It’s happening today! Our Year 8 students will take the stage at 4:30pm in the Alleyn Theatre with their original physical theatre performance created with movement director Marc Pouani. Here are a few more behind-the-scenes moments as they get ready for this special event, the very first performance in our brand new theatre. Stay tuned for highlights from other year groups during Enrichment Week!

Our Head of College, Alison Derbyshire, recently joined Oppidan Education on their podcast to share her journey from Auckland to Seoul by way of China and the lessons she has learned along the way. Alison reflects on what drives our community at Dulwich College Seoul, a commitment to academic rigour alongside a deep belief in student wellbeing. She speaks about the need to move beyond the pursuit of perfection and how we can personalise success and learning, celebrating students not for their numbers but for the growth and purpose they discover along the way. And if you listen closely, you will even hear stories from Alison’s own school days, from the teachers who inspired her favourite subject to the joy she found on the football pitch and what made her happiest at 12 years old. It is a conversation full of heart, honesty and hope for the future of education. Thank you to Walter Kerr and Oppidan Education for the thoughtful conversation. #DulwichCollegeSeoul #IBDiploma #EducationalLeadership #StudentWellbeing #InternationalEducation #OppidanEducation

Our Year 9 students visited the Imjin River, site of one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War. Guided by historian Andrew Salmon, they stood where the Gloucestershire Regiment made their famous stand in April 1951. From the riverbanks where thousands of Chinese soldiers crossed under cover of night, to the Castle Site where Lieutenant Philip Curtis earned the Victoria Cross, students relived the battle through vivid first-hand accounts. The tour ended at the memorial, where the Glosters’ sacrifice is remembered with gratitude in Korea. Their defence blunted the Chinese advance, giving UN forces time to regroup and saving South Korea from collapse. 📖 History made real. A day our students won’t forget.

Last Monday, we warmly welcomed our new Year 12 IB cohort at the annual Welcome Dinner. The evening brought together students, families, and staff to celebrate this important milestone and mark the exciting journey of the IB Diploma Programme ahead. “Seeing the IB Centre transformed for this event was really special. It made it feel like we were really beginning our time in the IB,” shared Adithi, Year 12. “I really appreciated the chance to connect with my teachers in a relaxed, non-academic setting. It’s made me feel more comfortable approaching them during lessons,” added Eileen, Year 12. We look forward to seeing the many accomplishments of our Year 12s in the year ahead! 📸 Swipe to see highlights from the evening.

Meet our new House Captains! On Thursday, our Year 6 students impressed us with confident and creative House Captain speeches. Each one shared their passion and pride for their House and our school values. We also welcomed back last year’s House Captains who shared reflections and advice with the next generation of leaders. During Friday’s Junior School assembly, the big moment arrived as we proudly introduced our new House Captains for Alleyn, Seacole, Sejong and Shackleton. House Captains 2025 Alleyn: Charlotte and Celyn Seacole: Dario and Vivienne Sejong: Lily and Evelyn Shackleton: Nori and Larry Congratulations to all our Year 6 students for stepping up. We are so proud of you.

What a day to remember 🌞💙 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at our Welcome Back Picnic and helped us kick off our 15th anniversary year in true Dulwich style It was wonderful to see our community come together to enjoy good food, great music, and even greater company. From the student performances to the Dulwich Drop and everything in between ✨thank you for making it so special Here’s to a year of celebration, connection, and transforming tomorrow, together! #dulwichcollegeseoul #dulwichseoul #dulwichseoul15

Friends of Dulwich (FoD) Nominations We’re inviting parents to get involved with Friends of Dulwich (FoD) by serving as an officer or Executive Committee member. Our online information session is happening TOMORROW - don’t miss it! 🗓️ Friday, 29 August 🕗 8:30 – 9:30 AM 📍 Microsoft Teams Full details — including the meeting link, updated FoD Charter, and self-nomination form — are available now on MyDulwich. A recording of the session will also be posted on MyDulwich. Thank you for supporting Friends of Dulwich!

1 Day to Go! Our Welcome Back Picnic is almost here, and we can’t wait to celebrate our 15th anniversary with you 🎉 Leave your congratulatory message for the Dulwich College Seoul community on our special 15th Anniversary landing page and receive a Dulwich 15 Years commemorative sustainable cutlery set at the 15th Anniversary Booth during the picnic 🌿 📌 How to participate: 1. Click the link in our Instagram bio to visit the landing page 2. Share your message for the DCSL community 3. Take a screenshot of your posted message 4. Show it at the booth during the picnic to claim your gift (while supplies last) Let’s make this year’s picnic a celebration to remember!

