Time for Reflection as We Approach Our 10th-Anniversary in Suzhou
In 2019 we celebrated the 400th anniversary of Dulwich College. This year will mark the 10th anniversary of Dulwich International High School Suzhou!
When was Dulwich International High School Suzhou established?
This year we will be celebrating the 10th year of our school! We opened nearly a decade ago (in September 2012) in temporary premises within the beautiful grounds of the prestigious Suzhou High School, in the heart of the old town of Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province China.
In August 2015, we moved to our new purpose-built campus in the SIP district of Suzhou, right next door to Dulwich College Suzhou. Our strong connection with Dulwich College London allows us to truly claim that our school is a bridge between the educational traditions of East and West. It is this unique distinction that helps to set us apart from our competitors.
Dulwich International High School Suzhou was the sixth school to join the Dulwich College family of international schools. Our links with Dulwich College remain as strong as ever, as do our links with all the other Dulwich Schools in the network.
This encourages our students to develop an international outlook and creates an exciting and vibrant community, where academic ability is fostered, and creativity is valued. Our common heritage with all the schools in the DCI network is a tremendous source of pride for us. More stories about our school history, please read Ahead 10-year Mark, DHSZ Tells Past Glories and New Horizons by Zhuang Xiaoyan, Principal of DHSZ.
Reflections from some of our Longest Serving Staff
Remarkably, there are still several members of staff working at the school to this very day, that joined back in September 2012! This provides them with a unique perspective on how Dulwich International High School Suzhou has evolved, developed, and continues to thrive.
Richard Nunns Deputy Director
When we asked Richard how long he had been living in China, he explained that he first arrived in the early 2000s on a trip that was only supposed to last 6 months! Yet he is still here, 14 years later, and now speaks fluent mandarin.
Richard was characteristically modest about his Chinese speaking skills, claiming that:
“I have enough to get by.” He went on to add: “I think, that is one thing that makes our school quite different from other international schools. We really are a melting pot of cultures. We have 25 plus nationalities of staff. A lot of people working here have been in China for a long time and have made the effort to try and understand a little bit of the culture and the language.”
When we asked Richard what Dulwich was like in the early days, he told us that:
“My earliest memory of the school is, at something ridiculous like 9:00 o'clock at night, a lorry arrived, and we all got a message to come and help unload the school uniforms! Since then, the school has developed a lot, particularly with our new building and our new facilities, it means that we now have the hardware as well as the software to support our holistic education.”
Richard believes that our school has changed a lot over the years:
“Our school started off based on the rich heritage of Suzhou High School and Dulwich College in London, they're very much inside our DNA. But at the same time, we have evolved our own context. We're offering far more courses than just the A levels and we really are offering a full international curriculum, and an incredibly rich range of Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) that help our students develop agency and leadership skills.”
When we ask Richard to reflect on the 10th Anniversary of our school, he explained that:
“We were really looking forward to a great big all flags, bells, and whistles celebration because in the last 10 years we have done so much, we have developed so quickly and it's a shame that COVID restrictions mean that we can't celebrate in that way, but I really do think that the achievements of our faculty are amazing. I feel that the support of our families is stronger than ever. When we look at where our students have got to around the world, it provides the evidence that we really are doing what we set out to do and doing it in a very good way.”
Richard has been with our school since its inception. We were intrigued to find out why, and understand what factors had kept him engaged for so long:
“I would say it's a combination of two factors. So, first, the school and Dulwich as an organization are always evolving. Always interesting, always something new. Secondly, Suzhou as a city to live in, it's the same, it's always evolving. It's always interesting. There's always something new.”
When we asked Richard what he was most proud of over the last 10 years, he told us that:
“The first is the diversity of our teaching faculty that really sets us apart. We are an International School, with mainly Chinese students. So, we get that internationalism through our faculty. Secondly, the strengthening of our arts program and the introduction of our liberal arts program is something where we are really leading the way in China and will continue to do so.”
Rama Chintapalli Chemistry Teacher, Head of House
Another long-serving member of staff at Dulwich International High School Suzhou is Rama Chintapalli (Chemistry Teacher and Head of House). Rama came to China in 2008, as a Chemistry teacher at Dipont High School, an A-Level Centre on the Suzhou High School campus.
We asked Rama what changes she had noticed from the early days of her time in China and Rama explained that:
Comparisons are difficult to make. Times change. There is always a context, there are some contextual things that have changed; for example, when I came to China, the infrastructure was not as developed as it is now. The foreign population is high compared to my earlier years in China and thus, we get an opportunity to experience a mix of diverse cultures. Transportation, food services, shopping services, payment methods – all have evolved, making life more convenient.”
Rama told us about the changes she has seen in our school over the decade she has worked here, she gave a very thought-provoking answer:
“Schools are dynamic institutions; they evolve and change with time. The change in Dulwich High school has been incredibly positive in terms of the increased number of students, accreditation, and market forces that have made student recruitment a challenge. Being science teachers, we focus more on laboratories. Earlier, we did not have our labs and we had to share laboratories with Suzhou high school, but now I am extremely impressed with the well-equipped and highly facilitated laboratories – which have made an enormous difference in both the teaching and learning of science. Over the years, the school has become increasingly sensitive to the needs of teachers, which are not necessarily teaching needs. The school has support systems in place to ensure the comfort of the individual teachers by making certain services accessible.”
Rama then reflected on the 10th Anniversary of our school:
“The 10th Anniversary of Dulwich International High School will always remain nostalgic to me as I move on because it reminds me of the very humble beginnings, where we were housed in another school in downtown Suzhou. It’s very significant in the sense that indeed I have grown - personally and professionally, the school has grown, and children have grown socially, academically, and culturally. So, this 10th Anniversary will remain in my heart for the rest of my life.”
We were intrigued to understand what main had kept her working at the school for so long. Rama explained her attachment to both Suzhou and our school in the following terms:
“Firstly, Dulwich High school has been a home away from home for me. It has embraced me and my family and met my professional and social needs. Such schools are rare to find and that is why I became a part of this family. Secondly, Suzhou is an exceptionally beautiful city, rich in history, culture, and heritage. The authenticity of its renowned classical gardens and beautiful mountains has always been a great attraction to me. Thus, by working in Dulwich High School Suzhou, I could get the best of both worlds.”
Rama is tremendously proud of her students and her two daughters, who study at our school.
“I am extremely proud of the fact that many of my students have gone to prestigious universities to study chemistry-related subjects. I am also proud to be a part of the team at a school that is recognized around the world, for the quality of the services it delivers to students. This has lifted my self-esteem and I am sure it will place me in good stead for the rest of my professional life. The school has instilled international mindedness in my two daughters, who are students in this school. And every day as I live with them, I see the Dulwich values like responsibility, empathy, respect, play out in my daughters.”
The fact that we have such long-standing members of staff is a tremendous testament to both the school and the Dulwich group. Veteran staff carry the wisdom that only years of experience can bring, and they provide a profound sense of continuity to our students and alumni.
When was Dulwich College Established?
Dulwich College has a long and rich history running all the way back to June 21st, 1619, when Edward Alleyn founded the school, with letters patent from King James I. Incredibly, this document (featuring the great seal of England) survives to this very day. Edward Alleyn was an entrepreneur and actor in the world of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre. He was a colorful and famous figure in his day.
