Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi is in Maqiao, Minhang District (2000 Qian Pu Jing Road), in the west of Shanghai; the campus coordinates are listed on the school site. Travel times by car vary by origin — central areas and popular residential districts are typically 25–45 minutes away and Hongqiao airport is often cited as roughly 40–45 minutes by car, depending on traffic.

The College is organised as DUCKS (early years) for ages 2–7, Junior School for ages 7–11, and Senior School for ages 11–18; Senior students follow IGCSEs and the IB Diploma Programme.

Dulwich Puxi is a co-educational international day school (no on-site boarding facilities). It is part of the Dulwich College International network.

The College provides English as an Additional Language (EAL) support and limited learning-support assistance for pupils who can access the mainstream curriculum; it does not offer a separate/specialised additional curriculum but will enrol students only when staff and services can meet their documented needs.

The school is part of the Dulwich College International family, which has British origins and a formal link to Dulwich College in London; the DCI schools are operated within the Education in Motion / EiM group (recent ownership changes are noted on the DCI pages).

The school does not list a religious denomination on its public pages and operates as a non-denominational international school.

Timings vary by age group and the published information shows DUCKS/early-years sessions and a typical school-day finish around mid-to-late afternoon (for many year groups 15:30 is the standard finish used on Dulwich DUCKS materials); lunch times are staggered by age and by timetable. The College also runs after-school co-curricular activities and offers a later bus on some days for students staying for activities.

The College operates an optional, school-run bus service (available from around age 3 upwards) managed by an in-school Bus Service Team; buses have government safety certification and at least one bus monitor per vehicle. Routes cover much of western Shanghai, new routes are added each year, and the school publishes route, pick-up/drop-off and contact details to registered families ahead of term start; the fleet has been described as increasingly electric.

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi provides a continuous international curriculum from DUCKS (ages 2–7) through Junior School (ages 7–11) to Senior School (ages 11–18), and publishes specialist programmes in STEAM, Mandarin, visual and performing arts, sports and co‑curricular activities. DUCKS (Toddler, Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) is based on the English Early Years Foundation Stage and an adapted English National Curriculum, delivered with a dual‑language English–Mandarin approach. The Junior School uses a topic‑based, cross‑curricular primary programme with dedicated English and mathematics lessons and specialist teachers for Mandarin, PE, art, design technology and music. In Senior School, Years 7–9 follow the British national curriculum, Years 10–11 sit IGCSEs (Edexcel and Cambridge options) and Years 12–13 study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Across the school students also take part in co‑curricular programmes, service and awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh and receive university and careers guidance as part of the school's holistic model.

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi presents wellbeing as a whole-school culture guided by a Student Wellbeing Framework used across Dulwich schools to support social and emotional development. The school says the framework emphasises student voice, agency and partnership and that students engage through surveys, peer support and age-appropriate lessons. In its early-years DUCKS programme the curriculum explicitly lists Personal, Social and Emotional Development as a prime area of learning. The College also reports using Common Sense Education digital‑citizenship resources to teach online safety and responsible online behaviour. Parents are described as partners in wellbeing through regular communication with teachers and school events.

The school defines Additional Educational Needs (AEN) to include students who require extra support or enrichment, and explicitly includes EAL and gifted/talented learners in that definition. Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi states it does not provide a separate additional curriculum for students with special learning needs; instead classroom teachers and EAL specialists may provide assistance and enrolment is conditional on the College being able to meet a child's needs. The website lists named staff working in this area (for example an Additional Educational Needs teacher and a Director of Student Services/Child Protection Officer), indicating specific roles for AEN support. The school does not publish a list of specific diagnoses or categories of SEN it will support on its public pages. Dulwich is not described as a specialist SEN institution.

The College describes an English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme designed to develop fluency for students with limited prior exposure to English and says it limits enrolment of students who require EAL support according to the level of support needed. Senior‑school applicants whose first language is not English sit an EAL assessment as part of admissions. The website names EAL staff (for example an EAL teacher profile is published) and the school runs professional activity related to EAL practice. The College also states it may limit the number of students requiring EAL in a single class to ensure appropriate support. For detailed, individual placement or intensity‑of‑support questions the site directs families to contact Admissions.

The College uses its Student Wellbeing Framework to support students' mental and emotional health and reports age‑appropriate lessons, peer initiatives and whole‑school pastoral systems as components of that support. Dulwich Puxi operates a Student Services/Well Families approach that offers parent workshops, family support and links to external mental‑health services in Shanghai; the site names a Student Services lead and describes practical resources for families. The school states it uses pastoral data tools (for example AS STEER and iSAMS are referenced) to identify and personalise support pathways. The College's CIS accreditation report and recent awards referenced on the site also cite the school's commitment to pastoral care and wellbeing. The website publishes workshops and a named social & emotional counsellor, but does not present a full public catalogue of in‑house clinical services and private referrals are handled case‑by‑case via Student Services.

