[2] MLC School was founded in 1886 to prepare students for entrance to the University of Sydney, which had only admitted women to degrees four years before.

Founding principal Charles John Prescott believed in the education of very young children and persuaded the college council to establish a co-educational kindergarten.

Miss Scheer, and her training under in the principles of Friedrich Fröbel are mentioned in the school history Walk In The Light but unfortunately her Christian name is not recorded.

[citation needed] In 1886, founding principal Prescott[7] and MLC School's drawing and painting teacher Miss Douglas[who?]

The MLC School motto, chosen by Prescott, is from the Vulgate: Ut filiae lucis ambulate ('walk as daughters of the light').

[citation needed] Prescott also chose the MLC School colours to honour his alma mater Oxford and its rival institution Cambridge: two bands of dark blue (for love of Oxford) with light blue inserted (for love of Cambridge).

[citation needed] MLC Burwood, particularly the main school site bounded by Rowley and Grantham Street and Park Road, is listed on the local government heritage register.

MLC School is registered and accredited with the New South Wales Board of Studies, and therefore follows the mandated curriculum for all years.

Students undertaking the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in their final two years at school select one subject from each of six core study areas, ensuring a breadth of subject choice through humanities, experimental sciences, mathematics, arts and compulsory language study.

The IB Diploma also requires a CAS component (hours dedicated to creativity, action and service), Theory of Knowledge classes and an Extended (5,000 word) Essay in a subject area of the student's choice.

[citation needed] MLC School's 2010 IB Diploma results included four perfect scores, converting to the maximum Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 99.95.

These competitions occur on Saturday mornings or in the form of carnivals and include sports such as: netball, softball, swimming, diving, cricket, tennis, athletics, fencing, cross country, rowing, hockey, soccer, water polo, basketball, touch football and gymnastics.

[citation needed] Students who perform well at JSHAA or IGSSA level may be invited to compete in NSW Combined Independent Schools' (CIS) competitions.

“At first other schools seemed to wonder if it was quite the correct thing, but next year some of them followed suit, and eventually all who had held up hands of horror, put them down and joined in too.”[29] MLC School offers instrumental music lessons in over twenty instruments to both current MLC students and external students.

Students interested in music are offered the opportunity to perform on a number of levels, including at studio concerts and smaller groups.

Expanding the house system strengthened the pastoral care program,[32][failed verification] and provided students with more leadership opportunities and greater encouragement for participation in the wider life of the school.

The impact of this was immediately evident with greater involvement in swimming, sports and gymnastics competitions held during Term 4 1992.

[citation needed] The six new houses introduced in 1992 were named after people and places of significance in the history of MLC School.

The Sydney Morning Herald advertisement on the 23 January 1886 stated that “the premises (Kent House) have been occupied as a school by Miss Lester for many years past and are consequently well-known.” As student numbers rose, plans were made for a significant extension to the buildings.

The Kent House cottage, which had been used mainly for sleeping accommodation, was to be demolished and replaced with a two-storey building with dining hall and suite of bedrooms above.

Schofield provided the sum of £2,000 (approx $1 million in today's money) to the new Wesleyan Ladies College (as MLC School was then known), to build the Boarder's dormitory hall and dining room.

The Tower Wing (foundation stone laid 1918) was designed by Alfred Newman in a Tudor Gothic style to harmonise with the existing architecture of the Schofield Hall which it adjoins.

The Tower Wing provided four additional large classrooms and eight music rooms, as well as bedrooms and sleeping-out balconies for the staff and boarders.

In late 1923 Abbeythorpe, a residence that stood between the school's playing fields and Burwood Park, was purchased from Mrs Starling.

On 29 April 1929 the Parents’ and Friends’ Association was established with the objective of assisting in “any way possible the promotion of the interests of the College, and to supplement school equipment”.

The Great Depression and WWII meant that fund raising was a challenge, but on 9 March 1957 the P&F had their “fulfilment of a dream” and the first MLC School pool was officially opened.

In August 1949 a two-storey house, Youngarra, located on the corner of Rowley and Gordon Streets was purchased by the school.