Dulwich College Boarding Prospectus
House History
Old Blew and The Orchard
Old Blew is one of the most historic houses in Dulwich, dating back to 1608 although its facilities now are thoroughly modern. The two boarding houses are connected by a stylish contemporary building, with junior boarders in The Orchard and senior boarders in Old Blew. New communal facilities include an open plan kitchen, snug/TV room, music room and smart study room.
Old Blew and The Orchard sit adjacent to the College campus and are surrounded by beautiful gardens. The Orchard was built in 1884 and believed to have been designed by Charles Barry Junior, architect of the College’s Barry Buildings and son of Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament. The first known Housemaster was Mr ED Rendall who composed the school song Pueri Alleyniensis.
Old Blew and The Orchard are home to around 55 boys from Years 9 to 13. It is a lively, warm and cosmopolitan environment with boarders from a wide range of countries and a variety of backgrounds. The mixed age range gives older boys the opportunity to take on mentoring responsibilities as well as the chance to relax with their younger contemporaries who enjoy the company of senior boys. There’s a family feel with lots of opportunities for everyone to gather, whether for frisbee or football in the garden, pool, table tennis and Playstation in the games room or chilling out in one of the sitting rooms.
Wellbeing
The Orchard Summit
In-house pilates, yoga and fitness sessions with visiting instructors are held weekly for the boys’ physical and mindful wellbeing. Sessions are held in the wonderful gardens whenever possible and all boys are encouraged to take at least one of the options available each week.
A regular fixture is The Orchard Summit when boys present to their peers in the house with talks ranging from Russian politics and Fermi’s Paradox to the art of DJ-ing. It is a friendly and informal platform to help boys develop public speaking skills in a supportive environment.
Old Blew and The Orchard Team
Housemaster Mr Nick Brown has been at the College since 2000 and lives in The Orchard with his wife Sally and their two young sons. Mrs Tina Tate is Matron and there are two resident tutors along with several regular visiting tutors on hand for pastoral and academic support, including homework and exam revision sessions. Deputy Director of Music, Mr David Eno, is one of the tutors and is responsible for music in the boarding community.
“Old boys come back often and they love to talk about their time in the house, as well as see their old rooms. Although they’ve moved on and are part of new communities now, they want to stay in touch. You can tell this has been a really happy time in their lives.”
Mr Nick Brown, Old Blew and The Orchard Housemaster
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