Dulwich College vs. Dehong: What's the Difference, and Which One Can Your Child Attend?

But two campuses break the pattern. Dulwich International High School Programme Hengqin runs as a Sino-foreign cooperative school. It accepts Chinese nationals and foreign nationals alike. Dehong Beijing sits at the other end. Its own admissions page says it does not accept foreign passport holders at all. That makes it the strictest of the three Dehong campuses.

The Suzhou two-name puzzle. Suzhou has a Dulwich high school programme that trips up almost every directory. It operates and markets itself as Dulwich International High School Programme Suzhou — that’s the name on its website in both English and Chinese. But under Chinese education law, its registered legal entity is a private regular high school (民办普通高中) called Dehong Senior High School (德闳高级中学). Both names are official and current: one is the operating brand, the other is the licence holder. It is a Dulwich programme, not one of the three standalone Dehong bilingual schools covered later in this guide.

Beijing follows the English National Curriculum through Year 9, then IGCSE. After that, students choose between the IB Diploma Programme and A Levels. The A Level curriculum is new from September 2025, delivered through the school’s own “Dulwich International Diploma.” Entry starts at age 3 today; a toddler stream for age 2 opens in the 2026–27 year. Around 1,500 students from 45-plus nationalities attend. Day school only.

The campus has many sports facilities, including a FIFA two-star football pitch and Beijing’s only dedicated international-school cricket ground. Students also have access to a wide range of extracurricular activities across sports, arts, and community service.

Pudong was Dulwich College International’s first mainland China school. It follows the same curriculum path as Beijing, with the A Level curriculum arriving from 2027–28. Around 1,600 students represent 43 nationalities.

Puxi runs the same curriculum and fee schedule as Pudong. About 500 students attend, from 30-plus nationalities. Under the merger, Puxi keeps Toddler through Year 9. Year 10 and Year 12 students move to Pudong starting this August. Year 11 stays at Puxi to finish IGCSE courses first, then moves in August 2027. Puxi sits in the same district as Dehong Shanghai: Maqiao. Families weighing both eligibility paths don’t need to look far.

Suzhou follows the British National Curriculum, then IGCSE. After that, students choose between the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-Related Programme. About 700 students attend from roughly 30 nationalities.

This is a Dulwich high school programme, co-located with Dulwich College Suzhou but run as a separate school. It teaches IGCSE and A Level. Both Chinese and international students aged 14 and up can enrol — a wider pool than the co-located college, which is foreign-passport only. Under Chinese education law, the school registers as a private regular high school (民办普通高中) called Dehong Senior High School (德闳高级中学). The school operates publicly under the Dulwich name.

About 750 students attend, with teachers from 22 countries. Unlike its day-school neighbour, this programme boards students — roughly 60–75% live on site. It holds boarding accreditation from ABSA, which it says makes it the first school in East Asia to earn it.

Hengqin admits both domestic and international students (including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) aged 14 to 18. It teaches pre-A Level and A Level curriculum — not the IB — through Cambridge, Edexcel, and AQA. In February 2024, Guangdong’s provincial education department reclassified the school as a Sino-foreign cooperative programme, co-run with Yung Wing (Huafa Ronghong) High School. The change did not affect who can enrol.

Hengqin admits both domestic and international students (including those from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) aged 14 to 18. It teaches pre-A Level and A Level curriculum — not the IB — through Cambridge, Edexcel, and AQA. In February 2024, Guangdong’s provincial education department reclassified the school as a Sino-foreign cooperative programme, co-run with Yung Wing (Huafa Ronghong) High School. The change did not affect who can enrol.

Shanghai is Dehong’s flagship and its longest-running full Grade 1–12 campus. It teaches the Chinese national curriculum alongside international programmes and Dulwich-shared resources — including joint academic certification, shared “Worldwise” speaker events, a shared house system, and shared teacher-training standards.

From Grade 11, students can take the IB Diploma Programme (authorized since 2021) or the A Level curriculum. Chinese nationals are eligible. It also covers Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas students who meet Shanghai’s municipal education rules. Around 850–900 students attend.

Beijing runs as two separate legal entities. One is a nonprofit school for kindergarten through Grade 9. The other is a separately incorporated company for Grades 10–12.

Its own admissions page is plain about this: no foreign passport holders. Only Chinese nationals and Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents can enrol. That makes it the strictest of the three Dehong campuses. Grade 10 uses a Dehong-designed “Pioneering Programme.” It transitions into the IB Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12, authorized since 2022. Around 600–650 students attend.

Xi’an is Dehong’s newest and least complete campus. It currently teaches Grades 1 through 9 only. In June 2025, Xi’an’s education bureau approved an upgrade adding a full twelve-year system with senior high classes. But as of this guide, that high school has not confirmed opening. About 600 students attend today, with roughly 50/50 Mandarin Chinese and English bilingual instruction.