Dulwich College and Alleyn’s School are two of the most well-known independent schools in South London. Located close to each other in Dulwich, the schools share a long history and both have strong academic reputations. While both schools achieve excellent examination results, there are some differences in their academic profiles and the distribution of top grades.
At A level, Dulwich College regularly achieves very strong results. In recent cohorts a large proportion of grades have been awarded in the top bands, with over 90 percent of grades at A* to B and many pupils achieving multiple A* and A grades across their subjects. The school also reports a strong record of pupils progressing to highly competitive universities, including a number of Oxbridge offers each year.
https://www.dulwich.org.uk
Alleyn’s School also achieves outstanding A level results. Around 80 percent of grades are typically awarded at A* or A, with more than 90 percent at A* to B. A significant proportion of grades are the top A* grade. These results place Alleyn’s among the strongest performing independent schools in London and demonstrate a consistently high level of attainment across a wide range of subjects.
https://www.alleyns.org.uk
At GCSE, both schools achieve extremely strong results. Dulwich College regularly reports that around 80 percent of GCSE grades are awarded at grades 9 or 8, with a very high proportion of pupils achieving the top grade 9 in several subjects. In some recent years more than 90 percent of grades have been in the 9–7 range, indicating very strong attainment across the year group.
Alleyn’s School also performs exceptionally well at GCSE. Around 95 percent of GCSE results are typically in the 7–9 grade range, with many pupils achieving large numbers of grade 9s. The school frequently appears among the strongest performing independent schools in London at GCSE level.
One key difference between the schools is their structure. Dulwich College is a boys’ school, while Alleyn’s is fully co-educational. Some families prefer the single-sex environment offered by Dulwich College, whereas others value the co-educational setting and broader social environment at Alleyn’s.
Both schools place strong emphasis on academic enrichment alongside examination performance. Pupils at each school regularly progress to leading universities and benefit from a wide range of extracurricular opportunities including sport, music, drama and academic societies.
Overall, both Dulwich College and Alleyn’s School achieve outstanding academic results and rank among the strongest independent schools in London. Dulwich College is often associated with particularly high concentrations of top grades, while Alleyn’s combines excellent academic outcomes with a co-educational environment and a consistently strong GCSE performance.
Educational Choices 