Curriculum

Years 7 and 8

In Year 7 pupils follow a curriculum comprising the subjects listed below.

In Year 8 pupils continue with French or Spanish and have a choice of studying Latin, Chinese or German. In addition all pupils have two Games sessions.

Art	Geography	Music
Chinese	History	Physical Education
Design and Technology	Informatics	Religion & Theology
Drama	Latin	Science
English	Mathematics	Wellbeing
French or Spanish

The Lower School Curriculum - Academic Year 2024-25

Year 9

A broad based curriculum is continued. All Year 9 pupils study the subjects listed to the right, plus ONE of Latin, German, Spanish, French and Chinese. There is one Games afternoon.

Art	French or Spanish	Music
Biology	Geography	Physical Education
Chemistry	History	Physics
Design and Technology	Informatics	Religion & Theology
Drama	Mathematics	Wellbeing
English

Years 10 and 11

These years provide the final preparation for GCSE/IGSCE examinations. The scheme of subject choice allows considerable flexibility and is designed to provide pupils with a wide choice of post-16 courses. In addition to lessons in examination subjects, pupils have one Games session. There is also a Wellbeing course which includes P.E.

All boys are required to study:

Biology	English Literature	Mathematics
Chemistry	French or Spanish	Physics
English Language

Physics, Chemistry and Biology are taught as separate subjects. They will eventually be entered, as appropriate, for examinations at IGCSE Science and Additional Science (Double Award), or to three certificates (in the Separate Sciences). A pupil’s access to, and eligibility for, Advanced Level science courses in the Upper School is affected by the quality of the IGCSE grades they achieve, and not by whether he takes Double Award or Separate Sciences.

Additionally, boys choose ONE subject from each of the following groups:

Group 1
History	Geography	Religion & Theology
Group 2
Art	DTR (Resistant)	Music
Chinese	French	Latin
Computing	Geography	Religion & Theology
Drama	German	Spanish
DTE (Electronics)
Group 3
Ancient Greek	DTE (Electronics)	Music
Art	DTR (Resistant)	Religion & Theology
Computing	Geography	PE
Drama

The same subject cannot be selected from two or more groups. If a language is chosen from Group 2, this language must have been studied in Year 9.

The Classical Greek option in Group 3 is for pupils of proven ability in languages wishing to start this subject in Year 10; they may therefore include three languages among their subjects. Greek is available to pupils regardless of whether they are continuing Latin to GCSE.

All pupils take ten subjects — leading to either ten or nine GCSE/IGCSE qualifications, depending on the science course followed.

Choosing GCSE Courses - For pupils entering Year 10 in September 2025

The Remove (Year 12) and Upper Sixth (Year 13)

A detailed guide to our provision and advice can be found in the Introduction to the Upper School  and Upper School Curriculum Guide.

All pupils choose three A level subjects to study.

• Excellent mathematicians (achieving a high 9 at GCSE) may take Further Mathematics as a fourth A level.
• Excellent linguists and mathematicians may, with the agreement of the Head of Upper School or Deputy Master Academic, take Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language as a fourth A level – though this will be studied on a reduced number of timetabled lessons.

EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)

All pupils can apply to take the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification): this independent project will reflect a pupil’s individual academic passions; it is self-driven but shaped in dialogue with a staff mentor. The EPQ is worth half an A level.

The great advantage of A level study is its depth and focus; it is an outstanding preparation for university. Dulwich, however, has always been concerned to nurture a breadth of intellectual passions, and so all Upper School pupils will also take one of our bespoke Advanced Electives in Year 12 and a Liberal Studies course in Year 13.

The skills and knowledge developed in both sets of courses will be used by pupils to help them complete either an EPQ or an internally assessed Extended Essay. These are key components of our Dulwich Diploma, which recognises the academic and co-curricular aspects of a Dulwich education, and which is awarded to pupils as they leave the College.

There is, in addition,

• a Games afternoon on Wednesdays for all Upper School pupils: boys have free choice across a range of dozens of sports each term, from Rugby and Football to Fencing and Water Polo to Rock Climbing and Spin classes;
• a fortnightly Wellbeing lesson, which provides the RSE curriculum and covers a range of age-appropriate topics (e.g. Men’s Health; Mental Health; Healthy Relationships; Gaming and Social Media; Economic Literacy; Life after School);
• scheduled time for private, supervised study.

Enrichment/Oxbridge prep

Additional programmes are run to assist those pupils preparing to apply to Oxford or Cambridge, Medical School, or American universities. Provision here – in the form of weekly, specialist-run enrichment seminars and entrance-examination preparation – is extensive, intensive, and highly successful. Please speak to the Head of Upper School to learn more.

Each pupil chooses three A level subjects from the following:

Art and Design	French	Mathematics
Biology	Geography	Further Maths (Statistics) or Further Maths (Mechanics)
Chemistry	German	Music
Classical Civilisation	Classical Greek	Physical Education
Computer Science	Politics	Physics
Design & Technology	History	Psychology
Drama & Theatre Studies	History of Art	Religion and Philosophy
Economics	Italian	Spanish
English	Latin

Upper School Curriculum -  Academic Year 2025-26