Britannia Secondary School

Britannia Secondary School

Britannia Community Secondary School is a public community secondary school located in the Grandview–Woodland neighbourhood on the east-side of Vancouver, British Columbia. The school educates its students using a district-wide block schedule program that alternates four blocks every two days. Students are subject to eight different blocks in total. As of 2010, enrolment was 748 with 25.4% of their students having special needs. Britannia has the lowest Fraser Institute rating with a 3.6/10, the lowest of Vancouver School Board secondary schools.

The school was founded in 1908 as the second high school to be constructed in the city, and is now the oldest remaining secondary school. The first classes were held in the Admiral Seymour Elementary School building in September 1908. The school moved to the then partially completed Britannia building in 1910. The school colours of red, green, and white and the school motto "Per Vias Rectas" were adopted at this time. During the 1966-67 school year, a new wing was constructed and now houses the school office. In 1974, Britannia Secondary became Britannia Elementary-Secondary School. Britannia celebrated its centennial in 2008.

Situated in the Commercial Drive area of Vancouver, Britannia is a part of a larger community site which includes an elementary school, public library, skating rink, fitness facility and swimming pool. Britannia is also host to many other programs in academics, fine arts, leadership and academic tutoring and support. Nearly 200 courses are offered at the school including 19 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme courses and a Hockey Canada Skills Academy. Britannia athletic teams compete in the Vancouver Secondary School Athletics Association as part of BC School Sports and are known as the Bruins. Notable Britannia alumni include a Order of Canada recipient, a former Premier of British Columbia, and a former Supreme Court of Canada justice.