Dover Court International School

Early history Dover Court International School was established in 1972 as Dover Court Preparatory School by Ernest E. Alliott. The brainchild of his wife Margaret Alliott, the school supervisor, Dover Court Preparatory School was established out of a shortage at the time of school places for children under the age of 13. Dover Court Preparatory School was first registered with the Ministry of Education of Singapore in 1972, owned and managed by International Preparatory Schools (Pte) Ltd, later known as Dover Court Preparatory School (Pte) Ltd. Both the school and the company, which was set up in April 1971, were founded by Alliott, who previously had been a British Government Headmaster in Singapore. The campus was established in April 1972 on Dover Road, in the former Officer's Mess of the Royal Corps of Signals and later the Mess of the 2nd-10th Princess Mary's Own Regiment, which was constructed by the British military in 1952. Following the British military withdrawal from Singapore in 1971, the land was repurposed and the former mess, a three-story block, was renovated into classrooms fit for 450 students, although the school started with just 25 students enrolled. The boarding house - the first of its kind in Singapore, operated by a boarding housemaster and housemistress, a matron and other staff, primarily accommodated students from ASEAN and neighbouring countries. Boarders took part in a wide variety of activities, including sports and excursions. Boarding, which continued until at least the early 1990s, was later discontinued. With the expatriate community in Singapore growing, Dover Court Preparatory School expanded in the 1980s to cope with the demand. With a growing number of students on its waiting list, a three-storey building, which now houses the secondary school and Department of Supportive Education, was built. This became known as the Ernest Alliott Foundation Block. Department of Supportive Education Under Maureen Roach, principal from the 1990 to 2015, the school underwent a restructuring and also developed its department for supportive education. In 2014, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her services to education in Singapore. The department is staffed by psychologists, speech therapists, physical therapists and teachers with qualifications in special needs. A great benefit of the department extolled by Alliott is the inclusivity and integration of students with disabilities into main-school activities at Dover Court. This is a view shared by former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, whose first grandson attended the school. He noted in an interview in 2009 that Dover Court Preparatory School pioneered the field of supportive education in Singapore, providing the resources and expertise that other schools did not offer at the time. The school is still known in Singapore for its inclusive approach to learning and the Department of Supportive Education is extensive and well-regarded. On September 12, 2002, the school was visited by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester. She took particular interest in the work of the Centre for Special Education. A plaque commemorating the visit is visible near to the main entrance to the school. 21st Century In April 2014, the school changed ownership from the Alliott family to Nord Anglia, becoming part of the Nord Anglia Education family of schools. The school underwent an extensive refurbishment project during the 2014 summer period. In September 2014, the school changed its name from Dover Court Preparatory School to Dover Court International School, and in 2016, Christopher Short was appointed Principal. In recognition of the school's history, the tie worn by secondary boys at Dover Court still features the colours of Dover Court Preparatory School, with stripes of green and yellow. == Principals ==

The following individuals have served as the principal of Dover Court since its establishment in 1972, with the founder Ernest Alliott serving as chairman from 1962 until 2006: == Campus ==

Dover Court International School is located on Dover Road in Central Singapore. The school site, on a plot of 12 acres, is situated in the educational district of Dover, near several other educational institutions. The Main Assembly Hall was established in the building, but was moved during later developments to accommodate the Music department. The Administration block, the Cooper Hall and the Main Library were built between 1980 and 1981, followed by the Infant Block and Library between 1983 and 1984, and the Centre for Special Education between 1986 and 1987. The Cooper Hall, where assemblies, concerts and other events are held, was named in memory of the late former principal of Dover Court, Eric Cooper, who died in 1980. The campus underwent extensive refurbishment work following its change of ownership in 2014, with further refurbishment of the school's original infrastructure, and the development of new facilities - including the construction a running track, a grass football pitch, basketball and netball courts, a sensory garden, a radio and television recording studio, and several playgrounds. In August 2019, a new building for the secondary years was opened to further facilitate the school's expansion beyond preparatory education and into secondary and sixth form. In 2022, a new block was opened, containing design technology labs, music, drama and music classrooms for secondary with a new dedicated P.E. building and a pathway 3 building. == Curriculum ==

