Dulwich Prep & Senior
| Dulwich Prep & Senior (DPS) | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
38-42 Alleyn Park London , SE21 7AA England | |
| Coordinates | 51°26′03″N 0°05′07″W / 51.4342°N 0.0852°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school Preparatory school Senior school |
| Religious affiliation | Church of England |
| Established | 18 January 1885 |
| Founder | Thomas Mason |
| Local authority | Southwark |
| Department for Education URN | 100862 Tables |
| Head Master | Louise Davidson |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 2 to 16 |
| Houses | Gryphon, Lammasu, Pegasus, Phoenix |
| Publication | Focus |
| Website | https://dulwichprepsenior.org.uk/ |
Dulwich Prep & Senior (DPS), formerly known as Dulwich Prep London (2011–2024) and Dulwich College Preparatory School (1885–2011), is an independent school in Dulwich, south London, England for boys aged 2–16 years, with a co-educational Nursery. The current Headmaster is Louise Davidson.
History
1885—1893
At the suggestion of the Master of Dulwich College, Thomas Mason founded Dulwich College Preparatory School (DCPS) on 18 January 1885, initially enrolling 13 pupils. The school was originally situated near the site now occupied by the Alleyn’s Head pub. In 1893, it relocated to its present premises.[1]
In 1916, the school introduced a house system, referred to as “tribes.” Each house was named after a Native American tribe and identified by a distinctive colour. The houses were as follows:
- Chippeway (red)
- Deerfeet (blue)
- Objiwas (yellow)
- Mohicans (green)
Deerfeet was an exception in that it was named after Deerfoot, rather than directly after a tribe.
In 2024, Dulwich Prep & Senior introduced a new house system based on legendary creatures, in which Chippeway, Deerfeet, Ojibwas and Mohicans became Phoenix, Lamassu, Gryphon and Pegasus respectively.[2][3][4]
1938—1945
In 1938 headmaster John Leakey established an evacuation camp in the orchard on his father-in-law's land at Coursehorn, near Cranbrook, Kent, where the affiliated Dulwich Cranbrook still is today.[5] Due to risk of invasion, the school moved to Betws-y-Coed and stayed there for the rest of the war.
In 1941, the original site of the school was bombed.
1957—present
The school became a Charitable Education Trust in 1957. Since then the school gained more land and new buildings were built.[1]
The school celebrated its centenary in 1985 with a Centenary Day on Friday 7 June 1985.[6]
The Hugh Woodcock Music School was opened in 1989, followed by the Betws Building in 1995, a library in 1999, and a sports hall, opened by cricketer and former pupil Derek Underwood in 2008.
In 2005, a book titled Dulwich and Beyond: A History of Dulwich College Preparatory School written by Neil Smith was published in 2005. It covers the complete history of the school at the time of publication.[7]
A co-ed nursery was opened in 2007 at Gallery Road.
The school changed its name on 1 September 2011 to Dulwich Prep London, having been previously called Dulwich College Preparatory School. Despite their close proximity and relationship, the school has no official link with Dulwich College, which has its own junior school for students between ages 7 and 13.
In May 2023, the school announced that it would be opening a senior school, starting with Year 9, in September 2025.
In 2023, the school introduced Flexi-boarding (boarding only on school weekdays) at 38 Alleyn Park.
As of September 2024, the school renamed itself Dulwich Prep & Senior for the upcoming senior school.[8] They also renamed the tribes into legends. Each one of the legends are named after a winged mythical beast. Chippeway was renamed Phoenix, Deerfeet became Lamassu, Objiwas became Gryphon and Mohicans became Pegasus.
References
- ^ a b "About Us". Dulwich Prep & Senior. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Prestigious Dulwich prep school drops Native American house names". The Independent. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ Simpson, Craig. “Prep School Drops Native American Names for Fear of “Cultural Appropriation.”” The Telegraph, 16 June 2024, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/16/john-simpson-old-school-native-american-names-axed/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
- ^ Bakht, Shayma (16 June 2024). "Dulwich Prep drops tribal house names after parents complain". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
- ^ History of Dulwich College Preparatory School in Cranbrook, Kent Archived 27 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook, Kent, UK.
- ^ Gordon, Craig (16 January 2025). "Tales from The Prep #4 - Centenary Celebrations 1985". DPLink. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Dulwich and Beyond". Dulwich Cranbrook. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Exciting news from Dulwich Prep London!". Google. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.