Lower School

Everyone can try everything

Between 70 and 80 boys enter the Lower School in Year 7 (age 11+), joining around 50 boys from the Junior School. We provide a stimulating and stretching academic challenge while also ensuring the boys feel secure. During Years 7 and 8, all subjects are taught by specialist teachers and we place a strong emphasis on developing sound academic and organisational skills. Outside the classroom a broad range of co-curricular activities encourages boys to make the most of College life.

Forging friendships

During their first term, Year 7 boys spend a week at the College’s Outdoor Centre in the Brecon Beacons where they get to know each other in a relaxed environment. Activities include climbing, caving, gorge-walking, waterfall exploration, mountain-walking and map-reading. This trip is hugely popular and lasting friendships are made.

“Intellectual curiosity is at the heart of a Dulwich education in the Lower School, where boys are free to discover new talents and to explore new ways of thinking. We provide a nurturing environment where boys learn how to be responsible, empathetic and to have a strong sense of their own identity.”

Fran Cooke
Head of Lower School

Middle School

Discover, develop, achieve

There are around 620 boys in Years 9 to 11 and we welcome up to 85 new entrants into Year 9 (age 13+) to join those moving up from Year 8. The curriculum focuses on establishing a sound knowledge base and developing the boys’ study skills to enable them to fulfil their academic potential and to grow as rounded individuals. Boys usually study ten GCSE/IGCSE subjects in Year 10 and 11 and transfer to the Upper School at the end of Year 11.

“The Middle School Years are crucial in helping boys develop their identities both inside and out of the classroom. We encourage the boys to question everything, to be as empathetic as possible and strive for excellence in everything they do. These are the years when life-long academic passions are formed, co-curricular skills are developed, and friendships that last a lifetime are made.”

Sameer Tanna
Head of Middle School

Upper School

Each year approximately 40 new students enter the Remove (Year 12; 16+), joining those moving up from Year 11. Pupils select three A level subjects from the 30 or so offered at the College. Many also opt to undertake an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), an independent research programme, equivalent to half an A level.

Committed to the ‘good learning’ envisioned by our Founder, the College also runs a wide range of bespoke courses, designed to ensure that all pupils benefit from the full breadth of a truly liberal education. Those in the Remove take Advanced Electives in subjects like Law, Finance, Climate Change, and Astrophysics; these are designed to complement and extend core, A level learning, and to prepare pupils for university life and the world of work. In the Upper Sixth, pupils take two Liberal Studies courses – topics range from ‘Evolution and the Mind’ to ‘Gender in 60s Cinema’ – designed to broaden horizons and pique curiosity. (These courses are run in conjunction with local partner schools: James Allen’s Girls’ School and Sydenham High.) From the classroom to the lunchtime society meeting to the annual Upper School Symposium: across the two years of the Sixth Form, we aim both to prepare our boys for academic success, and to nurture in them a love of the life of the mind. As they plan the next stages in that journey, extensive support is made available to those applying to universities in the UK, USA, Canada and elsewhere; and a wide range of courses, conventions, and networking events is run by the Careers Department.

The two years that pupils spend in the Upper School are challenging but rewarding, with the aim of building the personal and academic self-motivation and independence needed for life beyond Dulwich.

“The Upper School provides an inspiring environment to help all pupils find their passion; build confidence with integrity and humility; and become faithful leaders of their country and to their world. The academic and co-curricular programme is personalised and challenging; it’s designed for the demands of the 21st century, but draws on a rich tradition of 400 years of scholarship and community.”

Colm O’Siochrú
Head of Upper School

Free Learning

Free Learning is multifaceted education that goes beyond the syllabus. It enriches and nurtures intellectual curiosity. For pupils it provides strong foundations for a lifelong love of independent learning. Interdisciplinary in its very nature, it stimulates light bulb moments and creative connection making. At its best, Free Learning marries academic and emotional intelligence in equal measure, and weaves into many aspects of school life, in the classrooms to the lecture theatre, and through clubs and societies and events, including those with our wider partnership programmes.

Other examples of Free Learning at the College include: the Upper School Symposium; the Extended Essay; national and international competitions including Debating, the Spanish poetry recitation and translation competition, the Weizmann Safe Cracking competition and a plethora of music competitions; and the learning and debate we engender from important anniversaries, including LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter, International Women’s Day, Refugee Week, and Dulwich anniversaries such as DC I AM.

The Dulwich Campus

Set in 70 acres of leafy grounds with more than 1,000 trees, the College is a continually evolving campus. We are committed to providing stimulating learning spaces that are conducive to communal and independent thinking, reflection and socialising. The combination of our historic buildings with contemporary facilities creates a distinctive environment, providing many opportunities for learning, with indoor and outdoor areas that encourage innovation, initiative, the exploration of ideas and creativity.