2 Days to Go! Our Welcome Back Picnic is almost here, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! Here’s a quick guide to the open areas during the event: 🏞 College Field – Picnic blankets, food vendors, and live music 🏠 Foyer – Entry point and access to the Dulwich Drop ❄️ 1619 (B1) – Air-conditioned indoor space for relaxing All other areas of the school will remain closed for safety, except during guided tours. Please stay within the designated areas so everyone can enjoy a safe and fun afternoon together. For more information about the Welcome Back Picnic, please refer to MyDulwich, where all details are available.

This morning we were delighted to welcome our newest families at our New Families Coffee Morning. Parents enjoyed fresh coffee and refreshments at our brand new Café 1619, met our Leadership Team, and connected with one another. They also had the chance to go on a mini tour of the College and even experience the Dulwich Drop. It was a warm and relaxed occasion to ask questions, build connections, and begin new friendships. We look forward to seeing these grow in the years ahead and it was a wonderful start to the new school year.

Let the countdown begin! Our annual Welcome Back Picnic is just 3 days away 🎉 This year, we’re bringing you a diverse range of delicious food from our amazing vendors: 🍴 Billington’s Sausages – British hotdogs 🍛 Slow Supper Club – Malaysian cuisine 🍕 GoPizza – Freshly baked pizzas 🥧 Craik House – Scottish favourites Of course, you’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks too. Pack a blanket, gather your family, and get ready for an afternoon filled with food, fun, and community spirit 🧺✨ Which dish are you most excited to try? Let us know below ⬇️

Our annual Welcome Back Picnic returns on Friday, 29 August 2025 from 3.50pm to 7pm on the College Field. This year’s edition will be extra special as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Dulwich College Seoul. This much-loved tradition brings our whole community together to enjoy good food, live music, and plenty of fun as we kick off the new school year. Stay tuned for more details next week. We can’t wait to see you there!

Over the summer, our campus was buzzing with exciting updates and it has been wonderful to see our students and families already enjoying the new spaces. 🌿 1619 – A fully renovated B1 level featuring a brighter Dining Hall, greenery, and a new café lounge area for parents with spirit wear displays. 🐣 DUCKS – Refreshed spaces for our youngest learners including a new entrance, hallways, and classrooms. 🎭 The Alleyn Theatre – Our brand new state-of-the-art auditorium named in honour of our founder Edward Alleyn, now welcoming performances, assemblies, and community events. A heartfelt thank you to our staff and teams who worked tirelessly over the summer to make these enhancements possible. Have you had a chance to check out the new changes? Let us know your favourite in the comments.

The 2025/26 school year is here – and it’s a special one as we celebrate 15 years of Dulwich College Seoul! 🎉 This year, we’re marking our journey with stories of growth, achievement, and community – from outstanding IB results and university destinations to exciting campus enhancements and anniversary events. Join us in celebrating and explore the full story on our homepage: https://seoul.dulwich.org/our-school/from-our-head-of-college

Welcome back to our Dulwich College Seoul community! Today marks the first official day of our new academic year, and it was wonderful to see our campus filled once again with laughter, smiles, and the excitement of students returning and reconnecting with one another.   Our community also had the chance to enjoy the newly refurbished areas of the school, completed over the summer break and the reactions have been fantastic!   Stay tuned for photos of these exciting updates soon. We look forward to another year of learning, growth, and memorable moments together. Welcome back, DCSL! #dulwichseoul #dulwichcollegeseoul #dulwichseoul15

Today, we kicked off the 2025/26 Academic Year by welcoming our new families to DCSL! Students and parents explored their new classrooms, met their teachers, and prepared for the year ahead. The day was filled with warm introductions, helpful onboarding sessions, and a lively ice-breaker drama workshop with Mr Readman to help our new students feel right at home. It was a pleasure to have you on campus, and we look forward to seeing you again next Monday for the first day of school. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Kicking off the 2025/26 Academic Year in style! This Monday, our academic and admin teams came together at the Mondrian Hotel for Day 1 of Teacher Planning Week. It was a day full of collaboration, learning and laughter. From planning the year ahead and engaging in CIS committee sessions to enjoying a full buffet breakfast and lunch, receiving our special 15th Anniversary polo shirts and wrapping up with a lively house quiz, it was the perfect mix of hard work and fun. Here’s to an exciting year ahead at DCSL!

