Dulwich College Beijing

Dulwich College Beijing is on Capital Airport Road in the Shunyi district, close to many expatriate residential compounds and a 20–40 minute drive from central Beijing depending on traffic. The school lists its main campus address as 89 Capital Airport Road, Shunyi District.

The College is an all‑through international school: DUCKS (early years) for ages 3–7, Junior School for primary years, and Senior School for Years 7–13 (up to age 18). Entry guidance and age-placement information are provided on the admissions pages.

Dulwich College Beijing is a private, co‑educational day school following British/international curricula; it offers IGCSE and the IB Diploma (and from 2025 an A‑level option). The school does not advertise on‑site, long‑term boarding for its regular cohorts (the IB/official listings record ‘day' boarding status).

The College runs an EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme and a Learning Support team; EAL teachers work across year groups and the school publishes staff and role descriptions for learning‑support posts. Admissions consider additional learning needs on a case‑by‑case basis and the school provides in‑class or small‑group support where appropriate.

The school is part of the Dulwich College International group and follows a British international school model; it is based in China rather than affiliated to a religious organisation or to a foreign government.

Dulwich College Beijing does not present itself as a faith school; no formal religious affiliation is stated in its public materials.

Daily timetables differ by division (early years, primary, secondary). Public pages describe registration, morning lessons, a midday lunch break and afternoon lessons, but the school's published website/parent handbook should be consulted for exact start/finish times for each division and current term schedules. For precise daily hours ask Admissions or refer to the Parent Handbook.

The College operates an extensive school‑bus programme with routes covering Shunyi and downtown Beijing; the site notes more than 30 routes and professional bus monitors who work with drivers under the school's safeguarding and H&S policies. The admissions section lists annual and termly bus fees (separate rates for Shunyi vs downtown routes) and advises families on how to apply for bus service. }

Uniform is worn by Nursery to Year 11; Year 12 and 13 follow a business dress code. The uniform is designed with seasonal variants for warm and cold weather.

A lunch program is available; students may bring lunch or pay for Sodexo-provided meals.

In Senior School, there is a House System that fosters belonging, friendly competitions, leadership opportunities, and responsibilities for older students mentoring younger ones.

The school is part of Education in Motion (EiM) and is governed by Dulwich College Management International Limited (DCMI). EiM identifies Dulwich College as the founding school.

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) uses a play- and inquiry-based Early Years programme (DUCKS) and follows the Early Years Foundation Stage up to age 5, with a dual-language (English–Mandarin) approach for young learners. From Year 1 through Year 9 students follow an adapted National Curriculum of England delivered via a topic-based, cross‑curricular Junior School with specialist lessons in Mandarin, PE, art, design technology and music. Students in Years 10–11 follow a two‑year IGCSE programme, and Years 12–13 study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme; the school also indicates that A‑Level courses will be available as an option from 2025. Instruction is primarily in English, supplemented by structured Mandarin pathways for native and non‑native speakers and EAL support across the school. The curriculum is rounded out by specialist STEAM and liberal‑arts strands and extensive co‑curricular activities designed to develop skills beyond academic assessment.

Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) describes SEL as part of its Student Wellbeing Framework, which emphasises students feeling Connected, Respected and Empowered and is embedded across the curriculum. The school teaches seven Dulwich Values (respect, resilience, confidence, kindness, responsibility, integrity and open‑mindedness) and uses the House system to build belonging, leadership and collaboration. Junior School runs a bespoke Wellbeing Curriculum with Mindful Mornings, while Senior School has a Deputy Head of Senior School (Wellbeing) who oversees the Elevate programme for study skills, motivation and confidence. Students are involved directly as Wellbeing Prefects/Champions and the school runs Parent Academies and provides access to the Tooled Up Education resource for families. These initiatives and roles are described on the DCB Wellbeing pages.

DCB states that it enrols only students whose learning needs can be met by the services the school provides and that the Admissions team will consult families and review previous reports as part of the assessment process. The school's Admissions information says it will request all relevant documentation and conduct assessments to determine appropriate support and placement. DCB lists staff with roles in learning support (for example named Junior School Learning Support staff and assistant teachers supporting English and additional educational needs). The website does not present DCB as a specialist SEN institution; instead it indicates inclusion where needs can be met by its provision. For full details about specific therapies, diagnoses supported or specialist placements, families are asked to contact Admissions directly.

The school publishes descriptions of EAL provision across age groups: DUCKS and Junior School pages describe in‑class EAL support, targeted small‑group sessions, preview/review strategies and use of translanguaging. DCB's communications note a Junior School EAL team (the site describes a team of EAL teachers working across year groups) and named leads involved in coordinating EAL provision. Admissions guidance also states the school can support a percentage of non‑native English speakers and may assess applicants' readiness for the academic programme. For specifics about levels of EAL support, staffing ratios or formal placement tests, the site asks families to contact the school or Admissions.

