Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Our EDI statement
Dulwich College is committed to building an inclusive culture that promotes our core values of equity for all; respect for all; and service engagement of all. We proudly celebrate the diversity that exists within our pupil and staff bodies, as well as in our alumni and parent communities, and recognise the important role that our rich array of backgrounds and experiences plays in building a vibrant, forward-looking community. As a result, Dulwich College stands firmly against discrimination and exclusion in all its forms.
We strive to build a supportive community that encourages a sense of social responsibility and which promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, individual liberty, respect and tolerance, and the rule of law. We will continue to work alongside members of our community to progress our inclusion work and embed our core values across all aspects of College life.
Embedding EDI
We undertake a great deal of work to implement our vision of embedding EDI into all aspects of College life. This involves listening to members of our community, as well as our local partners, and reflecting on our current practices to ensure we make progress. We are aware this work does not take place overnight and our community has committed to a sustained journey to create a more inclusive culture.
From surveys and feedback from our community, we identified five core areas of focus for our EDI strategy:
- Recruitment and retention
- Physical environment
- Developing awareness
- Reporting and supporting
- Educating and celebrating
EDI education
We strive to educate all of our community on the virtues of nurturing an inclusive environment that values every one of its members and their contributions. As part of our EDI work, we create opportunities for our pupils and staff to learn more about the benefits of diversity as well as the importance of tackling the discrimination experienced by minoritised groups.
This includes working with organisations, such as Every Future Foundation, to schedule workshops for our students to engage in discussions with experts in the field. In addition, our pupil-led launch videos for our EDI months, such as Black History Month and DC PRIDE, provide valuable opportunities for improving all of our understanding of such important issues.
EDI in our Union of Societies
Whilst inclusion is a focus in many of our Societies throughout the year, our African and Caribbean Society, PrideSoc, Islamic Society and Exploring Christianity groups are examples of those that offer dedicated spaces for pupils to meet and discuss issues important to them.
EDI Forums
We hold termly EDI Forums to offer pupils the chance to contribute to the College’s EDI work. These Forums invite a diverse range of voices to provide feedback on past initiatives whilst also helping to shape our future EDI work. The EDI Forums form part of our wider Pupil Voice work which allows pupils to have their say on what issues they would like to learn more about, and why.
“Belonging is not a once and for all condition, a static identity tattooed on our skin; it is a constant self-examination and dynamic revision of where we are, who we are, and where we want to be” Elif Shafak, novelist, essayist, public speaker, political scientist and activist.
EDI Focus Months
Black History Month, DC PRIDE (our version of LGBT+ History Month) and International Women’s Day provide invaluable opportunities for our community to learn about the experiences, achievements, and challenges that have been experienced by traditionally underrepresented groups. Pupils and staff engage with these issues in assemblies, and through talks in our Union of Societies and activities in lessons.
Curriculum Review
As part of our ongoing commitment to embed our EDI work in all that we do at the College, we carry out annual Curriculum Reviews to identify ways in which we can make our schemes of work more inclusive. We believe that it is vitally important for all of our students to see themselves represented in the classroom, whether it be through engaging with a diverse range of role models or topics, so that they all strive to achieve their full potential.
We have undertaken successful work in reviewing our Lower School curricula and we are focusing on updating our Year 9 schemes of work in the 2024/25 academic year.
EDI in recruitment
We look to attract and retain the best staff, regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or indeed any other protected characteristic. Our Director of HR oversees our strategy to attract a diverse field of candidates to help us achieve this aim.
