Dover Court End of Term 1 2025-2026 Message from the Principal

Dear Dover Court Community,

It hardly seems like four and a half months since I returned to Singapore and Dover Court. It has been a whirlwind term – very busy but so successful. My main highlight has been reconnecting with the community, and I am so grateful for the warm welcome. Our parent association DCA has led the way with several lovely events throughout the term, and through these and other school events, I have really enjoyed reconnecting with parents. We remain grateful to the DCA volunteers for the great work they do in supporting the school.

Other highlights include celebrating the fantastic achievements of our Year 12 students. Ten Dover Court students received 12 Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards for achieving the highest marks in Singapore or the world in their GCSEs. This adds to the celebrations we held earlier in the year for the excellent IBDP, BTEC, and ASDAN results.

As I mentioned at the start of the term, one of the joys has been witnessing the continual development of the campus. The enhanced facilities have supported all aspects of school life. The Sixth Form building, which opened in September, offers a fantastic space for our older students to study and relax – preparing them for the next stage of their education. We do have a busy Christmas holiday ahead with further enhancements to the campus. These include a covered walkway from the side gate near the public bus stop – something I know will be popular from my conversations while on duty at that gate. The covered area at the entrance will also be expanded to help with drop-off and pick-up when it rains. Decking is being installed in the grounds and will be shaded early next year to provide an extra place for students to spend their break times. Other work may be less exciting but is equally important, including regular maintenance in classrooms. You may not have noticed, but almost all the doors have been upgraded!

Thank you to all parents who completed our Family Experience Survey. We had nearly double the participation compared to last year and saw a pleasing increase in many key metrics. We’ll share a more detailed report early in Term 2. We didn’t quite reach the Chicken Suit threshold, but just this once, it might make an appearance, as the children are very much looking forward to it! We have also held several parent forums on issues we know are pinch points for parents. These have been extremely useful for gaining more detail on the survey results, and we are very grateful to the parents who gave up their time to speak with us.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday if you are able to take some time off, and we look forward to welcoming all Dover Court students back to school on 6th January, suitably refreshed and ready for another busy term.

Best wishes,

Christopher Short

Principal