The McDonald College in North Strathfield is an independent K–12 school where students combine their academic studies with serious training in the performing arts or elite tennis. Secondary students choose a specialist stream in Acting, Ballet, Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, Technical Production or Tennis, and spend two hours in it every school day, on top of their academic subjects. This year, that model has produced some impressive results.
Our HSC performing arts students have been recognised statewide across Dance, Music and Drama. Five students have been nominated in more than one discipline, and one has been nominated in all three in the same HSC year.
HSC Dance
Five Dance students have received fifteen nominations between them for CALLBACK, the statewide showcase of outstanding HSC Dance works. Each of them was nominated three times, for both performing and choreographing.
HSC Music
Four students have been nominated in Music Performance for possible inclusion in ENCORE, the statewide concert featuring the most outstanding HSC Music performances and compositions in New South Wales.
HSC Drama
Fourteen students have earned twenty-three nominations for OnSTAGE, which features the best HSC Drama performances in New South Wales. Three group performances were nominated, along with eleven individual pieces. Nine students were nominated for both a solo and an ensemble work.
Tennis
Our boys’ tennis team are NSW High School Champions for the second year in a row. They won the title in Newcastle after three days of competition against schools from across the state, giving the team automatic entry into the National High School Championships, the Gallipoli Youth Cup.
Our girls’ team also played well, finishing fourth and improving on last year’s result. Our tennis students train daily with our coaching partners at Voyager Tennis, fitting that work around a full school timetable.
Daily training, built into the school day
Results like these don’t come from a few extra lessons a week. They come from years of daily training with specialist teachers, built into the school day rather than squeezed in after it. For families looking for a school where a child’s talent is taken seriously, without giving up a full academic education, that is what The McDonald College offers.
To find out more about The McDonald College and our specialist streams, join us at our Open Day on Thursday 15 October or visit mcdonald.nsw.edu.au. Auditions for 2027 entry will be held on Friday 30 October.
Truly the only school of its kind in Australia. The The McDonald College is a K-12 school in North Strathfield […]