At The McDonald College, students are encouraged to excel academically while pursuing their passion for performance across Acting, Ballet, Dance, Music, Musical Theatre or Elite Tennis. The education program integrates performance within an attentive academic environment to foster creativity, a love of learning, and to help students achieve excellence.
With a 10-hour week dedicated to the stream of their choice, students receive an immersive education as they learn with like-minded individuals while being taught by industry specialists who are at the top of their field. The Junior School curriculum, beginning at Year 3, is designed to introduce young students to performance holistically before commencing Secondary School in Year 7.
In addition to offering a Performing Arts program, The McDonald College offers a pre-professional Elite Tennis stream in partnership with the Voyager Tennis Academy, which operates from the world-class facilities at Sydney Olympic Park. In 2018, our Voyager students were crowned the National Australian Schools Tennis Challenge winners.
The College ethos is built on an understanding that students benefit from an education that incorporates creative learning, particularly from a young age. The school’s program gives students the opportunity to perform to audiences, both within and outside of the school, allowing them to build deep reservoirs of confidence and self-esteem.
Through this method of learning, students obtain powerful communication skills, such as how to persuade, entertain and influence; skills that are highly adaptable to a myriad of diverse careers. It is within this ethos that we also recognise creative learning for preparing students for life beyond the classroom, which has been supported by numerous studies in recent years about 21st century workplace skills.
A creative education prepares students to be innovative citizens who seek to make a positive difference in their chosen field, whether it be a mathematics enthusiast, ballerina, tennis champion or journalist – these life-long skills can be taken to the stage and beyond.
The McDonald College legacy of successful students is proven in the breadth of talent in Australia and internationally. Some of our graduates include:
• Amanda McGuigan: The Australian Ballet
• Daniel Raso: High School Musical Live on Stage, Grease the Mega-Musical, Matilda
• Dimitri Kleioris: An American in Paris on Broadway, Flesh & Bone
• Robert Curran: Louisville Ballet, Former Australian Ballet
• Emma Watkins: The Wiggles
• Josef Brown: The Australian Ballet, Dirty Dancing Stage Musical
• Josh Quong Tart: Home and Away, All Saints, Underbelly: Razor and The Lion King
• Kathleen de Leon: Hi-5
• Meg Mac: Indie Artist
• Nikki Webster: The Wizard of Oz, Sydney Olympics
• Reese Wakefield: Sanctum, The Black Balloon, Endless Love
• Sedona Legge: The Shallows
• Sophie Lowe: The Slap, Beautiful Kate
• Tiarnie Coupland: Love Child
• Tim Draxl: Swimming Upstream, Crownies, A Place to Call Home
• Sarah Murdoch: Brand Ambassador, Model, TV Personality
Recent graduates have accepted offers to the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, the University of Technology, Macquarie University, the University of Wollongong, Charles Sturt University, and other tertiary institutions.
Graduates who have chosen to pursue performing arts have recently been accepted to The Australian Ballet School, New Zealand School of Dance, The Royal Ballet School, Princeton Ballet School and Brussels International Ballet School.
The McDonald College 2019 Dates
Thursday 9 May – Open Morning
Friday 14 June – Entry Auditions
Friday 26 July – Open Day
Wednesday 14 August – open evening
Friday 13 September – Entry Auditions
Thursday 17 October – Open Morning
Thursday 14 November – Open Morning