The school's initial goals were to equip their pupils with a broad understanding of literature, languages, ethics, fine arts, as well as science and mathematics.

Forty years later, the school relocated to a building on Cedar Avenue, on the slope of Mount Royal.

The school continued to grow in size for another 16 years, and after observing a larger property at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Montrose Avenue in 1964, the school undertook a major fundraising campaign to make the move possible.

The school's motto is Non Nobis Sed Urbi Et Orbi, which translates from Latin to English as "not for ourselves alone, but for the city and the world".

Projects are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), relating to issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.

Previous destinations include Costa Rica, Mexico, Boston, Prague, Orlando, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City.

They have a soccer, rugby, basketball, swimming, badminton, curling, golf, tennis, football, track and field, halo, cross country, squash, ski, hockey team and others.