College Development and Improvement Plan
Contents
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Introduction!
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Philosophy! & Objectives!
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The Dulwich ! Values!
Student! Experience! ! ! !
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! Curriculum! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
10! 11! 12! 13! 14!
Learning and Teaching! ! Culture and Ethos! ! Leadership and Management! ! External Relations! ! Campus Development! 2 Â
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Introduction to the College Development and Improvement Plan We are proud to present the Dulwich College Development and Improvement Plan that will be in place until July 2014. e Plan is intended to guide the direction of the College in seven key priority areas: Student Experience; Curriculum; Learning and Teaching; Leadership and Management; External Relations; Culture and Ethos; and Campus Developments. For each priority there is an introduction, an analysis of our current strengths and a review of the areas that we are currently working to improve and develop. As the College continues to grow from strength to strength, the purpose of this plan is to capture our ambition and provide a strategic overview for all interested stakeholders. Dulwich College first opened its doors in August 2005 to 500 international students in Beijing. Since then, the College has grown to over 1300 students, ranging in age from 12 months to 18 years. We are a school that embraces the latest technology to enhance academic and rigorous approaches to learning and teaching. Our educational vision, which is derived from 400 years of history in Dulwich College London, focuses on four core areas: academic excellence; commitment to sport; engagement with the community; and the promotion of the arts, music, and drama.
We are proud of our links with Dulwich College London, which provides advice, support and a rigorous set of academic standards to which we subscribe. Our educational teams work closely with those in London, sharing expertise and resources to ensure that high standards and continuous development are maintained for both schools. Validation of our success has come recently in the form of a glowing inspection report from e Council of International Schools in June 2011 and being awarded British International School of the Year in November of that year. University acceptances in 2012 have gone further to illustrate our educational success. Our current Year 13 students have received offers from universities as prestigious and diverse as Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Edinburgh and Melbourne. Although we are achieving great success with our students, we are not complacent and continue to strive for even higher levels of achievement. To ensure our continued success and recognition as a leading global international school we hope that all our key stakeholders will share and support our vision, beliefs and desire for continued success. Neal McGowan, Headmaster
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Philosophy & Objectives Because the child comes first: • • • • • • • • •
Our school is a fun and safe place to learn We can be ourselves We all work together to do the best we can We learn through everything we do We play and work together as a team We trust ourselves to try new things We will try our best to take care of our world We respect ourselves and others I will be prepared for change
Adapted from the whole school Philosophy and Objectives statement for Dulwich, January 2010 6
Dulwich Values When a child or a young person becomes a Dulwich College student, he or she becomes part of a global network that provides opportunities for academic and cultural exchange. î “roughout that network we emphasise the Dulwich Values, which are a set of ideas, characteristics and traits worked into the life of our school. We encourage our students to embrace each and every one of these values.
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Student Experience Student experience is the foundation of any school and an area in which we are constantly striving to improve. Student experience encompasses a broad range of factors that include but are not limited to counseling, student democracy and child protection. With such disparate contributing factors, it is of great importance to maintain continuity across the school system. At Dulwich our solution is community and, importantly, the care, guidance and support it can provide
Strengths
Areas for Development
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Community involvement and the CAS challenge Opportunities and quality of experiences in extra-curricular and enrichment activities, including sport, drama, music Educational trips, visits and excursions Strong sense of Dulwich community, values and identity
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Improve College and University Counseling Continue to improve cultural harmony amongst student groups Review our behaviour and anti-bullying policies Improve the provision and quality of school catering on all campuses Support careers advice for students from the start of Key Stage 4 8
e Curriculum e curriculum at Dulwich C provides the structure and framework from which both academic and personal growth flourish. At Dulwich, we seek to provide a curriculum that is balanced. It must balance student motivation and engagement, interests and future requirements, progression and continuity. Ultimately, it must allow students the breadth and balance to develop fully and holistically as human beings. Achieving this presents a great challenge for educators, and as such our curriculum, much like our students, is always adapting to new challenges. Strengths
Areas for Development
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e focus on a play-based curriculum in the Early Years e curricular framework in the Junior School e breadth and depth of the curriculum in the senior school Our examination results for IGCSE and the IB Diploma
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Improve online learning and the use of Studywiz Greater alignment between the three schools (Early Years, Junior School, Senior School) to ensure continuity in curriculum progression e streamlining of the Mandarin Chinese curriculum to allow for greater continuity and smoother progression through the programme Widen curricular opportunities in the IB programme 9
Learning and Teaching Providing learning opportunities through outstanding teaching is our core priority and one that is always under review. We believe that no educational system can exceed the quality of its teachers, and so we require our staff to share best practices and continue to develop their professional expertise. It is because we allow our teachers opportunities to expand their repertoire of skills that we are confident in their ability to lead outstanding lessons. In providing differentiated and personalised learning, adjusted to the needs of individual students and their preferred learning styles, we facilitate measurable and incremental progress for all our learners.