The iconic Barry Buildings are home to the Wodehouse Library (after OA PG Wodehouse) and the Great Hall for assemblies and performance while The Laboratory and its auditorium for visiting speakers and events, brings together the twin cultures of the Sciences and the Arts, and is home to OA Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lifeboat, James Caird; both are central to the life of the campus.

“There is a sense that Dulwich is bigger than us. It is in the walls. There is a real pride that we are part of that. There is a sense that we are becoming part of that history.”

Sixth Former

Co-educational opportunities at Dulwich

At Dulwich College pupils enjoy all the benefits of a single-sex education, with the additional opportunity of learning and networking in a co-educational environment.

From the Junior School upwards, College pupils enjoy a wide range of joint initiatives with local girls’ schools. The Young Enterprise Programme enables pupils to work in partnership with students at Sydenham High School, developing entrepreneurial skills and working as a team to set up a small business. Girls at Sydenham and at James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) also have joint rowing training sessions at the College during the week and on the Thames at weekends.

There is a rich programme of activities with JAGS throughout the year, which is shaped by a group of Prefects from both schools. Pupils have the opportunity to collaborate regularly on academic matters, for example at the Junior School Symposium; the shared Free Learning afternoons in the Lower School; at collaborations days in the Middle School, where charity and service provide the source of inspiration; and through Advanced Electives and Liberal Studies courses in the Sixth Form, which take place in, and are delivered by teachers from, both the College and JAGS. In addition, these events are complemented by joint co-curricular activities, such as the Combined Cadet Force in Year 9; a variety of music concerts; Upper School Drama productions; and fundraising events organised by Prefects from both schools. All of these ventures are underpinned by a strong pastoral emphasis, where there is a focus on the positive interactions between the pupils from both schools, and the friendships which ensue.

A diverse range of year-round events, across a range of disciplines, is also offered with our sixteen partner schools as part of SSLP (Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnerships): this also affords our pupils many opportunities to meet other students across the borough and beyond.

Sustainability

A deep sense of social responsibility is rooted in our ethos and we are committed to a programme that reflects our responsibility to the environment, with practicable, enduring actions and measurable targets. Our aim is to progressively reduce our carbon footprint, achieving long term and lasting improvements that address core issues of sustainability and enhance bio-diversity across the whole College campus.

Prefects with particular responsibility for sustainability and pupil eco-reps in each year are energetic in championing environmental issues and leading behaviour change. They are encouraged to challenge and engage with senior management on environmental issues and there is a close collaboration between pupils and managers in developing initiatives that will work for the whole College – from small steps such as banishing plastic bottles on campus and building bike racks to encourage sustainable travel to school, to larger initiatives such as this year’s Free Learning Week which focuses on sustainability.

This symposium on sustainability will engage the entire community, further developing practices and processes as part of our accountability to defined targets. Our international schools are amongst the leaders in pursuing a truly integrated approach to the environment in education.

Our broad-reaching Sustainability Action Plan targets all areas of College life and activity; the first independent annual ESG Impact Report of the College reported favourably on the plans in place and the progress made.

We know there is much more to do but with consistent effort and clear monitoring of realistic actions aligned to the active engagement of the whole community, we are confident of continuing acceleration towards net zero goals and a cleaner, greener future for the school and wider community.

Boarding

Pupils can board from age 13 in Old Blew and The Orchard. These beautiful period properties are located at the edge of the campus and give boys the opportunity to ‘leave for school’ and ‘come home’ to relax in the enormous gardens and common rooms. Senior boys continue here with their extended family or move to one of the two on-site houses, Blew and Ivyholme. Younger boys share bedrooms, typically with two or three in a room, while seniors have their own study bedrooms.

Communal space is at the heart of each of our houses although it is the people that provide the pulse. Housemasters and boarding staff take considerable care with the wellbeing of every boy and work with tutors to ensure academic potential is fulfilled.

Our proximity to central London enables us to enrich our students with cultural events and social outings, and also makes travelling to and from home easy, whether it be via the airport or simply to another part of the city.

Sport

Every Dulwich boy is encouraged to try as many different sports as possible. Through sport we want to encourage all boys to lead a healthy and active lifestyle at the College and beyond.

Sport for All

An integral part of the school curriculum, we believe that Sport and PE have a direct impact on our boys’ wellbeing. From running a mile regularly to representing your country, the link between positive, resilient mind-sets and physical activity cannot be ignored.

The Sport and PE programme aims to unlock the potential of each student by providing opportunities and experiences to help them reach desired goals. Specialist teachers and coaches deliver at every stage and implement a curriculum to challenge each pupil.

The aim of the Sport and PE programme at Dulwich is to ensure a high-quality sporting experience for all pupils, leading to a lifelong involvement in physical activity and sport, regardless of level. There is support for those who play and aspire to play sport at a high standard through our High Performance Programme, and currently we have many Alleynians playing at an international level.

We organise over 2,000 fixtures each year, helping to generate a strong sense of community and pride in playing for the College.

