WA’s top schools: Two public schools make it inside top 10 of State’s best schools for performing arts

WA’s only dedicated performing arts high school has topped a list of best schools for dance and drama. Results data shows that John Curtin College of the Arts was identified as being among the highest-achieving schools for both dance and drama every year for the past seven years. The public school in Fremantle — which auditions students for seven arts-based programs — is followed by St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, which had six mentions for drama and four for dance. In equal third, with seven mentions across both subjects since 2016, are All Saints’ College, Penrhos College and Perth College. John Curtin College of the Arts principal Travis Vladich said the school had a long history of excellence in dance and drama, even before it became a selective school. “What I think is really good about the program is it’s all about potential when we look for students,” he said. “A lot of work is done to identify that potential and make sure that students achieve it. We’re actually identifying creative intelligence at the school.” One of the reasons the school performed so well was that students enjoyed being with like-minded classmates. “Kids can have their passion and be happy,” he said. “They can be who they are.” The school is in high demand, with 19 boarders from the country and some students travelling from as far away as Yanchep every day. Mr Vladich said the arts were about people, so children who were immersed in the arts learnt valuable skills of empathy and problem-solving. “Only a very small percentage of our students actually go on into the industry, but everybody has that point of difference of being expert communicators and care and compassion for people,” he said. With 110 separate productions across the school each year, students also had to learn excellent time management and self-discipline, which carried over into high achievement in other subjects. “When you’re involved in so many rehearsals, you have to manage your time.” Mr Vladich said he feared the arts were not always valued as they should be. “I get concerned that the arts are dying in the community and dying in education,” he said. “I think every school should have an arts program because these are our creative thinkers of the future, and a lot of schools, I think, miss that opportunity, don’t see the sophistication of the arts, but see it as a subject you just do because it’s fun.” His comments come as a growing number of private schools offer scholarships in the performing arts realm.