Dulwich College Seoul appoints new Head of Senior School

A member of the renowned Dulwich College International family (now known as Education in Motion (EiM)), Dulwich College Seoul (DCSL) is a thriving school community serving 700 students aged 3 to 18. Dedicated to being the “kindest school in the universe”, DCSL is committed to a holistic approach to education which balances academics rigour with a core focus on wellbeing, pastoral care, creativity and critical thinking. DCSL graduates are prepared to thrive and succeed at DCSL and beyond.

With the incumbent Head of Senior School, Sarah Harrison, moving on in the summer of 2022 after six years of outstanding service, Society was retained to lead the search for her successor. Working closely with the Head of College, Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson, and wider EiM colleagues, we searched globally for potential candidates, placing a particular emphasis on individuals with deep IGCSE and IBDP expertise and a kind and compassionate approach to leadership.

The search generated a significant amount of interest from qualified individuals, and after a rigorous selection process Suzy Pugh has been appointed to the role. Suzy hails from Yorkshire in the UK and spent the early part of her teaching career as an academic and pastoral leader in schools in Lincolnshire. Her first international position was as a Founding Head of Faculty at Nexus International School in Malaysia, a brand-new school within the Taylor’s Education Group. After several successful years in Malaysia in which she became Director of Learning and Teaching and later Deputy Headteacher, Suzy moved to the International School of Brunei (ISB) in 2018. Suzy joined ISB as an Assistant Head of Secondary and quickly took on an Associate Headteacher brief, shadowing the Executive Principal and leading strategic initiatives in teaching and learning. Suzy brings a huge amount of experience gained in diverse settings to Dulwich College Seoul.    

On her appointment, she commented: “I am thrilled to be joining Dulwich College Seoul and engaging with staff, students and parents to lead the Senior School in the next stage of its journey. From the moment I engaged with DCSL I experienced a palpable sense of welcome and openness, a school that places students first and values the individualised learning journey.”

On her experience working with Society, she added: “A huge thank you to the Society team for their support and professionalism throughout the recruitment process, with special thanks to Conor for his advice and guidance. His expertise in matching skill sets and unwavering support and professionalism guided me through the process ensuring I felt supported and valued.”

Suzy will be moving to Seoul with her partner, Nick, their two dogs and two cats! We wish all six of them every success in this next chapter.