The McDonald College is truly the only school of its kind in Australia.
We are an independent, non-denominational, K-12 school, specialising in the NESA Academic Curriculum through to the NSW HSC. We offer a range of performing arts and elite sports integrated with an equal focus on students’ academic careers: Acting Classical Ballet Contemporary Dance Dance (Commercial) Music Musical Theatre Elite Tennis Rhythmic Gymnastics, and Technical Production We are located in North Strathfield, an easy 20-minute train trip from the heart of Sydney, NSW Australia. We offer boarding for 45 students of all genders from Years 7 - 12. Boarders come from the world over – from China to Cootamundra and as close as Concord. Our boarding house is designed to provide increased levels of privacy as students become more independent and mature. Our strong community values, together with the guidance and support for boarders, creates close family-like relationships that last long after graduation.
Our Vision is to be the best performance-centred school. Our Mission is to nurture individual journeys in a creative and inclusive learning community that values intellectual inquiry and ethical decision-making.
Our highly experienced staff are professional, personable, and passionate. Many of our staff have been at the top of their career, are still active in their chosen field on a professional basis, and stay current via professional development. Our performing arts students are offered many opportunities to perform throughout the year including at our High Performance Season, An Evening of Classical Ballet, showcases, various plays, Eisteddfod groups, and more. Classical ballet students may audition for our pre-professional company, The Premier State Ballet, which performs a full-length ballet each year. Additionally, we offer an Elite Masterclass Series with respected industry professionals and the popular International Summer School. We also have an After Hours program which runs year-round and caters for all years and all levels. PartnershipsUniquely, we have forged partnerships with the Sydney Dance Co., Australian Theatre for Young People, Australian Institute of Music, Voyager Academy of Tennis and the Rhythmic (gymnastics) Academy of Sydney. These partnerships offer students pathways to the future with industry training of the highest calibre.
Students love The McDonald College because here they find their people – people who understand and value their difference. Parents love The McDonald College because we place equal emphasis on academic rigour and the pursuit of their child’s passion in an environment, where the students enjoy coming to school. AlumniWe count among our alumni the likes of Sarah Murdoch (international model, TV presenter, actor) Nikki Webster (star of the Sydney Olympics, dancer, vocalist) Tim Draxl (actor, musical theatre performer), Dimity Clancey (TV journalist), Meg Mac (singer-songwriter), Ash Magic (who has over 6.6M followers on TikTok), and Emma Watkins (the Yellow Wiggle). Recent graduate, Michael Zhang (ATAR 99.95) is now studying at Harvard and is in good company with our graduate doctors, lawyers, teachers and business leaders. We are proud of all our alumni and love to stay in touch. Open DaysOPEN DAYS AND AUDITIONS
We hold a series of Open Days / Mornings, Principal’s Tours, Experience Days for prospective Kindergarten – Year 2 students and Auditions for entry into Years 5 – 11.
For more information, visit mcdonald.nsw.edu.au Performing Arts programme is integrated with a rigorous academic programme culminating in the NSW Higher School Certificate. Our highly experienced and dedicated staff members are passionate and skilled in nurturing our students' potential.
