School Heritage

School Heritage

Dulwich College Seoul was the fourth to join the Dulwich College International (DCI) family of schools, opening its doors in 2010. The College is made up of 700 students from age 3 to age 18, with over forty different nationalities represented in our diverse student body. Our links to Dulwich College, founded in 1619, are strong, and we collaborate closely with the other schools in the network to encourage an international outlook and create an extended community where academic ability is fostered, creativity is valued, and diversity is celebrated. We are proud to share a common heritage with all the schools in the DCI network, and equally value the traditions, unique to our school, that we have created since we opened.

Our Traditions

Participation in local Korean cultural traditions is important to us. Chuseok, Korea’s harvest festival, is a major holiday and a time for Korean families to come together. Students are encouraged to dress in colourful hanbok (traditional Korean dress) on the last day before the holiday. To appreciate and recognise the value of Hangeul (the Korean alphabet), we celebrate Hangeul Day by inviting local artists to visit the school and teach Korean calligraphy to our students.  

For World Peace Day, a particularly relevant day in Korea, we use our bodies to create a giant peace-themed image on the College field (each person representing a single pixel) to demonstrate our commitment to the ideals of peace.  

The Year 13 graduation ceremony is a very special event. The Primary and Senior students line the corridors to cheer and congratulate the graduating students as they, in their graduation gowns, take a celebratory parade around the school. As Year 6 students put their Primary days behind them, they share their thoughts, reflections and talents on Speech Day before embarking on an afternoon of food, fun and friends. Year 2 students graduating from DUCKS are presented with a school tie to commemorate the event.

Student Leadership

We encourage students across the College to involve themselves in the wider College community and offer support to one another. Our Student Council is made up of students from each Year group who learn to listen and work with one another while voicing the views of their peers. Our most senior students are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities and to act as ambassadors for the College. Each year, our Head Boy and Head Girl are selected from our most senior students and a select number of students are nominated to take on the role of prefects. Our student leadership team sets a strong example to younger students and act as a point of contact for students throughout the College.

Pastoral Care and the House System

The system of pastoral care is highly developed at Dulwich College Seoul.

Our class teachers and form tutors are responsible not only for every student’s academic development, but also for ensuring they receive the pastoral support they need. Our school has a pastoral support team for students at all levels, and all of them follow a Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) course appropriate to their age and coordinated across the year groups.

Our House system is an integral part of the College pastoral care structure. Many international school students experience a great deal of change in their lives. As their parents move from country to country, they make new friends and adapt to different cultures and school systems. We ensure that children are welcomed into the Dulwich community, that we know them well and that they are supported during their time at the College.

In the Junior and Senior Schools, our House system builds a sense of community within the student body and helps to develop students’ leadership skills. Our House Captains are responsible for helping to organise House activities, which normally take the form of friendly competitions.

Our Houses

On arriving at our school, students and staff are allocated to one of four Houses, where they will remain during their time with us. Our Houses are named after inspirational and accomplished people: Edward Alleyn, Mary Seacole, Sejong the Great, and Ernest Shackleton.

Alleyn
Named for Edward Alleyn (1566 - 1626). 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. His most important legacy was the founding of Dulwich College, the “School of God’s Gift”, in South London 400 years ago.

Seacole
Named for Mary Seacole (1805 - 1881). Mary Seacole was a Jamaican-born nurse and heroine of the Crimean War who, as a woman of mixed race, overcame a double prejudice. To assist the wounded on the battlefield she established the British Hotel behind the lines during the Crimean War to provide “a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers.” She was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit in 1991 and was voted as the greatest black Briton in 2004.

Sejong
Named for Sejong the Great (1397 - 1450). Sejong the Great was a Korean ruler remembered for the benevolent leadership of his country and his investment in improving the lives of his people. At the time of his reign, Sejong was one of the most innovative rulers not only in Asia, but the world. He was also the founder and creator of the Korean alphabet Hangul.

Shackleton
Named for Ernest Shackleton (1874 - 1922). Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was born in Ireland, graduated from Dulwich College and is hailed as one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century. Known for his great leadership and perseverance, Shackleton led a Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1915 that met disaster when his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the polar ice. Shackleton led his men to shelter and then sailed out in a small open boat (now on display at Dulwich College London) to seek help. He returned and rescued his crew, all of whom survived the ordeal.

Uniform

Students from Nursery to Year 11 wear the school uniform. School uniform is not about conformity, but reflects a long-standing tradition from the founding school and is a badge of pride and school identity.