Dulwich College Seoul (DSCL) celebrated its 15th anniversary in true community spirit with its students, parents, staff, and partners at the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) Garden Party 2025. Not only did the Sept. 24 event highlight the school’s long-standing partnership with the BCCK and British Embassy, but it also featured exceptional student performers and representatives across various year groups.
DCSL staff drew on the resilience they foster among students, as a sudden forecast of heavy rain forced a venue change in the eleventh hour from the British Embassy’s garden to the nearby Four Seasons Hotel. This meant DCSL’s activities for the event had to evolve from lawn to ballroom carpet, including croquet and paddling pool fishing for magnetic ducks.
Within these games were clues about DCSL’s core values as the only British school in Seoul. The traditional hats worn while playing croquet were quintessentially British, the ducks were a nod to DCSL’s DUCKS curriculum for children aged 3 to 7, and a surprisingly challenging quiz tested adult participants’ general knowledge against that of a 10-year-old (do you know what an onomatopoeia is?!). Prizes included a generous British picnic hamper, plush leopard keyrings in honor of DCSL’s sports mascot Lucy, and reusable cutlery sets as a reminder of the school’s sustainability value.
The students’ String Quartet impressed attendees with beautiful classical music and another student jazz band performed on stage to a room of 300+ attendees, playfully sporting the traditional hats.
The school’s values and theme for the 15th anniversary campaign, “Transforming Tomorrow, Together,” were also underscored in speeches by six DCSL students, aged six to 18, who spoke about everything from the importance of kindness and well-being to pursuing interests such as drama at the same time as academic excellence. One of the students declared her bold ambition to become a “spy who breaks code,” while another spoke in Korean in honor of DCSL’s host country.
The student speakers stressed the importance of “making a positive difference,” by reducing waste and helping to build a more equitable and sustainable world. DCSL students are actively involved in the local community through learning and volunteering as part of the school’s incorporation of global citizenship and sustainability. DCSL balances out academic excellence with community service and critical thinking skills, preparing students for the world’s top universities and beyond. It is no coincidence that DCSL is the top IB school in Seoul, with graduates of its renowned International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) significantly outperforming global average results and recording the highest average score in Seoul this year.
Head of College Alison Derbyshire also addressed the party, thanking the British Embassy, which was represented at the event by Deputy Ambassador Gareth Weir, and BCCK for “helping us expand to meet growing demand for quality British education in Seoul.” Speaking in her second year as DCSL’s first female head, she highlighted the tradition of the Founding School in London, the legacy of DCSL in the last 15 years, and importance of building “a more just, equitable, and sustainable world” together.
During those 15 years, DCSL has grown from 500 to over 720 students seeking a quality international education in Seoul, representing more than 46 countries. Graduates have gone on to universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, MIT, UPenn, and Juilliard, to name a few. Its campus in Seoul’s Seocho district recently renovated its facilities to expand and renew DUCKS spaces, its dining room and cafe, and a new state-of-the-art theater.