About Us - Dulwich Prep & Senior
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Head Master’s Welcome
Ethos, Aims & Values
Staff & Governors
Campus & Facilities
Academic Results
Pastoral & Wellbeing
Policy & Inspection
Working at DPS
EDI & Belonging
Our Story
Since 1885, Dulwich Prep & Senior has been at the forefront of preparatory schooling in England. Generations of boys and Nursery-aged girls have benefited from a school that has embraced change, keeping pace with pedagogy and technology and keeping the school’s values at the forefront of everything we do.
We are a selective school in two important ways. First, our pupils generally sit in the top 10% nationally based on their scores in standardised tests. Second, and arguably more importantly, we look for children who will thrive at our school and make the best of everything we have to offer.
Situated in Dulwich, a leafy village within easy striking distance of the bright lights of one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, everyone at Dulwich Prep & Senior takes pride in inspiring excellence. Our school values underpin the rich diversity of curricular and co-curricular opportunities available to our pupils.
Through strong links to our community, alumni, and local schools, we model our values in everything we do. We nurture independent thinkers with a sense of justice who go on to be thoughtful citizens of the world, equipped with a strong moral compass and the ability to adapt to our rapidly changing environment.
Our Governors strive to maintain Dulwich Prep & Senior’s position in a competitive market by sharing their broad expertise to provide our pupils with the highest-quality education. Through this investment, we can attract excellent staff, provide up-to-date technology, and continue to create modern facilities within our stunning 29-acre South London home.
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Our History
At the suggestion of the Master of Dulwich College, Thomas Mason opened Dulwich College Preparatory School (DCPS) for 13 pupils in January 1885 on the site that is now home to the Alleyns Head public house. While we continue to have strong links with the College, we have always been separate entities.
In 1887, after just two years, such was the school’s reputation that pupil numbers had risen to over a hundred. Through the subsequent years, we have grown and developed to become one of the most prestigious and largest boys’ preparatory schools in the country.
On 1 September 2011, the school’s name was changed to Dulwich Prep London (DPL) to better represent its identity.
In May 2023, the school announced that it would be opening a senior school in September 2025, starting with Year 9, thus giving families the option to stay until the completion of Year 11. On 1 August 2024, the school’s name evolved once more to Dulwich Prep & Senior.
The school moved to its present site in 1893 and enjoyed a period of steady growth and stability during the first part of the last century. Events marking the centenary of World War 1, especially the installation of our wall of plaques commemorating former pupils and staff who gave their lives for their country, brought to life the sacrifices made during this period of the school’s history.
From 1891, pupils who boarded lived in the homes of the Headmaster and members of staff, but during the war, a home for boarders was acquired at Brightlands on Gallery Road. Although boarding was discontinued in 2018, Brightlands remained a central part of our wraparound care provision for pupils until 2020. In 2023, the school introduced a new Flexi-boarding offer at 38 Alleyn Park.
In 1938 the then Headmaster, John Leakey, devised a plan should evacuation from London become necessary. He established a campus in the orchard on his father-in-law’s land at Coursehorn, near Cranbrook, Kent. In 1939, the school evacuated to Cranbrook; however, due to the risk of invasion, it moved again and spent the rest of World War 2 in Betws-y-Coed in North Wales.
A small sub-section of the school reopened in London in 1940. Despite considerable upheaval and the hardships of the time, the school returned to Dulwich in 1945 and steadily regained its pre-war reputation. After the war, the school established in Coursehorn also reopened, and our sister school is today known as Dulwich Cranbrook.
In 1957 the school became a Charitable Educational Trust, thus securing its future. Since then more land has been acquired, new buildings constructed and old ones totally renovated. All levels of the school now have modern facilities.
A self-contained Music School was opened in 1989, followed by The Betws Building in 1995 and a fully equipped Sports Hall in 2008. A new Early Years building was opened on Gallery Road in 2007 and continues to flourish as the home of our youngest pupils in Nursery & Reception.
In 2015, The Pennock Centre was opened, named after the former Chairman of Governors, David Pennock. It is a fantastic Science, Design Technology, and Cookery building, complete with a rooftop observatory, wildflower garden, and photovoltaic cell roof panelling. This wonderful facility is full of living examples of sustainability and everyday science for our pupils to explore.
We have continued to inspire excellence with the opening of our newly redeveloped Lower School building and Dining Hall, which links the Drama Studio and Middle and Upper School buildings. These buildings provide our pupils with large, dynamic spaces and impressive functionality. In 2019, we welcomed our current Head Master, Miss Louise Davidson, to the Dulwich Prep & Senior community.
In 2020, our Pre-Prep (formally known as The Annexe) was extended, with a further extension being completed in August 2024. The same month saw the commencement of the Betws Building renovation to prepare the space to be the home of our new senior section.