# Best Schools in Coquitlam — SD43 Neighbourhood Guide > SD43 covers Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Anmore/Belcarra. Here's which Coquitlam catchments are consistently strong — and how to think about… **Source:** https://soldbycraig.ca/best-schools-in-coquitlam/ **Author:** Craig Johnston, REALTOR® (BC Licence V99960) · The MACNABS · Royal LePage Elite West **Site:** https://soldbycraig.ca --- Schools overview ## Best schools in Coquitlam SD43 covers Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Anmore/Belcarra. Here's which Coquitlam catchments are consistently strong — and how to think about catchment when buying. [See the answer](#answer) [Map my equity first](/home-evaluation/) 1% Ranked Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® 2% Nationwide Top 2% Team Member — Royal LePage nationwide 44 Local Lived in the Tri-Cities 47+ years ★ Team The MACNABS Quick Answer What should you know about Best Schools in Coquitlam? SD43 covers Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Anmore/Belcarra. Here's which Coquitlam catchments are consistently strong — and how to think about… **Craig Johnston, Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®** and 47+ year Tri-Cities resident, can walk you through the local context. Free Strategy Call ends with a written one-page plan in 24 hours. Also read [French immersion](/french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/) [Private schools](/private-schools-coquitlam-area/) [Book a Strategy Call with Craig](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [Coquitlam real estate guide](/coquitlam-real-estate-guide/) ## The SD43 picture SD43 is one of BC's stronger districts. Within Coquitlam specifically, strong catchments concentrate around Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, and parts of Eagle Ridge. Each has its own elementary-to-secondary pattern. Specific school rankings move year to year. The better question for buyers is: does this catchment reliably deliver the kind of experience my family wants? **Burke Mountain:** Young families. Strong newer elementaries. **Westwood Plateau:** Established catchments. Top secondary pipeline. **Heritage Mountain:** Strong catchments, forest-setting schools. ![Best schools in Coquitlam](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-3.39.56-PM-scaled.png) Tri-Cities Monthly ## Want the Coquitlam schools + market read each month? One email per month from Craig Johnston, REALTOR® — catchment changes, price movement by SD43 school zone, and which neighbourhoods make the difference. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **5.0** across 34+ Google reviews · Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® · 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. ## What makes a strong catchment ### Staff stability Teachers staying 10+ years signals a healthy school. ### Pipeline consistency Elementary → middle → secondary without big rank drops. ### Program depth French Immersion, IB, arts, sports — choices matter. ### Parent engagement Active PAC and volunteer base usually correlate with outcomes. ### Enrolment stability Not over-capacity; not shrinking. ## Things to verify before you offer ### Current catchment SD43 can redraw; verify your exact address. ### Program acceptance Immersion and choice programs have their own rules. ### Bus / walk details Some addresses walk; others bus 20+ minutes. ### After-school care Availability varies by school. ### Sibling policy Policies change year to year. ## Neighbourhood school guides Dive deeper: [Burke Mountain schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/schools-in-burke-mountain-coquitlam/), [Westwood Plateau schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/westwood-plateau-schools-guide/), [Heritage Mountain schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/heritage-mountain-schools-guide/), [French Immersion in Coquitlam](https://soldbycraig.ca/french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/). ![Best schools in Coquitlam](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/F883FFAD-16AB-439A-8921-3FD6B1489036_1_105_c.jpeg) ## How to buy a home for the catchment Pick the catchment first. Put the home filter inside the catchment boundary. Don't let a beautiful home outside the catchment pull you off plan — that's the #1 regret I see with family buyers. If you want help mapping your family's plan against Coquitlam catchments, book a call. This is most of my work. [Book a Strategy Call with Craig](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [Back to neighbourhood hub](https://soldbycraig.ca/coquitlam-neighbourhood-resource-hub/) ![Burke Mountain schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-20-at-3.39.56-PM-scaled.png) ### Burke Mountain schools Burke-specific guide. [Read