News

At the heart of our new DESS Direction strategic plan is a simple but powerful ambition: to create great people for life.

If you’d told Melina Johnstone back in Year 12 that she’d end up teaching in the same art room she used to escape to at every opportunity, she probably would’ve laughed. Not because it sounded impossible, just because, back then, she was more focused on making it through the week than mapping out a career.

If you want to understand how the story of Jimmy Poon has unfolded, start at the DESS Oud Metha school gates. Not today - though he’s often there picking up his own children. But way back in 1985, when a young Jimmy first stepped through them as a DESS student.

At DESS, we believe the best primary school curriculums don’t just teach - they inspire. They empower children to connect with the world around them, nurture curiosity and build resilience.

Starting at a new school is one of life’s big milestones. It’s a moment filled with anticipation, excitement and, often, more than a little apprehension.

Our DESS Academic City site team has made more solid progress and recently reached another major milestone with the site’s first concrete pour.

For Bahaar Srivastava and Oliver Griffin, the prospect of moving from Oud Metha into Year 6 at Academic City next September, understandably holds many mixed emotions. 

One of the most compelling benefits for families considering a place at our new Primary School, is the guaranteed pathway it provides into DESS College.

In a city where ambition often meets reality, designing a new school is about more than just blueprints and brickwork.   

When it comes to our children’s education, few decisions feel more important - or more daunting, than choosing the right school. For Lauren Savill, it was also deeply personal.