FAQ

As a registered sponsor for overseas students with the UK’s Home Office, the College is required to keep immigration records of all pupils who do not hold a British or Irish passport. If you require the College to sponsor your child, the College can issue an online Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) under the system operated by UK Visas & Immigration. The College will be in touch with you in early March to initiate this process. If your son is already studying at a UK school under an existing visa, he will need a new visa to study at Dulwich and will not be able to continue to use his previous visa. For those requiring a CAS to initiate a Child Student or Student Visa, the College will make an administration charge which will be added to your first term’s fee bill.

IELTS qualifications are not required when applying to the College as each candidate will be tested in English. However a high level in spoken and written English is necessary at all points of entry. Universities in the UK and overseas usually require students to have reached a certain proficiency in English before offering a place. Our EAL department will work with pupils in groups, and one on one, to help them reach the required level as soon as possible.

All boys should go home or stay with a Guardian during the holidays. Boarders must leave on the final day of term, but can return to the boarding house the day before school begins, in order to get unpacked and settled in. The Upper School boarding houses remain open during the Summer term half term break, as boys are in the middle of their A level examinations, but all houses are closed for the October and February half term breaks. Term dates.

The College insists that every pupil (even those 18 years old or over) whose parents are resident overseas must have a guardian living in this country. The guardian must be at least 25 years old, and should live close enough to the College to carry out his/her duties effectively.

Food and textbooks are included in the fees. Some house activities and trips will be covered, but others may be added to the school bill. This will always be made clear in advance.

Exeat weekends are only for pupils in the Orchard, in Years 9-11. There are four exeat weekends a year, two in the Michaelmas term and one in each of the Lent and Summer terms. The boarding house closes on Friday (5pm) and opens on Sunday (5pm). The dates are on the College website. There are no exeat weekends in Years 12 and 13.

All Dulwich College uniform is available from the School Shop, the Commissariat, which is situated in the College campus. Please check the School Shop website for opening times and contact the shop directly with any queries. Please note that boys in the Upper School (Year 12 and Year 13) are permitted to wear their own suit, which should be black, dark grey or navy blue. Further details on school uniform, including sportswear, will be sent to you at the beginning of the summer.

All bedding is provided, but boys are welcome to bring their own if they prefer.

The journey to Dulwich College is around one hour, from both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Please contact the Housemaster if you would like to organise airport transfers. This can be done at the beginning and end of each holiday, and the cost is usually added to the next term’s fee bill.

There are no lessons at the weekend. The College has extensive sporting facilities, many of which are open to boarders at the weekend, and many boys participate in College teams and play matches against other schools on Saturdays. Music practice rooms can be available on request. House trips and activities are often laid on at the weekend, but it is also important to allow boys some time to relax, recharge their batteries, socialise or study. All meals are provided in the College dining hall throughout the weekend.

We have a fully staffed Medical Centre where the boys report to if they are feeling unwell. If they are ill during the night the Housemasters have training in the provision of basic medicines, and there is also an on call nurse available 24 hours.

Boarders are encouraged to open a bank account locally. The Housemasters can help with this but parents are strongly advised to make arrangement themselves as it is a much easier process. The school will also assist with applying for an Oyster card (for public transport travel around London).

There is supervised prep time each day during the week (75 minutes for the younger boys, 120 minutes for the Upper School students). Boys use classrooms/computer suites and a member of the teaching staff is always on duty, to help students if necessary, and to ensure a studious atmosphere. In their final year, boys are allowed to study in the boarding house during prep time, either in their study bedrooms, or in the house IT suites.

Induction is an ongoing process, and continues throughout the year. However, a full programme is laid on for new boys over the first few days of the Michaelmas term. Over this period of time they will participate in a team building morning, tour the College and the local area and meet all those staff likely to play a part in their lives over the coming months and years.

Students should bring laptops and other appropriate electronic devices for study and for leisure. It is crucial though that all devices, cables and chargers conform to British safety standards. Further information will be sent out ahead of the start of term.