more](https://soldbycraig.ca/schools-in-burke-mountain-coquitlam/) ![Westwood Plateau schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/craig-johnston-realtor.jpg) ### Westwood Plateau schools Westwood-specific guide. [Read more](https://soldbycraig.ca/westwood-plateau-schools-guide/) ![Heritage Mountain schools](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/F883FFAD-16AB-439A-8921-3FD6B1489036_1_105_c.jpeg) ### Heritage Mountain schools Heritage-specific guide. [Read more](https://soldbycraig.ca/heritage-mountain-schools-guide/) ## Related questions ### What's the best elementary in Coquitlam? Varies. The useful answer is: the one matched to your family's fit, inside a strong pipeline. ### Can I apply out-of-catchment? Subject to space and policy. Never guaranteed. Catchment-first is safer. ### How much does catchment affect resale? Measurable on family-focused product. Less so on condos. ### Is SD43 ranked against other districts? Consistently one of the stronger BC districts across multiple metrics. ![Best schools in Coquitlam](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/F883FFAD-16AB-439A-8921-3FD6B1489036_1_105_c.jpeg) ## Still have questions? I answer these kinds of questions every day. A 15-minute call usually resolves it. [Book a Strategy Call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [Back to neighbourhood hub](https://soldbycraig.ca/coquitlam-neighbourhood-resource-hub/) Keep exploring ## Neighbourhood school guides Each catchment in detail. [schools-in-burke-mountain-coquitlam/Burke-specific.](/burke-mountain-schools-guide/) [westwood-plateau-schools-guide/Westwood-specific.](/westwood-plateau-schools-guide/) [heritage-mountain-schools-guide/Heritage-specific.](/heritage-mountain-schools-guide/) [french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/Immersion-specific.](/french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/) [Book a Strategy Call with Craig](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) About Craig ![Craig Johnston, Coquitlam REALTOR](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/craig-johnston-realtor.jpg) Craig Johnston Licensed REALTOR® · Coquitlam & the Tri-Cities I have spent the last 47+ years living in Coquitlam, 9+ years on Burke Mountain, helping move-up buyers and sellers get from where they are to where they want to be — without the panic of owning two homes at once or selling under value. I work the Tri-Cities every day: Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, and the rest of Coquitlam’s move-up neighbourhoods. If you want a straight read on your timing, pricing, or move-up strategy, the fastest next step is a short call. **Specialty**Move-up sellers & upsizers **Coverage**Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam **Experience**47+ years living in Coquitlam, 9+ years on Burke Mountain, serving families [Book a Strategy Call with Craig →](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) Related Guides ## Keep reading [Continue Reading Dr. Charles Best Catchment Homes inside the Plateau's most sought catchment.](/dr-charles-best-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Gleneagle Secondary Catchment Academic programs + the homes that feed in.](/gleneagle-secondary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Pinetree Secondary Catchment Town-centre homes inside the Pinetree zone.](/pinetree-secondary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Riverside Secondary Catchment The family-favourite PoCo-adjacent catchment.](/riverside-secondary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Bramblewood Elementary Catchment The Plateau elementary catchment — homes guide.](/bramblewood-elementary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Smiling Creek Elementary Catchment Burke Mountain's top elementary catchment.](/smiling-creek-elementary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Leigh Elementary Catchment The other Burke Mountain family catchment.](/leigh-elementary-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading Hillcrest Middle Catchment The middle-school feeder to Dr. Charles Best.](/hillcrest-middle-catchment-homes/) [Continue Reading French Immersion Schools Programs, catchments, waitlists — the real picture.](/french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/) [Continue Reading Private Schools (Area) Private options serving Coquitlam and nearby.](/private-schools-coquitlam-area/) [Continue Reading Burke Mountain Schools Every school serving Burke — catchments and programs.](/schools-in-burke-mountain-coquitlam/) [Continue Reading Good for Families? Schools, parks, safety — the family answer.](/is-coquitlam-good-for-families/) ” From Craig “I operate the way I'd want a REALTOR® to work with my own family — written advice, honest trade-offs, and no hedging on the hard questions.” ![Craig