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recruitment and appreciation of the co-curricular life of the College, the wider context in which it operates. The Deputy Master External role thus represented an opportunity to help shape and articulate our existing external partnerships, both locally and internationally, and at an exciting moment in their development, and in the development of the College. What I’ve found since then is that the language used to articulate our engagement with the maintained sector complements that describing our educational involvement overseas. Secondly, I have a very strong conviction of the vital importance of education, both in terms of individuals’ lives and the life of a community. I myself have been fortunate to enjoy a first-rate education and it’s given me a passion both for teaching and learning. It’s perhaps a sobering thought that my grandfather left school when he was twelve, and that his grandmother (as I recently discovered) couldn’t write when she got married in 1872. My younger daughter has special educational needs, which adds a further dimension to my belief in maximising the potential of every individual. Finally, as a Deputy Master I have the opportunity to work closely with senior colleagues, drawing upon the academic and pastoral experience I have acquired at the College since 1998 and contributing to its strategic development. What are your new responsibilities in the role? I am required by the World Charter to inspect each of the overseas schools once every year, and I generally inspect two schools at a time, causing me to be away from Dulwich for about four weeks each year. In essence, this is to provide reassurance to DCEO that the schools are providing a first-class holistic education such as we provide here in London. I therefore meet a wide range of staff during each visit, as well as students and parents, and subsequently produce a report for the DCEO board. The exercise is also a mutually supportive one, and enables best educational practice to be shared. Locally speaking, I am responsible for overseeing and shaping our partnerships with the maintained sector. In this capacity I work particularly closely with City Heights E-Act Academy, with whom we enjoy an educational partnership. I also work with the Foundation Schools as, for example, a trustee of the Saturday School, which operates three schemes for primary school students from across Southwark, and through our membership of the Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership. Finally, I am chair of the College’s Bursary Committee, and thus oversee the bursary process. This area of my work is an ongoing one and, as we move towards realising the New Dulwich Experiment, a particularly rewarding one.
we do and at a rate which is consistent with our capacity in London to support and capitalise on the reach of the International Programme. There are threats and competition and we are very aware of the subtlety of working in difference social and political contexts. We must always be excellent guests in our host countries sensitive to their laws, customs and anxieties. We try to excel at this too. What has motivated you to stay connected to Dulwich College and volunteer your time? I have been involved at Dulwich since 2007 and as a Governor for the last 6 years. As a beneficiary of the Dulwich ‘experiment’, I wanted to repay part of my debt by helping where and when I could. I also enjoy it. The governing body is made up of bright, interesting, multi- talented people. Joe Spence is not just an enlightened educator, he is an outstanding Chief Executive. His team are leaders in their field. It is always easy and a pleasure to spend time with talented people who can teach even an old dog new tricks.
What drew you to the role of Deputy Master External? I had served as Head of Upper School for twelve years, and this gave me a particular understanding of our own educational provision and, through my work in pupil meaningful educational links at governor, staff and student levels. He also remains a committed teacher of History and Politics. Prior to working at Dulwich, Cameron taught History at Lancing College in Sussex. His academic interests centre around history and musicology, and his book “Benjamin Britten and Russia” will be published by the Boydell Press in the summer. Dr Cameron Pyke is Deputy Master External at Dulwich College, having previously occupied the position of Head of Upper School at Dulwich for twelve years. Cameron oversees the College’s many partnerships and associations with other schools, both in the UK and overseas. He has particular responsibility for the College’s educational links with its affiliated overseas schools in Asia, and travels to each of the Dulwich international schools regularly to carry out quality assurance and build
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