application for English+ is a part of the regular Crofton House application process for Grade 8 students. When completing the online admissions application form, click “YES” when asked if you will be applying for the English Plus program to indicate your interest. Applicants for English+ will receive more information and a checklist with steps to complete.

Selection is based on a written and oral English+ assessment to determine the student’s current level of English proficiency. English+ students typically have strong academic skills, but their written and oral English fluency requires additional support. While grammar errors do not generally affect a student’s ability to communicate in English, they jeopardize their success in academic settings (both secondary and post-secondary). 

English+ at Crofton House is an EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program designed to develop a student’s written and oral language skills as they relate to academic settings where English is the language of instruction (typically high school, college and university settings). The English+ program will not appear on a Crofton House student’s transcript and is intended to support a student’s academic success at Crofton House and beyond.

By contrast, ELL programs (English Language Learner) typically support students who do not yet have a basic command of spoken and written English. Crofton House does not offer this program. 

No, applying for English+ is not mandatory. If the Crofton House Admissions team identifies your daughter as a candidate for the program, you may be asked if you are interested in learning more and invited to have her apply.

The English+ program is a highly supportive academic language program that does not appear on a Crofton House student’s transcript as the course work is not for credit and supplements the curriculum. 

English+ provides students with the academic English language skills needed for success in high school and their post-secondary studies.

Only temporarily. In Grade 8, English+ students do not take French 8 to allow them to focus only on academic English. Neurolinguistic research shows that removing students from a second or third language course for one year does not affect their ability to learn that language in future years.

In Grade 9, English+ students take French 9 or Spanish 9 and give up one elective class for the year to attend the Tutorial 9+ class. 

Grade 10 English+ students give up one half-year elective during the first half of their year. 

Please note that it is not recommended that first-language Mandarin speakers take Mandarin at Crofton House because universities do not consider it a rigorous course for Mandarin first-language speakers. Additionally, the Mandarin classes at Crofton House School are designed for second language learners, not native speakers of Mandarin.

The application deadline for English+ is the same as for the regular Grade 8 Crofton House applications. Applicants to the English+ program must also participate in the English Plus Assessment as part of the admissions process.

Visit the Admissions FAQ for more information on the Crofton House application process and deadlines.

The English+ Assessment is a proficiency assessment developed by CM Global English. Crofton House administers it for Grade 8 applicants who identify that they would like to be considered for the English+ Program. 

All applicants to Grade 8 must participate in the Grade 8 In-House Assessment, but only English+ applicants take the English+ Assessment. 

No. Once a student begins the English+ program, they must continue through to the completion of their Grade 12 year.

In addition to annual Crofton House tuition fees, a one-time, non-refundable fee of $35,000 is paid in the first year of the English+ program to cover the five-year program. 

Completing the English Plus Assessment is also an additional $75 fee.

The fee includes five years of support from the English+ program coordinator, including in-class support, supplementary books and materials, and one-to-one support at lunchtime, after school, or during Grade 11 or 12 spare blocks.