Strengths
Areas for Development
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A strong culture of learning and an ethos of achievement e quality of staff and student relationships e use of technology embedded within our school system and curriculum
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An increased focus on feedback to provide students with a clear understanding of how to progress and achieve more To develop individualised and personalised academic targets for all our students To continue to review and improve provision for our SEN and EAL students Ensure our gifted and talented learners are challenged, engaged and motivated 10
Leadership and Management We understand that to ensure our students receive a world-class and outstanding education means that leadership and management must be excellent at every level. In continuing a policy of developing existing leaders through joint planning, professional development and accountability, we seek to create a leadership structure that is closely aligned with our strategic priorities. ese priorities will need to be expressed with clarity and exercised diligently. Our approach to strategic planning will be inclusive and self evaluative, focused on the agreed priorities and assessing our progress through rigorous quality assurance.
Strengths • • •
e commitment of our Leadership team to put students first and deliver an outstanding education e continuing of professional development of our staff e willingness of all staff to take responsibility and leadership roles
Areas for Development • We will review our Leadership structure to align it more effectively with our strategic priorities • rough better identification of strengths and development needs, we will improve approaches to school self-evaluation and quality assurance • rough an increased range of communicative media we will develop a greater shared understanding amongst all stakeholders of college life • Develop a safeguarding framework and policy 11
External Relations We understand the importance of sharing the story of Dulwich College Beijing with existing and future stakeholders. erefore, we will continue to develop and improve our approach to marketing, communications and partnership building. We are developing an Alumni Society that connects International Old Alleynians from the Dulwich Colleges in Asia and London. rough this network we will seek to support the work of our College, and in the years ahead establish a development strategy that will provide greater opportunities for our current and former students and staff.
Strengths • • • • •
Weekly communication with parents Our partnership with Friends of Dulwich Our Admissions Team Relations with bureaus, agents and embassies Our management of major events
Areas for Development • Improve the impact of our marketing strategy • Greater collaboration with Dulwich College London and the other Dulwich Colleges in Asia • Provide and develop opportunities for current, future and former students and staff through the alumni network 12
Culture and Ethos As a British school in China, we recognise and celebrate our heritage and 400 years of history. Our curriculum, ethos and philosophy will reflect all that Dulwich College London stands for: academic excellence; enrichment through the arts; passion for sport; service and community. However, we are equally proud to be a global and international school. We take children from every corner of the globe, incorporate and celebrate their cultural identities and backgrounds to create global citizens who work, play and live together in harmony. Our key task is to to harness these fantastically diverse influences, maximising the benefits for our students and families. Strengths • • • •
e international-mindedness, tolerance and maturity of our students e willingness of students to express their views and take responsibility e celebration of local and international cultures Our Family International Day
Areas for Development • To reiterate and share our vision of being a British international school for global students • Continue to develop our corporate identity across the Dulwich community • Celebrate our Dulwich heritage through the introduction of Founder’s Day from 2013 • Continue to improve cultural harmony amongst student groups 13
Campus Developments e quality of our environment is central to our effectiveness in enabling outstanding learning and teaching. We will ensure that all our students have facilities that are stimulating and support a modern and dynamic curriculum. We will also also look to future and specifically to those students who in years to come will embody the values of Dulwich College Beijing. Accordingly, we will to continue to upgrade and improve our existing facilities, alongside more ambitious plans for the development of our campuses. Strengths
Areas for Development
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High quality facilities in our Legend Garden and Riviera Campuses Our new sports dome and clubhouse An excellent ICT structure embedded throughout the school
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Develop a new Early Years campus at Legend Garden Develop new parking and school bus facilities at Legend Garden Develop a Tennis Centre and improve playing surfaces of the existing fields at Legend Garden Extend the main building at Legend Garden to improve the accommodation for Junior and Senior Schools Provide Indoor Play Space at all our Campuses in response to increased levels of pollution Develop and landscape our outdoor facilities at Legend Garden and Riviera 14
Dulwich College Beijing, Legend Garden Campus, 89 Capital Airport Road, Shunyi District, Beijing 101300 PRC www.dulwich-‐‑beijing.cn
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