DCB's wellbeing material links mental wellbeing to its broader Student Wellbeing Framework and lists curriculum and school‑wide measures such as mindfulness in Junior School, the Elevate programme in Senior School, and student wellbeing leadership roles. The College also names dedicated counselling and social‑emotional staff on its community pages (for example Senior School and Junior School social‑emotional counsellors and other school counsellors listed on the staff directory). The school describes parent partnership through Parent Academies and access to the Tooled Up Education platform as part of its mental wellbeing support. For specifics about counselling referral processes, session frequency or external specialist referrals the website directs parents to contact the school for details.

DCB states safeguarding and child protection are of paramount importance and outlines a child‑centred approach based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The school describes a rigorous, regularly reviewed Safeguarding Policy, mandatory staff safeguarding training, whole‑college and school‑level designated safeguarding leads, and a Speak Out and Stay Safe reporting initiative. A downloadable Safeguarding Policy is linked from the school's Safeguarding page for parents and staff to review. For the school's full policy text and the named Designated Safeguarding Lead(s), please consult the Safeguarding page and linked policy on the DCB website.

Dulwich College Beijing opened in 2005 as the second school to join the Dulwich College International family. It was established with formal links to Dulwich College in London and is part of the Education in Motion / Dulwich network; the school's operations sit under the Dulwich group. Since opening the college has grown to educate more than 1,600 students and represents over 30 nationalities. Over time DCB has developed its own day-to-day traditions while drawing on the wider Dulwich heritage and calendar events.

The college community is multicultural and active, with the school marking cultural and calendar events such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, Remembrance Day and an annual Founder's Day that links Dulwich schools worldwide. A house system and structured student leadership (Student Council, head boy/girl and prefects) are used to build belonging and peer mentorship across year groups. Parent volunteers and the Friends of Dulwich contribute clubs, cultural activities and community gatherings that bring families, staff and students together.

The school's parent organisation is Friends of Dulwich (FoD), a volunteer-run group whose stated purpose is to connect families with the school and with one another. FoD organises regular activities including New Family Orientation Day and a Friends Welcome Tea, runs teacher appreciation lunches, and supports the appointment of parent representatives to aid communication between families and the College. The group also coordinates community groups and clubs (for example a Culture Club, Connection Lunch and an A Cappella Club) and provides practical support for school events. FoD describes its role as strengthening community ties through volunteering, events and practical support for new families and staff. Participation is voluntary and FoD relies on parent volunteers to plan events, run clubs and support wider school initiatives.

Dulwich College Beijing provides spaces designed to support intellectual, physical, social and emotional development. The campus features two sports domes, a multi‑purpose sports hall, six tennis courts, a FIFA two‑star rated football pitch, a natural grass rugby pitch and Beijing's only cricket pitch for students. Performing Arts facilities include the Wodehouse Theatre (602 seats) and the Edward Alleyn Theatre (300 seats), two Black Box theatres, spacious music rooms, an ICT suite for music production, a radio studio, art rooms and three libraries with access to over 70,000 resources. There are dedicated spaces for DUCKS, Junior School and Senior School, along with flexible indoor and outdoor spaces to support learning.

The campus offers extensive sport facilities, including two sports domes, a multi‑purpose sports hall, six tennis courts, a FIFA two‑star rated football pitch, a natural grass rugby pitch and Beijing's only cricket pitch for students.

Academic facilities include three libraries with access to over 70,000 resources, an ICT suite for music production, a fully equipped radio studio and dedicated art rooms.

There are over 150 co‑curricular activities each year across categories such as Academic, Creative, Debate and Public Speaking, Performing Arts, Service and Action. Examples include robotics, Model United Nations, music, theatre and sport. Residential trips are offered, and the school is a member of ACAMIS and FOBISIA as well as the Dulwich family of schools.

The school has three divisions: DUCKS (ages 3 to 7), Junior School (ages 7 to 11), and Senior School (ages 11 to 18). In the Senior School, students follow the IGCSE syllabus and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). The school publishes IGCSE and IB results and university placements.

The language of instruction is English. Mandarin is a core part of the curriculum; all high school students study Mandarin, with courses offered from complete beginners to native-level speakers. From Year 7, students begin an intensive European Languages programme. The school supports multilingualism through a dedicated Multi-Language Programme and translanguaging practices in DUCKS (early years) that mix English and Mandarin.

