Kelly King: Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, Head of Senior School

I am delighted to announce the promotion of Mrs Kelly King to the position of Head of Senior School for the beginning of the 2021/2022 academic year. Mrs King is a highly experienced school leader with a proven track record of delivering on high standards. She exemplifies our College values and has been instrumental in establishing a culture of excellence in the Senior School.

A Proven Track Record in School Leadership

Mrs King is a fully qualified history teacher with 19 years of experience in British, specifically London-based, schools and three years of experience at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi. She qualified at the Institute of Education, University College London, before a become Chartered London Teacher, a qualification that is only achieved by those who have demonstrated the unique skills, experience and knowledge specific to teaching in London schools. Mrs King went on to study for a Master’s degree in Leadership and Innovation in Education at the Institute of Education, University of Warwick. She has applied this learning in leadership positions in Britain and at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi. As our Senior School students will tell you, Mrs King is passionate about her subject. In addition to teaching history to our Senior School students, she is an enthusiastic member of Historic Shanghai and enjoys exploring the city’s rich historical heritage. She is equally passionate about literature and places great emphasis on the value of reading to support learning across the Senior School curriculum. A keen reader herself, Mrs King is well known for making personal book recommendations for our most able students. She is a great advocate of Poetry Week and Book Week.

Empowering Senior School Students

Mrs King believes in the value of empowering students with voice, choice and ownership of their learning. She is the driving force behind the development of our popular Senior School Electives Programme, based on Dulwich College in London’s Free Learning. The Electives Programme enables students to pursue an area of interest to a higher level. Mrs King has also increased opportunities for student leadership within the Senior School and is committed to taking this further.

Getting Things Right

Effective schools provide their teachers with opportunities for both personal and professional growth. This is an important feature of Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi, which enables us to attract and retain the best staff for our students. Mrs King’s promotion reflects our commitment to professional development. It also reflects our continuity of leadership. Mrs King is part of a well established College Leadership Team, which includes three founding members of staff. Writing in the International School Parents Magazine, Dr Helen Kelly highlights the value of this:

Research tells us that the success of schools depends upon effective and stable leadership. — Dr Helen Kelly

This is meaningful for our community. We have an experienced and stable team of leaders who are invested in the College and committed to our students, parents and staff.