This week we’ve been delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to the Dulwich College Seoul community. They join us from a wide range of countries and backgrounds, each bringing a wealth of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm for the year ahead. As many are also settling into life in Korea for the first time, our induction programme has helped them get to know the school, explore the local area, and connect with their new teams. From IT onboarding and curriculum sessions to neighbourhood walks and riverside dinners, it’s been a warm and energetic start. We’re excited for the year ahead and proud to have such a strong group joining our community.

Last term, we spoke with Charlotte (Year 7), the passionate student behind the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Student Group ECA at DCSL. What began as a personal interest in learning more about DEI quickly grew into a student-led initiative that sparked meaningful conversations across the school. From surveys to assemblies, Charlotte has been leading with curiosity, empathy, and purpose. We’re proud of Charlotte for taking initiative and helping make our school a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Read the full interview via the link in bio.

We are proud to announce the updated IB results for our Class of 2025. • Our students achieved an outstanding average score of 36.5, far exceeding the global average of 30.58, with a 100% passing rate for our 19 candidates. • One student achieved a perfect score of 45 points, a remarkable achievement from a student who has been with us for 15 years since the college was established in 2010. • 21% of students scored 40 points or above. • Three (3) students received full marks in Mandarin. • Two (2) students were awarded bilingual diplomas. Congratulations to our students, teachers and wider community for their dedication, hard work and commitment to excellence at Dulwich College Seoul. This shows the power of our personalised learning journey from day one when the student joined our Nursery class all the way to completing the holistic and academically rigorous IB Diploma Programme.

As we prepare to begin a new academic year, we also take a moment to reflect on the legacy of the colleagues who have shaped our students’ journeys. Our former Director of University & Career Counselling, Paul Sweet, was featured in AJP News sharing his perspective on why more students are looking beyond traditional destinations when applying to university overseas. His insights, drawn from years in international admissions, continue to resonate deeply with our community. At Dulwich College Seoul, we see this shift in real time. Our 2025 graduates received offers from leading universities in six countries across multiple continents, a testament to the growing diversity of pathways available to students today. As we look ahead to welcoming a new Director of University & Career Counselling next term, Paul’s message remains a powerful reminder: “Let your interests and personality guide this journey. A well‑chosen international university can open doors to opportunities anywhere in the world.” Read the full article on AJP News to explore his advice: https://lnkd.in/gmJreFND #UniversityGuidance #UniversityCounselling

Our Year 10 Spanish students took us on a culinary adventure across Spain and Latin America in their Masterchef competition! After weeks of exploring Hispanic culture and cuisine, students prepared three-course meals inspired by regional festivals. Team Spain served gazpacho, marmitako, and a Canary Islands dessert called bienmesabe. Team Latin America wowed with arepas from Colombia, aji de gallina from Peru, and an unforgettable dulce de leche from Argentina. Judges Mr Wise, Mr Zea, and Ms Boinot awarded the win to Team Spain for their flavour, teamwork, and presentation but gave a special shoutout to Team Latin America for their incredible dessert. ¡Felicidades a todos! What a delicious way to end the term!

For our Language and Culture Trip, Senior School students recently travelled to Chengdu, where they explored the language, culture, and community of southwestern China. From speaking Mandarin at Jinli Ancient Street to learning Sichuan opera, cooking local dishes, and connecting with residents at an elderly care home—each day brought something new. They also visited a tea farm, met pandas at the Wolong Panda Base, and explored ancient engineering at Dujiangyan. It was a meaningful journey filled with learning, connection, and growth. Students stepped out of their comfort zones, embraced new challenges, and returned with stronger language skills, deeper cultural understanding, and lasting friendships.

Recently, our Year 6 students visited Senior School for their Transition Day and had a fantastic time meeting new teachers and exploring their future learning spaces. They embraced their inner scientists during lab sessions with Mr McShannon and Ms Fullagar, diving into hands-on experiments. To wrap up the day, they received their official invitations to the first day of Senior School on Monday 18 August. Stay tuned — Year 6 Graduation photos coming soon!

