Our Vision, Mission and Values

We are Melbourne’s leading non-denominational independent day and boarding girls’ school, committed to excellence and innovation in education. 

Today, many of Australia's best private schools have gone co-ed, leaving girls at a disadvantage. MLC remains proudly all girls, reflecting the considerable lifelong benefits single-sex education has for girls and young women, such as higher self-esteem, higher academic achievement, greater participation in STEM, and enhanced career aspirations. †

Our programs have been specifically designed to help our students achieve their best, and every child's individual interests and talents are actively supported and nurtured.

An MLC education inspires our students to be citizens the world needs.

Our students develop the skills, values, and confidence to embrace the challenges and opportunities at school and beyond and to contribute meaningfully to society.

MLC, as a leading girls' school, develops and nurtures a community of independent, resilient, ambitious learners, by providing an unmatched breadth of integrated learning and wellbeing experiences and environments.

Our commitment to excellence and innovation in girls’ education, combined with the breadth of our curriculum, co-curricular activities, wellbeing programs, and College resources, ensures our students benefit from an enriched learning environment that is unmatched in Melbourne's education landscape, marking out MLC as one of the best schools for girls in Australia.

With the support and encouragement to explore everything that interests, challenges, and motivates them, our students become independent, resilient, and ambitious learners who possess the skills, knowledge and attitude to thrive throughout every stage of their schooling, and in an ever-changing, globalised world.

Our inclusive and welcoming environment is driven and underpinned by our values.

Our values are the articulation of what we stand for and aspire to, guiding the school culture we foster and the behaviours we expect of everyone within our community.

Each value is an action-oriented statement. It is not enough to say that respect, responsibility, compassion, and courage are important to us. At MLC, we demonstrate our commitment to our values through all our interactions with others.

MLC is committed to providing students with a safe and nurturing environment in which to prosper, find out more about our commitment to child safety here.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Empowerment and Inclusion

At MLC, we value the diversity of knowledge, thought, and experience. We believe a welcoming and inclusive culture is important for learning and teaching and facilitates a positive staff, student, and alumnae experience. 

As an education institution proud to be a ‘girls’ school’, MLC places great importance on fostering a sense of pride and confidence in female identity. We cultivate an environment where girls and young women are encouraged to uplift one another, build self-belief, and advocate for their rights. 

In our commitment to inclusivity, we cultivate a safe community that celebrates diversity, uniqueness, and respect for the differences of people of every faith, ethnicity, age, ability, neurodiversity, culture, language, gender identity, sex, and sexual orientation. 

We learn and work in solidarity with and from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Peoples and as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, sky and water.  

MLC is dedicated to creating a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone can thrive. We believe that each member of our community plays a crucial role in fostering this environment, and we encourage everyone to contribute to this shared goal. 

Statement of Democratic Principles

As a registered school with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Methodist Ladies' College supports and promotes the principles of Australian democracy, including a commitment to:

• Accountable and democratically elected government
• The rule of law
• Equal rights for all before the law, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender or other attributes
• Freedom of religion
• Freedom of speech and freedom of association, the values of openness and tolerance, and respect for all members of the College community regardless of background

This Statement of Democratic Principles is communicated to staff, students, parents and guardians and the College community.

† ‘Single-sex education for girls – The research’ by the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia.