Students must meet a certain standard of English before being admitted to the Yorkland program. All students are required to complete at least Grade 12 English and pass the Ontario Secondary School's Literacy Test for graduation requirements. Depending on a student's reading and writing skill level, this may affect his/her grade placement at The Yorkland school.

All programs at The Yorkland School emphasize the importance of speaking and listening skills and vocabulary development, along with the reading and writing skills necessary for the academic subjects. Instruction is also given in social studies, history, and geography.

Extra-curricular activities are a large part of each student's life at The Yorkland School. Therefore, all international students are encouraged to get involved in these activities. Sports such as swimming, tennis, cross-country, and soccer and clubs such as chess, newspaper, yearbook and Bible study are just a few of the activities available. The music, drama and art departments collaborate to produce a major theatrical production. Also see The Yorkland School Programs.

In addition to the academic life at Yorkland, students are also introduced to Canadian culture and lifestyle. Trips in and around Toronto, and the outdoor education program at The Yorkland School's Chandos Outdoor Education Centre in northern Ontario, expose students to the diversity of Canadian life and experiences.

Living arrangements with homestay families are available. Our homestay program is managed by The Canadian Homestay Family Agency. We strongly encourage this option for students whose immediate families are not living in Canada. Family support in an English setting is beneficial to the student's academic progress and acculturation. In all cases, we insist that students live with their guardian in the guardian's principal residence as a condition for attending The Yorkland School.