We recently marked a proud milestone at Dulwich College Seoul with our first-ever Sports Awards Ceremony, a celebration of excellence, resilience and school spirit. A highlight of the event was the launch of our new Dulwich Colours system, which recognises students who have made outstanding contributions to school sport. Students awarded Half Colours now wear two-striped ties, while Full Colours are represented by four-striped ties, both worn proudly across campus. From local tournaments to international competitions, our DCSL Leopards have consistently outperformed expectations. For a school of our size, the achievements have been extraordinary. As our Director of Sport, Peter Poulton, shared, “This event is an important moment in our school year — not only to recognise achievement, but to reflect on the role sport plays in developing character, leadership, and a strong sense of community. It offers students the opportunity to celebrate one another’s growth, honour the values that matter most in sport, and feel proud of the collective journey they’ve taken with their teammates and coaches.” Thank you to Director of Sport, Peter Poulton and the entire PE team for leading such an exceptional year. We look forward to building on this momentum in the years ahead.

We are proud to share that Dulwich College Seoul was recently featured in Business Korea for being shortlisted for the Responsible Business of the Year Award at the inaugural British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) Business Awards, which honours organisations leading in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. A highlight of the year was hosting the WISE25 Women’s Leadership Conference, which brought together over 150 delegates from 18 countries for two days of inspiring dialogue and collaboration on gender equity in international education. “It reaffirms our commitment to fostering a world where women are empowered to pursue diverse paths to leadership,” said Head of College Alison Derbyshire. Special thanks to our Head of Primary, Jane Smith, and Head of Senior, Suzy Pugh, for their leadership in shaping this powerful event. We also proudly participated in the EMPOWER programme, led by the British Embassy Seoul in Korea and BCCK, which supports mid-career women in building leadership, confidence and networks. Dulwich College Seoul sponsored a staff member to take part in the programme this year, and the experience has been so positive that the school plans to continue its involvement as EMPOWER enters its third year. Congratulations to Elspeth Stewart, EMPOWER programme lead, who was recognised with the Chair’s Award for Personal Contribution at the BCCK Business Awards. This honour reflects our continued commitment to equity, inclusion and meaningful change across education. Please click on the link below to read more on our website, where we share a full recap of this experience along with a link to the original article featured on Business Korea. https://lnkd.in/gqaYMJnB #DulwichCollegeSeoul #BusinessKorea #BCCK #WISE25 #EmpowerProgramme #DEI #GenderEquality #WomenInLeadership #BritishEmbassyKorea

At Dulwich College Seoul, we are committed to nurturing global citizens who engage meaningfully with their community. Last week, our Year 5 students participated in a two-day cultural exchange with a neighbouring school as part of a programme led by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. The initiative, running since 2021, aims to connect schools and students across the city through shared learning experiences that promote interaction and cultural understanding. Our students explored traditional Korean instruments and mask dances, shared performances, and connected over global cuisine. Through these experiences, they developed empathy, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation for different cultures. “By exchanging with peers from the local school community, students gain insight into different cultures and learn to see the world from new perspectives,” said Jane Smith, Head of Primary. This opportunity reflects our continued commitment to building community, celebrating diversity, and engaging with our host culture in meaningful and authentic ways. Please click on the link below to read more on our website, where we share a full recap of this experience along with a link to the original article featured on AJP News. https://lnkd.in/gTq8DXJG #InternationalEducation #GlobalCitizenship #CommunityEngagement #CulturalExchange #StudentExperience

Throwback to a truly memorable evening celebrating the King’s Birthday at the British Embassy Seoul. As proud Gold Sponsors, we were honoured to support this year’s celebration themed Best of British — a special evening that showcased the creativity, culture and values the UK is known for. As the only British school in Seoul, we deeply value our long-standing relationship with the Embassy and are proud to play a role in strengthening UK and Korea ties. From cultural showcases to meaningful conversations, the evening was a true celebration of the Best of British and we were thrilled to be a part of it. A special thank you to His Excellency Colin Crooks for hosting such a wonderful celebration at his residence. #KingsBirthday #BritishEmbassySeoul #DulwichCollegeSeoul #UKKorea #Community #Sustainability #Inclusion #BestOfBritish #주한영국대사관 Jane Smith Namju Cho