The College states safeguarding and child protection are of paramount importance and that it has an extensive Safeguarding Policy and mandatory training programme for staff. The website describes safer‑recruitment procedures, induction safeguarding training for new staff and periodic refresher training, and says students receive age‑appropriate safeguarding lessons. The school names a Child Protection Officer / Director of Student Services and refers to annual safeguarding audits and safeguarding as a component of external accreditation. The site publishes a Safeguarding Policy link and directs enquiries to the College for further policy detail. For specifics of disclosure checks, reporting procedures or the full safeguarding policy the school's published policy page and admissions/contact routes are referenced.

1. Initial enquiry and eligibility check — Start by registering an account and submitting an enquiry on Dulwich Puxi's online application portal (the site directs families to their OpenApply portal). The Admissions team will assess basic eligibility (students generally must hold a foreign passport or foreign birth certificate, or have at least one parent with a foreign passport) and explain any documentation you need to prepare. Book a campus visit or an open morning if you can; the school also offers a virtual tour if you will not be able to visit in person.

2. Gather and submit documents — Complete the online application form and upload supporting documents (current/previous school records, birth certificate or passport, and any requested teacher/confidential reports). The website specifically asks parents to bring original documents to Admissions on the day of the assessment so the school can verify them in person. If your child has attended nursery/school before, have a Confidential Teacher Comment or school reports ready as the admissions staff will review these.

3. Pay the application fee — After you submit a complete application, the College will issue an invoice for the non‑refundable application fee (RMB 3,500). This fee is charged per application and is valid for the year of application; expect to pay it before assessment is arranged. Keep the payment receipt with your application record as the Admissions team will reference it when booking assessments.

4. Assessment booking and format — Eligible applicants are invited for in‑person assessments and interviews; the format depends on the year group. Early Years applicants (Toddler/Nursery/Reception) meet with Early Years staff in a small/group setting, Years 1–2 typically have a short one‑to‑one meeting and evidence of basic literacy/numeracy is requested, Years 3–6 take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) plus a writing task and interview, and Years 7–11 sit a computerized test (verbal, quantitative, non‑verbal), a writing task and an interview; non‑native English speakers will have an EAL assessment. If you are overseas, the College can arrange for assessments to be administered at your child's current school (the College covers delivery to the current school but not return costs) and may offer a provisional place if an interview cannot be completed in person.

5. How the school assesses additional needs and English support — The College will request further information and may require additional assessments if your child needs English as an Additional Language (EAL) support or has additional educational needs (AEN). Dulwich Puxi limits enrolment where the level of required EAL support is high and will consider whether the school's staff and services can meet a child's needs based on submitted information. If your child requires significant support, discuss this early with Admissions so they can advise whether the College can meet those needs.

6. Review, offer and financial steps — Following assessment, applications are reviewed and the school will notify parents of the decision. If a place is offered, the College issues an Offer Letter and an invoice for the Resource Fee (RMB 15,000) which the school asks to be paid within five working days to confirm acceptance; new students from recent intake years are also charged a one‑time Capital Development Fee (RMB 15,000). Tuition fees are billed separately and may be paid annually or by term (the site notes an annual payment option has a favourable rate). Read the College's Terms and Conditions for refund and timing details before you accept.

7. Enrollment and onboarding — Once the resource and the required tuition payments are processed, Admissions sends onboarding information and guides you through enrolment tasks (uniform, bus/lunch options, start dates). Note that tuition does not include some items such as lunches, buses and some optional trips; check the published fee schedule for the breakdown relevant to your child's year group. Plan to complete any school medical or safeguarding forms the College requests before your child's first day.

8. Timing and recommended lead time — The College accepts applications year‑round but advises applying early for popular year groups because places may be limited and waiting lists used when there are more qualified candidates than places. Use the admissions contact to confirm current availability for the target year group and to arrange assessments as soon as possible if you have a preferred start term. If you are relocating from overseas, ask about overseas assessment arrangements and provisional offers to reduce uncertainty.

The College runs a Scholarship Programme that offers awards to academically talented and otherwise high‑performing students; the website states successful candidates may receive up to a 50% reduction in tuition fees for two academic years. Scholarships are competitive, open to both internal and external applicants for specified year groups (the College's scholarship pages specify eligibility windows and which year groups may apply for each admissions cycle), and the selection process includes application materials, testing (the standard Admissions assessment is used for initial screening), a personal statement and an interview or Scholarship Assessment Day. The scholarship page also notes the programme is time‑bound (for example the site lists application deadlines and an Assessment Day for the 2026/27 cycle — families should check the current scholarship timetable and contact Admissions for the latest deadlines and the number of awards available). In addition to scholarships, the College says it provides a limited number of means‑tested bursaries decided annually; families interested in financial support should contact Admissions to discuss eligibility and to request the application details.

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi operates a waiting list when there are more qualified applicants than available places. When places are limited the school gives priority to siblings of enrolled students, and other applicants are offered places in line with the College's Language Support Policy (for example limits on the number of students requiring high levels of EAL support). The Admissions page states the school will offer places from the waiting list as places become available, so applying early and registering interest for the correct year group increases the chance of being offered a vacancy.