From Tutoring Centre to Premier Independent School - The History of Kells Academy

As an educator in the public sector in the 1970s, Irene Woods often ran after-school tutorials for her students. She was constantly amazed at the progress students could make in this setting. From this observation came an idea: apply the tutorial model to the classroom.

That means identifying the needs of the particular student, tailoring your teaching approach to them, and progressing at their pace. Small classes, individual attention, and a creative and student-led approach to instruction became the hallmarks of the Westmount Learning Centre that Ms. Woods founded in 1978. 

Pictured: Ms. Woods works with a student at the Westmount Learning Centre in the early 1980s.

Nowadays, a personalized and differentiated approach to instruction is widely recognized as best pedagogical practice. Students at teaching colleges across the world learn about Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning. Carol Ann Tomlinson–a pioneer of differentiated instruction–published her first book on the subject in the 90s. Dr. David Rose and his colleagues introduced the Universal Design for Learning Model in the 90s. Ms. Woods was talking about these concepts and building a school around them in the 70s. Kells has always been, and continues to be, ahead of the curve. Since the 70s, Kells Academy has grown significantly. When Kells Academy was founded in 1982, it had thirty students. By 1987, that number had grown to 200. Now, Kells Academy is a full-fledged international K-12 school with three campuses and a reputation for excellence.

Pictured: Ms. Woods presents outstanding achievement awards to three graduates at the Kells Academy Convocation Ceremony in 1987.

Kells Academy has produced excellent scholars who have gone on to study at the most prestigious universities, such as Howard, University of Toronto, McGill, Waterloo, Concordia, UBC, and many others. Kells students frequently earn honours in national and international math competitions and science fairs. The rigorous and innovative curriculum is complemented by a full extracurricular program. Students can participate in team sports, a variety of clubs, and the Kells signature Flex program, which includes options such as yoga, chess, robotics, filmmaking, and gardening. Kells constantly works to expand its offerings. The Grade 12 program was established in 2017 as a fast track to university. Most recently, the school has announced a Sport-Études program for elite athletes, which will launch in 2025.

One teacher’s idea became a tutoring centre. A tutoring centre became a top-tier independent school. What is next for Kells Academy? One thing is certain–Kells will be on the cutting edge of education.