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Head's welcome

Welcome to St Dunstan’s College; an ambitious, forward-thinking community that champions individuality through a broad, liberal, and academically exciting education, whilst retaining our historic and valued traditions. 

We are a school driven by our values and the development of individual character above institutional personality. We cherish the diversity of our pupils, with each being encouraged to navigate their own journey through life whilst being nurtured to develop the courage to be who they are, the creativity to develop new ideas and approaches, the confidence to try, succeed and fail, the compassion to understand and appreciate others, and the curiosity to always want to discover more. 

Translating as ‘Adorn the White’, our College motto, Albam Exorna, is as relevant today as it was at the time of our Lewisham foundation, in 1888. Established on the basis that the school should ‘be ahead of its current time’, our white shield serves as a blank canvas onto which is emblazoned the unique story of each St Dunstan’s pupil. 

We support and inspire each individual to find their own way, make their own mark, and discover who they are; becoming comfortable with their emerging identity and the diversity of life that surrounds them, whilst being unashamedly ambitious for themself and their community.

St Dunstan’s is ideally suited to enlivening this narrative. Our vibrant corner of south-east London presents us with a diversity we embrace and celebrate, allowing for all manner of cultures, views and styles.

Our co-educational setting introduces pupils to the realities of life, staving-off gender stereotypes, and creating well-balanced, grounded young people.

Our Nursery to Year 13 school allows for a community that cares for one another and engenders respect and kindness. Our namesake, St Dunstan – a great polymath – sits at the forefront of an inspiring, innovative history of cutting-edge education, and has helped us forge a deliberately wide-reaching, challenging and creative curriculum.

In recent years, we have proved to be at the forefront of educational thinking. Our Wellness Centre serves as a hub for the support of physical and mental health across the St Dunstan’s community, our co-curricular Forder Programme, the St Dunstan's Festival and Catford Weekender, Stuart and Usherwood Curriculums, Sixth Form Diploma, the St Dunstan’s Diapason and the Let's Talk About conference series are all born from a school that refuses to stand still and constantly looks at how we can do things differently and better. 

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the College was delighted to mark the most significant developments on the estate since the nineteenth century, with the opening of a new Junior School, STEM Centre for Excellence and Innovation and a Sixth Form Centre. Alongside these developments, we were also able to enhance several spaces including the opening of a Performing Arts Centre with 150 seats and two outdoor pond areas for students to enjoy.

An additional 21 acres of land, just five minutes from the main College campus, has undergone significant investment in recent years, transforming the Jubilee Ground into a hub for our wide-reaching programme of community engagement as well as supporting sporting excellence within our trailblazing gender-neutral sports programme.

Our work with the broader community in Lewisham is an integral part of our identity and we are passionate about the significant work we undertake with local partners, in order to provide life-enhancing opportunities for local residents and community groups.

This summer, the Catford Weekender - a four day community event - welcomed more than 2,000 people to the Jubilee Grounds with events including an International Evening, Music of Lewisham and a Community Sings event, which brought together local prep and primary schools.

In recent years, the College's forward-thinking education has also won the endorsement of many prestigious awards. St Dunstan's was named Co-educational School of the Year at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2020, Most Nurturing Independent School at the Private Education Awards 2022 and Independent Senior School of the Year at the Tes Schools Awards 2022.

Most recently, the school was named Most Progressive Independent School in London and Most Progressive Independent School in south-east England at the Private Education Awards 2023 and 2024, respectively. St Dunstan's sport department was also praised for its Diversity and Inclusion efforts at the Education Choices Awards 2024.

I do hope that what I have tried to articulate here resonates with your own thinking about the sort of school you might like for your own child. Do enjoy looking at our website and getting a flavour for all that goes on here. If you feel your child would enjoy an environment such as this, or are interested in finding out more, please do not hesitate to come and see us; we are proud of our historic façade, but all the more excited by the energy and colour that is exuded within.

Mr Nick Hewlett

More about Mr Hewlett

Nick Hewlett was born and raised in the heart of Croydon, attending a local school from 1991 - 1998. 

After a brief spell in the City, working at Tullett and Tokyo, Mr Hewlett went to King’s College London to study Geography, where he obtained First Class honours in 2002.  

After contemplating a career as a professional singer, Mr Hewlett decided to complete a PGCE at the Institute of Education, leading him to take his first teaching job at Dulwich College, in 2003. After three years, he was made Head of Geography at Magdalen College School, Oxford, where, over the next five years, he was given additional responsibilities as a Housemaster, Contingent Commander of the CCF and Director of the annual Arts Festival.  

In 2011, he was part of the team that helped lead a flagship school on the island of Jeju, South Korea, under the banner of North London Collegiate School. As Head of the Boys’ School, the school quickly became a beacon of excellence in Asia.

Following his time in South Korea, Mr Hewlett returned to his south London roots becoming Head of St Dunstan's College. He now lives in Catford with his husband, Alberic, their two children and South Korean rescue dog.

Hewlett, who has served as the lead of various choirs and ensembles, has always had a passion for the arts and music. He maintained his standing as a tenor soloist throughout his 20s, as well as singing as a lay clerk for New College Oxford from 2009-2011.