IGCSE Success

On Friday 30 November, we celebrated the success of students who sat IGCSE examinations in the summer at our IGCSE Certificate Award Ceremony. IGCSE examinations are usually taken at the end of Year 11, following two years of study. Each of the Year 12 students on the stage thoroughly deserved to be congratulated for their achievements at IGCSE level, which will have prepared them well for their chosen IB Diploma courses. Special mention should go to Justine K, who was awarded a certificate for the highest achievement in these examinations.

Some of our students sat IGCSE examinations in Mathematics and Mandarin early, so Year 12 were joined by some students currently in Year 11. Two students who recently joined us from Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong collected certificates for IGCSE Mandarin; William C sat these examinations at the end of Year 9 and Ben C at the end of Year 6!

As I explained to the audience of students and parents, it is right that we celebrate the success of the students who sat examinations in the summer and to acknowledge their hard work. However, I hope that whilst students value academic success and understand that it can open up opportunities for them, it is not their only measure of success. These certificates do not convey the wide range of talents and attributes our students possess. These grades do not reflect how considerate they are, their leadership potential or their wide range of extra-curricular interests, and they are no indication of the difference they will go on to make in the world.

I was proud to lead the awards ceremony and to recognise the achievements of everyone on the stage, but I am proud of all of our students, every day. I have enjoyed reading our students’ insightful comments as I have worked through the information gathered by the visiting team from DCI. The information reveals that our students value the sense of community at Dulwich College Seoul, they have a clear understanding of their personal strengths and areas of development, and they are ready for many more student-led initiatives. As I worked through the information with the team, I was told that our students are confident, articulate, thoughtful, interesting, ambitious and an absolute pleasure to spend time with and I couldn’t have agreed more!

Ms Sarah Harrison 
Head of Senior School