MLC School

MLC School has been an authorised IB World School for the Diploma Programme since 1999. In Years 11 and 12 girls can take the IB Diploma, with its six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity and Service, as an alternative to the NSW Higher School Certificate; students are counselled on which pathway suits them. As an accredited Athlete Friendly Education Centre, the school lets elite athletes complete the Diploma over three years. Round Square membership adds international conferences, service projects and exchanges.

The Junior School runs from Pre-Kindergarten (girls turning four) to Year 6. Pre-K is play-based; from Kindergarten girls begin formal literacy and numeracy with personalised instruction, and integrated projects connect subjects through the primary years. Year 6 is a transition year based on the Senior campus while following the primary curriculum. The Senior School covers Years 7 to 12, ending with a choice between the NSW Higher School Certificate and the IB Diploma Programme. Main entry points are Pre-K, Kindergarten, Years 3, 5, 7 and 11.

The school's mission is to educate and inspire young women to be fearless thinkers with the moral courage and compassion to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others, summed up in its motto 'Dare to be more'. Its stated values are courage, compassion, respect and growth. Rooted in the Uniting Church and its Methodist heritage, the school holds regular chapel services and teaches religious education, while welcoming girls of many cultures and faiths.

The Burwood campus combines heritage buildings with modern facilities. The award-winning four-level Senior School Centre, opened in 2019, has 21 classrooms, eight science laboratories, seminar and tutorial rooms, collaboration spaces and a 200-seat auditorium. Other facilities include a heated indoor aquatic centre used for swimming and diving, a Music Centre with practice studios and a recital auditorium, renovated food technology kitchens, the Centre for Design, Art and Technology, a Year 6 Centre, two libraries, Café 1886 and a historic chapel with stained-glass windows.

The school runs its own bus routes across Sydney, and Burwood and Strathfield train stations are a short walk away. Café 1886 provides daily food service, and Uniting operates before and after school care on campus for Pre-K to Year 6. Pastoral care is led by Heads of Year, wellbeing staff, chaplains, a counselling team and the Health Centre. Scholarships are offered for entry in several year groups, including all-rounder, music and Indigenous scholarships. Students wear a school uniform, and a Parents and Friends association supports school life.

Girls from Year 3 compete on Saturdays in the IPSHA and IGSA girls' school competitions, with pathways to representative sport. The sports programme includes athletics and cross country, AFL, badminton, basketball, diving, fencing, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rowing, snowsports, swimming, tennis, touch football, volleyball and water polo. The arts programme covers dance companies, drama and theatresports, art clubs and a celebrated music department with ensembles and tuition in more than 20 instruments, including biennial concerts at the Sydney Opera House. There are also STEM and robotics groups, debating and public speaking, Model UN, chess, cadets and many student clubs.