Dover Court International School teaches the English National Curriculum, adapted for an international setting. Nursery and Reception follow the Early Years Foundation Stage. Key Stage 1: Year 1 and 2, and Key Stage 2: Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 follow the English National Curriculum along with the International Primary Curriculum. Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 work towards the iGCSE and in the Sixth Form the International Baccalaureate and BTEC International Diploma Level 2 in Business are offered. Languages All Primary School students have mostly daily Mandarin lessons and in Secondary School the students are able to choose between French, Mandarin and Spanish. == Extracurricular ==

Sport Dover Court International School has several competitive sports teams: football, netball, basketball, rugby, touch rugby, swimming, cross country, athletics, indoor cricket and Gaelic football. DCIS is part of the Athletics Conference Singapore International Schools, ACSIS and participates also in international sports events through the Federation of British International Schools in Asia, FOBISIA. The arts Dover Court International School has an active music department with a school orchestra and several choirs, together with the drama department annual musicals are produced. In May 2018 a group of students won the Best Drama and Best Special Effects awards in the 2018 Across Asia Youth Film Festival (AAYFF) with the film "War Photographer". The film, "The Clutches of the Curtain", created by the same group of students, also won the Special Effects award at the 2019 Across Asia Youth Film Festival (AAYFF). There are annual residential trips for all year groups from Year 3 and above, as well as opportunities to participate in expeditions to the Swiss Alps and Tanzania. Students also participate in the United Nations High Level Politician Forum in New York, a Global Orchestra for Nord Anglia students held at The Juilliard School and in annual STEAM workshops at MIT. == Awards ==

Dover Court International School has achieved considerable success and recognition both nationally and internationally for education. In January 2018, the school was awarded the Outstanding Senior Leadership Team of the Year prize at The British International School Awards. In September 2018, teacher Monica Dolan was announced as the winner of the Future Leaders Category at the British Chamber of Commerce's 19th Annual Business Awards. Dover Court International School was also awarded the UK Impact in Singapore prize by the Chamber the following year. In October 2022 Dover Court was again awarded the UK Impact in Singapore prize at the Chamber's 23rd Annual Business Awards.The school was also awarded the Diversity and Inclusive Community at the HoneyKids Singapore Education Awards the same year. [https://honeykidsasia.com/singapore-education-awards-winners-2022/ == Traditions ==

United Nations Day A key event on the Dover Court calendar is its annual United Nations Day - a celebration of the school's rich cultural diversity among students and staff. In its early years, United Nations Day was conducted in cooperation with Dover Court's then sister school, Singapore Preparatory School, Katong - also owned by International Schools (Pte) Ltd. While the day has taken on many forms over its almost half-a-century history, a constant fixture of the event is the 'Parade of Nations', in which students parade in front of parents, wearing their cultural dress. It was noted in an article about the 1984 Dover Court United Nations Day by the acting representative from the United Nations High Commission in Singapore that the students "represented the true spirit of the UN". Christmas Concert Another tradition is the annual Dover Court Christmas carols concert, featuring performances by the school choir and orchestra. Until 2015, this event was held at the St George's Garrison Church, although at times it was held at St Andrew's Cathedral or at the nearby St John's Church (present-day St John's-St Margaret's Church). The 1974 Dover Court Christmas concert also included the Band of the Gordon Highlanders, one year before the final withdrawal of the British military from Singapore in 1975. The carols concert is now held at the school's Cooper Hall. School anthem The Dover Court Anthem, in celebration of the school's diversity, is sung to the tune of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, better known as "Ode to Joy". The song, officially the anthem of the former Dover Court Preparatory School, is not in regular use, but was last performed by students at the school's 45th Anniversary celebrations in 2017 and has not been replaced. == Dover Court Association ==

The 'Dover Court Association' (DCA) was originally established as the 'Parent Teacher Friend Association' (PTFA) shortly after the founding of Dover Court Preparatory School in 1972 as a recognised society of parents. The name was changed to the 'Dover Court Association' following the school's change of ownership in 2014. It is involved in many activities of the school, including organising social events, fundraising and pastoral support. == Notable alumni ==

Alumni of Dover Court (both Dover Court International School and the former Dover Court Preparatory School) are known as Doverians. • Suzanne Jung (former primetime news anchor, journalist and editor at Channel NewsAsia), honorary ambassador of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea. == References ==