Art

Art at Dulwich College encourages all pupils to be curious, courageous and original. It is important to challenge students beyond preconceived ideas of what it means to ‘do art’ – mixed media installation, cement and plaster casting, alongside digital and experimental film, are some of the experiences Alleynians will explore at GCSE.

Art exhibitions are central to our pupils’ development: a combination of student shows and practising artists’ work stretch and enrich pupils’ experience and provide them with a deeper level of cultural free learning.

While many of our students will go on to pursue creative careers at art colleges or design and architecture schools, we support the idea that art comes with its own portfolio of skills and attributes, whether practical, technically based or expressive. Along with problem-solving skills, critical and analytical understanding, these are transferable creative-thinking abilities, fit for purpose for the future of our students within the fast-changing world of the twenty-first century.

Design Technology

Our extensive DT resources support workshop learning using traditional woods, metals and plastic, complemented by electronic and graphic studios. Computer technology is central - CAD enables pupils to design and develop new ideas which can be realised through our suite of CAM machinery including 3D printers, laser cutters and a CNC router. We recently opened our Virtual Reality suite which will enable real time collaboration in the virtual realm.

Sustainability is pivotal. We source timber locally which is seasoned and processed on site, reducing our carbon footprint. We challenge pupils to rethink the concept of broken within our consumer society, providing the opportunity to repair and reuse everyday products.

Enterprise is a common thread that knots together all aspects of DT. Specific projects focus on manufacturing and selling products which provides an understanding of how time and effort has a financial value, and also enables us to contribute to charity.

“The arts define our culture, our identity and our national conversation.”

Sir Peter Bazalgette OA

Drama, Theatre and Dance

In the theatre, we encourage boys to be fearless and experimental with new performance concepts and ideas, fostering their instinct to play and invent. Drama & Theatre is very popular at GCSE and A Level, and external moderators often commend students’ work as being of the highest dramatic order. Our pupils have the opportunity to act, as well as to direct, design, build, and work technically within the creative team on sound, lighting and stage management.

Recent productions have been staged at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at the Globe Theatre and the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank. Actors and technicians perform regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Our Dancer in Residence has introduced skills way beyond the familiar and conventional in lessons, and in the rehearsal room, resulting in a thrilling new physical vocabulary from Year 3-13.

Careers in the creative industries

With a pedigree of OAs forging careers in the creative industries including Sir Peter Bazalgette, former chair of the Arts Council England and now chairman of ITV, Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, and UK Theatre award-winning director Ned Bennett, it is no surprise that many of our boys look to extend and explore their love of drama and theatre beyond what they have experienced at school.

We celebrate our reputation as “a renowned drama department”. The Daily Telegraph

Music

Music is here for all the boys and it flourishes in both performance and the academic curriculum. As a large school we benefit from substantial numbers of boys committing to orchestras, choirs and bands, from string quartets to rock bands, from Chapel Choir to House choirs, from Baroque style to contemporary music technology. Our ensemble programme gives opportunity to all levels of ability. As many boys are Grade 3 to Diploma level in standard, we can be ambitious in our choice of repertoire and venue, with performances at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, King’s College Cambridge, St John’s Smith Square, The Hideaway, Pizza Express Soho, Cadogan Hall and Southwark Cathedral.

Music Scholarships

Our focus is specialist musical talent and potential, nurturing those boys who are highly gifted. Scholars are assigned a mentor from the Music Department staff thereby ensuring that development and progress is maintained. Our aim is to provide and teach Music Award holders a range of skills and techniques that will enhance their love of Music and enable them potentially to continue their studies beyond the College. Recitals, masterclasses, composing, history and analysis, harmony, Alexander Technique and conducting are all offered. A small number of fine stringed instruments are made available to boys as part of a Music Award where appropriate; state-of-the-art Music technology facilitates enable the study of ambitious and contemporary composition techniques. The College has an enviable record of entry to higher education including scholarships to Oxbridge, Russell Group Universities and the London Conservatoires.

Co-curricular

Union of Societies

There are over fifty societies in the Union at the College and represent much of what is best here – enthusiasm, diversity, innovation – and provide a forum for boys of all ages to share their interests and ideas. Societies range from Astronomy to App Development, from Dance to Dismantling, from Classics to Comics. Although teachers are involved, many of the societies are run by the boys for the boys; they are the driving force. Many societies have become an integral part of College life, with boys playing a role far beyond the confines of a weekly meeting. Chess comes into this category as does Debating, with College teams competing successfully in national and international competitions.

House system

A thriving House system offers boys from Year 3 the opportunity to take part in a wide range of competitive activities including art, chess, poetry, general knowledge, debating, sport, drama and music.

Activities and excursions

We encourage boys to take part in expeditions as well as community based activities such as the Combined Cadet Force, Scouts, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and Community Service. There are over 300 outings and expeditions each year, from cultural exchanges, to sports tours and educational trips.