Dulwich College Beijing: A Legacy of Ambitious, Future-Focused Education

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), a distinguished international school, opened its doors in 2005 as the second member of the Dulwich College International (DCI) family of schools. From its initial cohort of a few hundred students, DCB has grown into a vibrant community committed to providing an ambitious, future-focused education, preparing students for success far beyond examinations. Rooted in British independent school ethos and values, and drawing upon 400 years of tradition from Dulwich College, DCB cultivates a culture of excellence and holistic development.

Shaping the Heart and Spirit of DCB

Over the past two decades, thousands of students, alumni, parents, and staff have contributed to shaping the heart and spirit of DCB. The school's values are designed to correlate with what families expect, giving students the confidence to excel. DCB fosters confidence, creativity, and global citizenship through leadership, challenge, and discovery.

One student shared, "DCB was our lighthouse when we first arrived in China. Stepping onto the school campus, we instantly felt welcomed." This sentiment reflects the inclusive and supportive environment that DCB strives to create.

A Unique Journey for Every Student

Dulwich College Beijing is a place where every student's journey is unique. As one prefect noted, "As prefects, we are privileged to guide and support these diverse journeys, striving to ensure that each student feels the light of our community." Students have different passions, interests, and experiences, and within this diversity, they find the support they need to thrive.

The prefect selection process has been a transformative experience for many students. It pushes them to achieve their best, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones through speeches and interviews. The process focuses on finding the best fit for each prefect role, providing students with opportunities for growth they may not have realized were within their capabilities.

Read also: Dulwich College in Singapore

Preparing Students for a Worldwise Future

DCB prepares students with resilience, independence, and a lifelong love of learning. Alumni often reflect on how the school encouraged them to explore various aspects of life, from sports and art to music and community service. DCB teaches students to find their equilibrium, making choices between academics and hobbies, family and volunteering.

One alumnus shared, "DCB did a great job of opening our educational experience to not just academics; we were encouraged to try out and be involved in other aspects, from sports and art to music and community service… DCB also taught me to find my equilibrium, which I still continue to do today."

A Supportive and Values-Driven Environment

Parents consistently highlight how DCB’s supportive, values-driven environment helps children thrive in school and beyond. The school is open-minded and academically rigorous, providing a caring atmosphere for every student. The emphasis is on developing character, teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity, problem-solving skills, resilience, and a commitment to wellbeing.

One parent remarked, "It is reassuring to see an institution evolve with the changing times, and yet stay true to its core values… Thank you all once again for filling our children's lives with music, joy, and inspiration."

Inspiring Future Generations

Staff members at DCB are deeply committed to inspiring and supporting students, going above and beyond to shape future generations. The focus is on developing character, teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity, problem-solving skills, resilience, and a lifetime of wellbeing. The people at DCB, from teachers to the Head of College, create a strong sense of community.

As one staff member noted, "DCB is not a just-do-your-job school, here we go above and beyond…"

Celebrating Key Events and Unlocking Potential

DCB celebrates a range of key events that aim to unlock students' potential and the skills required to thrive and succeed in the real world. These events include charitable activities, awareness-raising initiatives like Pink Week, DEI, Black History Month, Empathy Week, and educating students about being agents of change.

The school recognizes the unique language journey of each child, laying solid foundations in both English and their home languages to personalize learning and provide the right level of challenge.

Academic Curriculum: Breadth and Depth

Dulwich College Beijing offers a rigorous and exciting academic program that provides both breadth and depth of learning.

Years 7 to 9 (Key Stage 3): The UK curriculum is adapted and enhanced, focusing on developing transferable skills.
Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4): The IGCSE program is offered, known as a world-class curriculum. DCB enhances this with bespoke STEM, Future Tech, and Liberal Arts courses.
Years 12 and 13 (Key Stage 5): Students take the prestigious IB Diploma Programme, allowing them to delve deeper into subjects they are passionate about while maintaining a level of breadth in their studies.

DCB is proud of the sustained high achievement of its students at the IBDP level and the well-rounded individuals shaped by this holistic program.

A Holistic Approach to Education

DCB recognizes the importance of developing young people by instilling core values and ensuring they have opportunities to grow and flourish beyond academics. Students are actively engaged in leadership roles and have a prominent voice in the community, helping to shape the future of their education. They participate in sports, debate, perform, and create in various ways.

Dulwich teachers are specialists with a passion for teaching and learning, believing that students truly come first. The pastoral teams ensure that each student achieves a sense of belonging, and students are the best ambassadors for the school.

Curriculum Management with Atlas

Dulwich College Beijing uses Atlas to centralize and align its holistic curriculum across early, junior, and senior schools. Atlas provides exceptional customization, analytical tools, and seamless collaboration among all stakeholders. The Atlas team worked with DCB to design unit templates within the framework of the college’s mission and vision, enabling cohesive curriculum planning, alignment, and articulation throughout all K-12 grade levels.

The Atlas platform has been well-received, with users noting its ease of use. The PD team has worked closely with school leadership to ensure that content and units are aligned to the mission and vision of the school and are contextually appropriate.

