Downlands College Performing Arts program has been selected as a finalist in the Best Co-Curriculum Program category of the 2019 Australian Education Awards and is the only Toowoomba school selected as a finalist for the awards.

The Australian Education Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the country’s top performing schools, principals, department heads and teachers. The Australian Education Awards go through a six-step process to select the winner including nominations, research and selection of finalists, confirmation of finalists, finalist submission, judging and the awards ceremony.

The nominations were conducted nationwide between February and March. Any individual or school who was operating in the Australian K-12 education industry was eligible to submit a nomination, focused on achievements and results from the previous 12 months. From there the finalist submissions will be reviewed by a judge and allocated a score. The finalist with the highest score in each category once the judging process has been completed will be named the winner.

The Downlands Performing Arts program is a wonderful example of a relationship-focused community of students, parents and staff coming together to nurture and develop the talent and passion of our students across Dance, Drama and Music. Their selection as a finalist acknowledges the fantastic work of their Performing Arts staff who have developed an innovative and contemporary co-curricular program that fosters inclusivity, enjoyment, resilience, persistence and excellence.

The winners of the Australian Education Awards will be announced at the awards ceremony in Sydney on Friday 16 August 2019 at the Dockside Group. The winner will also be published in The Educator magazine and online. Last years awards were attended by a full house of over 500 of Australia’s education elite from across the country. Awards were presented in 24 categories recognising the work of the schools and individuals making their mark in the sector.

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