Dulwich College

Dulwich College is an academically selective independent boys’ school in south London set in a 70-acre campus, only 12 minutes by train from central London. It is led by Dr Joe Spence, who started his career at Eton College as a teacher of history and politics and housemaster to the King’s Scholars. As the Master, Dr Spence instils an ethos of excellence, equity and service.

Dulwich’s community of 1,400 boys from age 7 to 18 is diverse in its social mix, breadth of talents, character and backgrounds. The Senior School is made up of the Lower School (Year 7 and 8), the Middle School (Year 9, 10 and 11) and the Upper School (Year 12 and 13), each with their own Head.

Dulwich has a distinguished tradition of inspired teaching and genuine scholarship both in the classroom and beyond with an array of lectures, visiting speakers, curriculum enrichment and symposia. GCSE and A level results are outstanding with 92% of all GCSE exams sat being awarded a grade 9-7 and 66% of all A Levels achieving A* to A grades in 2023. All boys who are offered a place at Dulwich College are in the top 15% of the academic ability for their age group.

Pupils from the College join the most competitive of universities across the world, including Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, and Yale, Chicago and Berkeley in the USA. Thereafter, they enter into all the major professions with a high number choosing to work in engineering, the health services and the law. Many students go on to engage in entrepreneurial, technological, cybernetic and innovative enterprises too, and Dulwich also has a reputation for producing fine actors, musicians, sportsmen and writers.

Pupils who are boarders frequently describe their boarding house as a ‘home from home’ and their welfare is assured by Housemasters and Tutors with a level of commitment which places them genuinely in loco parentis. The boarding community comprises over 20 nationalities who enjoy excellent facilities, including extensive sporting opportunities. 25 different sports are on offer and 75% of pupils represent Dulwich in competition. Music is also a big part of school life, with 700 individual music lessons given per week, and over 200 performance opportunities each year.

Weekend activities include House trips, which might include, for example, The Design Museum, a Mid-Autumn festival celebration, go-karting and paintball, and pupils also have time to relax, recharge their batteries, socialise and study in a calm and caring environment.