Senior School Curriculum: Preparing for the Future

The framework in Years 7 to 9 is based on an enhanced version of the English National Curriculum, providing a balanced curriculum and a broad range of experiences. For students in Years 10 and 11, the IGCSE program offers a world-class curriculum. In the final two years, all students pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a global gold standard for university entrance.

The IGCSE program provides a solid foundation for the IB Diploma Programme, creating a content-rich and supportive school environment.

Language and Culture

As part of its commitment to cross-cultural understanding, language is an integral part of the student journey at DCB. While English is the language of instruction, support is provided for students who need it. Senior School students also attend Mandarin classes, ranging from beginner to native-language literacy skills. The multi-language program aims to give learners the ability to use languages in diverse contexts.

Music and Arts

Music is offered to all students in Senior School and is an elective subject under the IGCSE and IB programs. Students have exciting opportunities to explore and enjoy the diversity of music from around the world, with ample opportunities for participation at all levels. The Edward Alleyn Theatre and the Wodehouse Theatre provide students the opportunity to shine in drama productions and musical performances.

Sports and Physical Development

Engagement in sports aids in students' physical development and enhances social, emotional, and time management skills. DCB’s strong sports program instills a love for regular physical activities and celebrates teamwork and resilience. The campus provides world-class facilities, including a swimming pool, a gym, a FIFA-rated football pitch, a rugby field, and Beijing’s only cricket pitch.

Global Citizenship and Sustainability

Dulwich College Beijing is committed to developing responsible global citizens who are inspired to take action towards sustainability. In Senior School, these values are essential components of the educational experience. Many Global Citizenship and Sustainability initiatives are student-led, encouraging student agency and leadership. Students participate in community service projects, sustainability initiatives, and global citizenship-related events, applying what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations.

Enrichment and Leadership Opportunities

DCB aims to cultivate diligent global thinkers beyond academic endeavors. The six pillars of enrichment-DCB values, Service, Sports, House system, ECAs, and Trips-provide students with opportunities to embrace the DCB community and enrich themselves through their passions and interests.

Student prefects act as key leaders, stimulating learning beyond the classroom. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and lead others in areas they are interested in. Leadership positions include the Student Council and the Prefect system, which covers various portfolios within key pillars overseen by head students.

Wellbeing Programme

DCB recognizes the essential role it plays in ensuring that students develop holistically, with the skills and mindset to thrive in life beyond school. The wellbeing program includes a dedicated weekly period in which students learn about topics outside of the examined curriculum, developing life skills to prepare them for the future. The school also regularly monitors students’ wellbeing using various measures.

Junior School: Foundations for the Future

Taking Junior School students into the community helps them to ‘make it real’ when it comes to what they have learned in the classroom. Outside of the classroom, primary school students can participate in a robust extracurricular activity program with activities that may include Minecraft, choir, Lego club, cooking club, and yoga, Debate, to name just a few. Each of the ECA activities links to an SDG and so students are learning about how they can make an impact or raise awareness of different SDGs.

Guest speakers are invited in to talk to different year groups about a variety of issues or themes, and many of these are on based around one or more of the SDGs. Each year, the College hosts the Shackleton Lectures.

There are opportunities for students to learn about Chinese Culture outside of their lesson times. Each year, the Junior School holds a week of activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Throughout the year, the students in our international Junior School in Beijing have the chance to participate in a variety of external competitions, such as Kangaroo Maths and the Hong Kong Young Writers Competition, as well as competitions hosted by EiM and Fobisia. For those who are keen to develop their computing and ICT skills, there are a variety of events and competitions where they can put these skills to the test. The whole Junior School takes part in the BEBRAS Computing Challenge. As well as these events, some of our older students prepare for Model United Nations (MUN). They spend time preparing for this event from early in the year, where they research different issues ready to debate.

The House System: Building Community and Leadership

The House System is an integral part of the College pastoral care structure. On arriving at the school, all students and staff are allocated to one of five Houses, where they remain during their time at Dulwich. The House System builds a sense of community within the student body and helps to develop students' leadership skills. The five houses are named after:

Edward Alleyn: Actor Edward Alleyn, through his association with Philip Henslowe and Christopher Marlowe, ignited the theatres on London’s Bankside with thrilling and ground breaking plays.
Amy Johnson: Amy Johnson was an intrepid British aviator and the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia.
Jesse Owens: In the space of 45 minutes in 1935, African-American athlete Jesse Owens set three world records in athletics and tied a fourth. The following year he was the most decorated athlete at the Berlin Olympics, breaking two Olympic records and winning four gold medals for the United States. He later became an inspirational speaker and spent much of his life working with youth groups.
Soong Qing Ling: Soong Qingling held several prominent positions, representing the Chinese Government in her travels abroad in the early 1950s. She demonstrated an unswerving commitment to human rights and the elimination of poverty. She was Honorary President of the All China Women’s Federation and formed the China Welfare Institute, dedicated to the welfare of children.
Sir P.G. Wodehouse: Sir P.G. Wodehouse was one of the greatest comic writers and humorists of the 20th century, sending up elite British society in fiction and drama. He was educated at Dulwich College, to which he remained devoted all his life.

The friendly competition between the houses teaches students about teamwork and sportsmanship. Mentorship comes from the school’s ethos of respect and collaboration, with Senior School students encouraging Junior School students to join in activities.

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