Johnston, REALTOR®](https://soldbycraig.ca/wp-content/uploads/craig-johnston-realtor.jpg) Craig Johnston REALTOR® · Coquitlam Why Craig for this decision ## The four pillars I run every file on Licensed REALTOR® in Coquitlam. Tri-Cities-fluent, written-advice-first. Here's how I work any client file that lands on this page. [Start with a free Equity Map](/home-evaluation/) [Call 604-202-6092](tel:+16042026092) Local resident Lives and works in the Tri-Cities; kids in SD43. Written positions Pricing, negotiation, and disclosure in writing — never verbal-only. Full representation Equally strong on buy-side and sell-side; no part-time bias. Same-day response You won't be waiting a week for a callback. Next steps ## Three ways to take the next step — pick the one that fits. [If you're just exploring Book a Strategy Call No pitch. Just scope your options and walk away with a written next-step plan.](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [If you're actively shopping Set up a custom search Matched to your criteria with written comparable-sold data on every showing.](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [If you need an answer now Call 604-202-6092 Same-day response during business hours. Tri-Cities local line.](tel:+16042026092) Questions? I'm real local help. [Talk to Craig](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) Authority Sources & Local Resources ## Verify everything — the sources behind this page Every claim on this site is checkable against a government, regulator, school district, or independent authority. Cross-reference anything — if a number here ever drifts from the source, the source wins. Municipal & Transit - [City of Coquitlam — municipal services, bylaws, permits ↗](https://www.coquitlam.ca/) - [City of Port Moody — municipal services ↗](https://www.portmoody.ca/) - [City of Port Coquitlam — municipal services ↗](https://www.portcoquitlam.ca/) - [TransLink — SkyTrain, West Coast Express, bus schedules ↗](https://www.translink.ca/) Health - [Fraser Health — regional health authority ↗](https://www.fraserhealth.ca/) - [Eagle Ridge Hospital — Port Moody ↗](https://www.fraserhealth.ca/Service-Directory/Locations/Tri-Cities/eagle-ridge-hospital) Schools - [SD43 — Coquitlam School District ↗](https://www.sd43.bc.ca/) - [Fraser Institute — BC school report cards ↗](https://www.fraserinstitute.org/school-performance) Parks & Outdoors - [BC Parks — provincial park system ↗](https://bcparks.ca/) - [Coquitlam Crunch — City of Coquitlam trail ↗](https://www.coquitlam.ca/1129/Coquitlam-Crunch) - [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park ↗](https://bcparks.ca/pinecone-burke-park/) - [Belcarra Regional Park — Metro Vancouver ↗](https://metrovancouver.org/services/parks/parks-greenways-reserves/belcarra-regional-park) Real Estate Authorities - [Greater Vancouver REALTORS® — monthly market reports ↗](https://www.gvrealtors.ca/market-watch/monthly-market-report.html) - [BC Assessment — property values & search ↗](https://www.bcassessment.ca/) - [BC Financial Services Authority — real estate regulator ↗](https://www.bcfsa.ca/) Local Lifestyle - [Coquitlam Centre — regional shopping ↗](https://coquitlamcentre.com/) - [Brewers Row — Port Moody brewery district ↗](https://www.portmoody.ca/en/discover/brewers-row.aspx) External links open in a new tab. I'm not affiliated with these organizations — they are cited as independent authorities. Any time a number on this page differs from the authority, the authority wins. ★Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® ![Medallion Club Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®](/assets/medallion-club-badge-60.png)Medallion Club Team Member President’s Club Team Member 47+ Years in the Tri-Cities ## What Coquitlam clients actually say after working with Craig Real reviews pulled from Google. No paid placements. No curated-only-positives. Every client below closed with Craig — most sold over asking, several within a week. ★★★★★ “Craig sold my property in just 6 days. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other REALTORS® who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers — all over asking price. Craig didn’t stop there; he negotiated even better terms for me.” Heather Fox Sold with Craig · Over asking, 6 days ★★★★★ “We worked with Craig on three real estate transactions. In all cases he was extremely professional and efficient. In the case of the two sales, both houses were sold for over asking and within the one week of going on market. Craig analyzed the market accurately and advised on a selling price that was fair and saleable.” Ann English 3 transactions · 2 sold over asking in a week ★★★★★ “Craig recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price. Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated REALTORS® I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.” Riverplate Equities West Vancouver townhouse · Over asking, 6 days ★★★★★ “We consider ourselves lucky to be able to work with Craig over the last 5 years, over multiple transactions. He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. Craig is a seasoned and well-informed realtor who will be a great asset on any real estate journey.” Jaeyoung Joo Google Local Guide · 5 years, multiple transactions ★★★★★ “As first-time home buyers, we had a myriad of concerns. Craig immediately put us at ease by taking the time to address each of our questions thoroughly and patiently. At no point did I feel pressured or rushed into making a decision. Instead, Craig empowered us with all the facts and options.” Jeff Kwok First-time buyers ★★★★★ “One of the most dedicated and professional REALTORS® I’ve encountered. No matter the value of the property, Craig puts great care into preparing high-quality marketing content. With his in-depth knowledge of the Coquitlam area, I highly recommend Craig to anyone looking to buy or sell.” Allan Liang Coquitlam specialist ★★★★★ “His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation skills, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. A remarkable professional who exceeded expectations.” Matdori Google Local Guide · Sold high, bought low ★★★★★ “Craig absolutely delivered on his promise of selling my condo, exceeding my expectations. A++ communications and he kept me informed and educated every single step of the way. Rock solid performance and a very quick above asking sale, I am beyond grateful.” Rich & Andrew Condo sold over asking ★★★★★ “We were referred to Craig by a friend and knew from day one we were in great hands. The marketing was outstanding — we received seven offers, and Craig held firm on our priorities. When we re-listed in January, it sold in three days at the price we wanted, and he went on to find us an off-market buy in Vernon.” Jim Turnbull 7 offers · Sold at target price · Off-market buy in Vernon [Read the Google reviews →](https://www.google.com/search?q=craig+johnston+macnabs+coquitlam+reviews) More on Schools & Catchments ## Keep Digging Craig writes the Tri-Cities coverage most REALTORS® won't. Every page below is built on the same ground-truth data and the same negotiation playbook Craig uses for every client. [Best schools for move-up families](/best-schools-for-families-moving-up-coquitlam-port-moody/) [Bramblewood Elementary catchment](/bramblewood-elementary-catchment-homes/) [Dr Charles Best catchment](/dr-charles-best-catchment-homes/) [French immersion schools](/french-immersion-schools-coquitlam/) [Gleneagle Secondary catchment](/gleneagle-secondary-catchment-homes/) [Hillcrest Middle catchment](/hillcrest-middle-catchment-homes/) [Leigh Elementary catchment](/leigh-elementary-catchment-homes/) [Pinetree Secondary catchment](/pinetree-secondary-catchment-homes/) In this topic cluster · neighbourhoods & schools Keep reading in the neighbourhoods & schools cluster - [Burke Mountain developments](https://soldbycraig.ca/burke-mountain-developments/) - [Burke Mountain townhomes](https://soldbycraig.ca/burke-mountain-townhomes/) - [Westwood Plateau vs. Heritage Mountain](https://soldbycraig.ca/westwood-plateau-vs-heritage-mountain/) Or see the full library at [the neighbourhoods & schools section of the resource hub](https://soldbycraig.ca/coquitlam-real-estate-resource-hub/#neighbourhoods). [Book a Strategy Call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [Home Eval](/home-evaluation/) More Tri-Cities guides ### Explore the neighbourhoods connected to this page - [→ Maillardville (Coquitlam) guide](/maillardville-coquitlam-guide/) - [→ Eagle Ridge (Coquitlam) guide](/eagle-ridge-coquitlam-deep-dive/) - [→ Ranch Park (Coquitlam) guide](/ranch-park-coquitlam-guide/) - [→ Anmore estate homes & acreage](/anmore-estate-homes-acreage-guide/) - [→ Burke Mountain estate homes](/burke-mountain-estate-homes/) - [→ Westwood Plateau luxury homes](/westwood-plateau-luxury-homes/) Tri-Cities monthly ## Get the honest Tri-Cities market read, monthly. June 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,649,000, -4.8% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, no listings flood, no marketing automation games. Genuine monthly update from a 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. Best REALTOR® by area ## A specialist for your specific Tri-Cities city or neighbourhood. [Coquitlam](/best-realtor-in-coquitlam/) [Burke Mountain](/best-realtor-in-burke-mountain/) [Westwood Plateau](/best-realtor-in-westwood-plateau/) [Heritage Mountain](/best-realtor-in-heritage-mountain/) [Port Moody](/best-realtor-in-port-moody/) [Port Coquitlam](/best-realtor-in-port-coquitlam/) [Anmore](/best-realtor-in-anmore/) [Belcarra](/best-realtor-in-belcarra/) [Or compare all Tri-Cities specialists →](/best-local-realtor-tri-cities/)