Best Schools in Middlesex Centre, Ontario: A Guide for Ilderton, Arva & Komoka Families

by Gloria Roman

Middlesex Centre families have three main public school options feeding their children through elementary and into one shared high school: Oxbow Public School in Ilderton, Parkview Public School in Komoka, and Centennial Central Public School in Arva, all part of the Thames Valley District School Board and all streaming into Medway High School. As a REALTOR® who works with families relocating into Ilderton, Arva, and Komoka-Kilworth every month, I get the same question constantly: which school will my kids actually attend, and is the area growing fast enough that it'll still make sense in five years? Here's what I tell them.

This guide walks through the elementary and secondary options across Middlesex Centre, what's driving enrollment growth, and what buyers should ask before choosing a street.

Key Takeaways

Middlesex Centre's population grew 9.7% between 2016 and 2021, reaching 18,928 residents, according to Statistics Canada's 2021 Census — and school enrollment has grown right alongside it.
Three Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) elementary schools serve the core communities: Oxbow Public School (Ilderton), Parkview Public School (Komoka), and Centennial Central Public School (Arva).
Medway High School in Arva is the shared secondary school for TVDSB families across most of Middlesex Centre, with an enrollment of roughly 1,600 students as of October 2023.
The London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) received Ministry of Education funding for a new elementary school and childcare centre in the Komoka-Kilworth area, planned for roughly 424 student spaces.
Komoka's rapid subdivision growth has already pushed Parkview Public School through renovations to keep up with enrollment — a pattern worth watching if you're buying in a new phase of development.

Public Elementary Schools Serving Middlesex Centre

Ilderton: Oxbow Public School

Oxbow Public School serves Ilderton and the surrounding rural catchment under TVDSB. It's the school most families relocating to Ilderton will land in, and it feeds directly into Medway High School for grade 9. Ilderton itself has grown into one of Middlesex Centre's busiest villages, with a county library branch, a medical centre, and a fairground that hosts one of the largest country fairs in southern Ontario every fall — a nice indicator of how much community infrastructure has built up around the school-age population here.

Komoka: Parkview Public School

Parkview Public School, located on Oxbow Drive, is Komoka's TVDSB elementary school and also feeds into Medway High School. Komoka has been one of the fastest-growing pockets of Middlesex Centre for over a decade, driven by new subdivisions in Kilworth Heights and around the village core. That growth has already forced renovations and expansions at Parkview to keep pace with enrollment — something I always flag to buyers looking at new-build listings in this area, since school capacity can shift quickly when several phases of a subdivision come online in the same few years.

Families who prefer a Catholic education option should note that the London District Catholic School Board has secured Ministry of Education funding for a new elementary school and childcare centre planned for the Komoka-Kilworth area, with capacity for approximately 424 students. That's a meaningful signal about where LDCSB expects its own enrollment growth to come from over the next several years.

Arva: Centennial Central Public School

Arva's TVDSB elementary school, Centennial Central Public School, sits in one of Middlesex Centre's most historic communities — a village that dates back to the Underground Railroad era and still centres around the Arva Flour Mill and Medway Creek. Arva is also home to Medway High School itself, so families here have both elementary and secondary options within the same small community.

Coldstream: Valleyview Public School

Coldstream, home to Middlesex Centre's municipal offices, is served by Valleyview Public School under TVDSB. It's a smaller catchment than Ilderton or Komoka but still part of the same broader school network feeding into Medway.

Secondary School: Medway High School in Arva

Medway High School, located on Medway Road in Arva, is the shared secondary school for TVDSB students across most of Middlesex Centre, including graduates of Oxbow, Parkview, Centennial Central, and Valleyview. It's a long-established school — originally opened in 1949 as East Middlesex High School — with an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students as of October 2023, making it one of the larger secondary schools feeding a rural-suburban catchment in the London area. Families who want programming details, current course offerings, or extracurricular options should reach out to the school directly or check the TVDSB school directory, since those specifics change year to year.

For families interested in a private option, Providence Reformed Collegiate operates as a private Christian high school in Komoka.

Why This Matters for Middlesex Centre Buyers

School catchments in Middlesex Centre aren't static. Komoka's growth alone has already pushed one elementary school through renovations, and the Catholic board's planned Komoka-Kilworth school shows the area is still expected to add families for years to come. If you're comparing two listings on paper-similar streets, it's worth asking:

Which specific school does this address feed into today, and has that boundary shifted recently?
Is this subdivision an early phase or a later phase — and does that change which school your kids would attend if enrollment gets reassigned?
For Catholic school families, is the planned Komoka-Kilworth school expected to open before your child would need it?

I walk buyers through exactly this when we're touring homes in Ilderton, Arva, or Komoka — it's one of the first things I check before we even book a showing, because catchment boundaries can matter as much as square footage for a young family.

Frequently Asked Questions

What elementary school will my kids attend if we buy in Ilderton?
Most Ilderton addresses fall within the Oxbow Public School catchment under the Thames Valley District School Board. Always confirm the exact boundary for a specific address directly with TVDSB, since boundaries can be adjusted as enrollment shifts.

Is there a Catholic school option in Komoka or Ilderton?
Not yet locally in Komoka, but the London District Catholic School Board has secured funding for a new elementary school and childcare centre in the Komoka-Kilworth area. Until it opens, Catholic-board families in this area are typically bused to schools elsewhere in the board.

What high school do Middlesex Centre kids go to?
The large majority of TVDSB students across Ilderton, Arva, Komoka, and Coldstream attend Medway High School in Arva, which enrolls roughly 1,600 students.

Is Middlesex Centre growing fast enough to strain school capacity?
Population grew 9.7% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses according to Statistics Canada, and Komoka in particular has already required school renovations to keep up. It's a reasonable question to ask about any specific subdivision before you buy.

Are there private school options in the area?
Yes — Providence Reformed Collegiate in Komoka operates as a private Christian secondary school, in addition to the public TVDSB and Catholic LDCSB options.

Ready to Find the Right Fit in Middlesex Centre?

Whether you're weighing Ilderton against Komoka, trying to time a purchase around the Catholic board's new Komoka-Kilworth school, or simply want to confirm exactly which catchment a specific address falls into before you make an offer, I'd love to help. As a REALTOR® with Century 21, First Canadian who works across Middlesex Centre regularly, I can walk you through current listings and connect you with the specific school boundary information for any address you're considering. Call me, Gloria Roman, at (647) 883-7135, or schedule a free consultation to get started.