Dear Parents and Guardians,
Today we celebrated the achievements of our IGCSE students in Year 12. Indeed, there is much to celebrate. The overall IGCSE results were simply outstanding. We are immensely proud of our IGCSE candidates – 74% of grades were at A* or A, compared to the UK average of 26%. This places Dulwich College Seoul alongside some of the very best British International Schools in the world.
It is worth remembering that they secured these impressive achievements during the most challenging circumstances of a global pandemic. Since February 2020, they have had to contend with continual upheaval and disruption. Our celebration today was about recognising their extraordinary efforts and achievements and I was both delighted and honoured to be able to be part of the festivities. A huge congratulations to all of our Year 12 students!
Academic excellence is certainly at the heart of what we do but life at Dulwich College Seoul is so much more than that. The skills learned and experiences gained outside the classroom on the sports field, in music, on the stage, and in so many other areas, all complement what goes on in the classroom. There is tangible excellence and breadth of opportunity in so many areas of the wider curriculum. Whether it is sport, music, drama, debating, student voice and leadership, in whichever aspect of wider learning our students participate, they always perform exceedingly well and are outstanding ambassadors for our school.True global citizens ready to go out into the world to make their mark.
Last week, I visited The British School in New Delhi, India for the FOBISIA Annual Heads Meeting and Annual General Meeting. It was great connecting with my counterparts from other Dulwich Colleges in the network as well as leaders from all across the region.
Please come with your family and friends to the Winter Bazaar organised by our Friends of Dulwich on Saturday 3 December. With food, shopping, music, and fun activities on offer, I am confident there will be something for everyone. All parents will be able to enter with a lanyard, non-Dulwich friends or extended family must be put on the RSVP list using this form by no later than 5pm Friday 2 December. Please note that our students will be there and our safeguarding policy applies, which means no exceptions will be made to this entry policy for non-Dulwich guests. We thank you for your understanding and support to keep our community safe.
You will have received an email yesterday with a message from our Year 13 student, Alix K, on behalf of the Dulwich Blue Cross Club inviting you to a Blood Drive on Tuesday 20 November to boost local supplies that dwindled during the pandemic. If you would like to support this initiative, please complete this sign up form by 4pm Saturday 26 November.
On Thursday next week, we will hold our Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony after school in the College Foyer, which will be followed by our much-anticipated Winter Concert. It’s always a lovely event featuring some delightful music from our talented student musicians.
Finally, a gentle reminder to remain vigilant as we see COVID-19 cases beginning to rise again with the start of the flu season. Please continue to practise regular hand-washing and indoor masking, make sure you are up to date with vaccinations, and stay home if you have any symptoms. Every precaution you take helps to keep our community safer. Thank you for your continued support.
With my best wishes,
Mr Gudmundur Hegner Jonsson
Head of College