EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH HEADMASTER
Dr. Joe Spence FROM DULWICH COLLEGE Dr. Joe Spence, long-standing headmaster at Dulwich College, talks about the ethos and efforts being made to ensure they are a fully diverse and inclusive school for boys’ in London. To begin, would you like to tell us a little about the ethos of Dulwich College?
Thank you, Chloe, it is delightful to be filling the niche at Education Corner. It is a real treat to be able to talk to you too. Yes, isn’t ethos such an interesting thing these days? There is such a stress on being more explicit about it. We are joining in on that, we like that challenge that is given by parents now to re-define it. I’d start by saying that for a long while now we have had the twin pillars, if I can call it this… I’ve been in this post now for twelve years. It is a social mission and an educational vision. I am proudly able to launch in and say that we are wanting to be a school of inclusivity. I’d start there, and when I say that, I mean wanting to be a school of access. We have 200 boys on bursaries at the moment. 150 of those are on full bursaries. I like the idea of being a school to which people can come for that socially transformatory fee relief. I’m sure this is something that we will talk about later, but I could well imagine being sector-wide eventually. All of the things that came out of the pandemic that have led us to be more explicit about things
such as, if you look at our website, we have a page which shows our ongoing response to all issues relating to race and gender, and our promotion of all peoples equally, in valuing them as an Equity and Respect page on the website. I suppose that the sense of there being a search for equity: we are not there anymore than any other institution. There is a sense that all must be respected. It is the sense that we have to work even harder than we once have done in order to make sure that this is a place where prejudice cannot exist. Prejudice is a human condition, but the messaging is such that people must understand why you have got to be so careful. You must respect all traditions. “They are there for the components of the evolving ethos of Dulwich College: a school of access; a school dedicated to a social mission; a school with a very strong sense of what it does as educators; and a sense of commitment to our place in social change.” How do you feel being at an all-boys’ school helps the boys with their academic success? What do you feel the benefits are?
I’m not sure it helps or hinders their academic success, I mean, it is a fascinating question. If you had asked me if I’d be leading an all-boys’ school fourteen years ago then I would have said “No.” I don’t think that boys learn that differently from girls. There is all sorts of neuroscience about
“They are there for the components of the evolving ethos of Dulwich College: a school of access; a school dedicated to a social mission; a school with a very strong sense of what it does as educators; and a sense of commitment to our place in social change.” 24 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | S U M M E R 2 02 2