Translanguaging enables use of English and Mandarin in learning, forming the basis of the program. Mandarin learning expands from Foundation Stage (whole-class Mandarin) to Key Stage One with Academic Mandarin and Life Skills Mandarin in differentiated groups, and progresses to senior levels through IGCSE, IB, and A Level. English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available for non-native English speakers. A weekly Korean club offers additional language opportunities.

The school uses a dual-language programme in DUCKS with English and Mandarin used interchangeably throughout the day (translanguaging). Mandarin learning is led by Dual Language Teachers and additional Chinese teachers and is integrated with Chinese culture from DUCKS through Junior School. The dual-language approach develops Mandarin and English concurrently, with translanguaging at the heart of learning. The EAL team provides targeted support for students who are non-native English speakers.

School-level awards won (as listed on the school website) in the past five years (Jan 1, 2021 — Jan 1, 2026):

- British Schools Awards 2021 — Holistic Education Award (received Nov 7, 2021): The school reports it received the British Schools 2021 Holistic Education Award; the page describes this as recognition of the school's whole-child approach and related programmes.

- British Schools Awards 2021 — Science & Technology Award (received Nov 7, 2021): The school reports it also received the British Schools 2021 Science and Technology Award, noted on the same school news page as recognition for technology- and STEM-related programmes.

- International School Awards (ISA) 2022 — Pathways to Continued and University Education (received Jan 19, 2022): The school reports it was the recipient of the 2022 ISA in the Pathways to Continued and University Education category for its Worldwise Academy initiative.

Notes and scope: the lists above include only awards that the Dulwich College Beijing website explicitly states the college (the school) received. The school website also records shortlisted nominations and many student-level awards and examination recognitions (for example shortlists for the China Schools Awards 2024 and TES Awards 2024, and individual examination awards), but those are either nominations/shortlists or student awards rather than school-level award wins and so are not included in the list above.

Dulwich College Beijing — Affiliations & accreditations listed on the school website (summary):

- Council of International Schools (CIS): A global non-profit membership organisation that provides services and accreditation to primary, secondary and higher-education institutions; membership/accreditation signals the school has undergone CIS quality review processes.

- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): One of the regional accreditation bodies that accredits American and international schools; WASC accreditation indicates the school meets standards used by US and foreign institutions of American origin.

- International Baccalaureate (IB) — Diploma Programme authorisation: The school is authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme; IB authorisation means the IB Organisation has approved the school to deliver that specific IB programme.

- Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE): The school uses Cambridge qualifications (IGCSE) and is listed with CAIE; Cambridge is an international exam board that provides curricula and externally marked qualifications.

- Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS): An association of international schools in East Asia that organises activities and professional development; membership indicates active participation in regional school collaboration and events.

- Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA): A regional federation promoting British-style education in Asia and organising collaborative events (sports, music and other festivals); membership denotes the school's participation in that British-schools network.

doris recommends that you start by speaking to admissions. This connects you directly to the school's admissions team who can respond with answers, more information, and next steps.

1. Initial enquiry and information-gathering. Contact the admissions office (phone +86 10 6454-9002 or [email protected]) or submit an enquiry via the online form/Apply Now link (the school uses OpenApply for applications). Parents should use this stage to confirm eligibility under Beijing Municipal Education Commission rules (valid foreign passport + visa, Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan travel permits, or Chinese passport + foreign PR and evidence of at least one year living abroad). Ask for the most recent Admissions Handbook, Age Placement Guide and the Tuition & Fee Information PDF — these documents contain the precise fee figures, required documents and grade-placement cutoffs (cutoff date: 1 September).

Dulwich College Beijing's public admissions pages do not advertise a routine, school-wide need-based or merit-based tuition scholarship programme. The school has run targeted partnership scholarships and opportunities (for example, a joint Notre Dame Global Scholars placement for a small number of IB students in 2022) and individual students have been awarded athletic scholarships or recruited to university sports programmes; these are program- or outcome-based examples rather than a regular tuition-bursary scheme. If you are looking for fee assistance or a scholarship specifically to reduce tuition, contact admissions directly — they can confirm whether any limited or time‑bound programmes exist and whether any departmental awards (for music, sport or specific partnerships) might apply. For background reading on recent partnership scholarship activity and student athletic award examples see the school news items.

We place applicants who meet entry requirements on a waiting list when there are no current vacancies or when the application is for a future academic year. Priority on the waiting list is given to siblings of current students and to children transferring from another Dulwich College International school. Waiting lists are maintained for one academic year only; if you wish to remain on the list beyond that you should re-contact admissions and check whether the school requires a fresh application. Parents should expect that a place offer from the waitlist will require the standard acceptance formalities (acceptance confirmation and payment of the placement deposit) within the timeline specified by the school.