UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 110
The United World College of South East Asia Foundation is an established charity in the Republic of Singapore.
Company Registration Number 200404580M Charity Registration Number 01797.
UWCSEA Dover is registered by the Private Education Institution (PEI), part of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)
PEI Registration No. 197000825H | PEI Registration Period 18 July 2023–17 July 2027 | Charity Registration No. 00142
UWCSEA East is registered by the Private Education Institution (PEI), part of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)
PEI Registration No. 200801795N | PEI Registration Period 10 March 2023–9 March 2027 | Charity Registration No. 002104
Printed on recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks | MDDI (P) 004/06/2025 | HOC-2526
The UWCSEA Foundation Ltd 1207 Dover Road Singapore 139654
UWCSEA Dover 1207 Dover Road Singapore 139654
UWCSEA East 1 Tampines Street 73 Singapore 528704
www.uwcsea.edu.sg
CONTENTS
Message from Chair of Board of Governors.����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
Message from Head of College.�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3
UWCSEA Board of Governors..................................................................................................................................4
UWCSEA Strategy 2023–2030 �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
UWCSEA Guiding Statements ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
UWC Movement.........................................................................................................................................................8
Student Achievement.............................................................................................................................................. 11
Academics.............................................................................................................................................................................12
Activities................................................................................................................................................................................16
Outdoor Education .............................................................................................................................................................18
Personal and Social Education �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20
Service and Sustainability.................................................................................................................................................23
Impact of Giving.......................................................................................................................................................25
Message from Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������26
Our People........................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Our Planet............................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Our Programmes................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Community Fundraising....................................................................................................................................................43
Our Community...................................................................................................................................................... 49
Students and Families.........................................................................................................................................................51
Boarders and Scholars........................................................................................................................................................54
Alumni...................................................................................................................................................................................56
Parents................................................................................................................................................................................... 57
Staff.......................................................................................................................................................................................58
Admissions...........................................................................................................................................................................60
Dover and East Campus Finances �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������62
Foundation Finances..........................................................................................................................................................66
UWCSEA Donor Roll.......................................................................................................................................................... 70
2 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
MESSAGE FROM CHAIR OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS
On behalf of the Board of Governors, I am pleased to present the UWCSEA 2024/2025 Community and Impact
Report, which reflects on the achievements of the school year and highlights the collective efforts of our College
community in advancing our Mission.
The 2024/2025 school year saw the continued implementation of the UWCSEA Strategy to 2030 and the
consistent delivery of our holistic and broad educational programme to our students.
We celebrated our High School graduates who worked hard and did well in their International Baccaleaureate (IB)
examinations and have gone on to represent UWCSEA at universities around the world and to continue to make
us proud.
Across our community, our students learned, grew and thrived academically and through their active participation
in our extensive sports, arts, service, and outdoor education programmes.
During the year we greatly benefitted from the generosity of our donors and supporters who gave to the UWCSEA
Foundation and to scholarships. We also continued to make progress on our campus project for the relocation of
the Dover Campus to Tengah that is planned for 2032.
Finally, our continued efforts to ensure high standards of corporate governance were recognised with the UWCSEA
Foundation receiving the 2024 Charity Governance Award and our Dover and East campuses each receiving
Charity Transparency Dedication Awards. In addition, our Dover and East campuses each received Plaques of
Commendation at the NTUC May Day Awards 2025.
None of this would be possible without the efforts of everyone in our community. I would like to extend my
sincere thanks to all who contribute to the life and success of the College: to our staff, whose professionalism,
nurture, guidance and support of our students underpins our world-class education; to our leadership whose
dedication and hard work sets the standard for our College; to our parent volunteers and, in particular, our
Parents Association leaders, who enrich the experience of our students and strengthen our community; to our
Governors and Board Advisors, who work in partnership with College leadership to uphold the highest standards of
governance; and to our students, whose commitment to living our values continues to inspire us all.
Sulian Tay
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 3
MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF COLLEGE
In navigating the second full
year of our Strategy to 2030,
we find ourselves at a critical
intersection of heritage and
innovation. This year, the
‘Shaping the Future’ strategy
has balanced the imperative
to uphold our timeless values with the necessity of evolving to meet an
uncertain future, all while operationalising our commitment to the UWC
Mission of making education a force for peace and a sustainable world.
Under the Excellent People and Teams strand of the strategy, we remain
a school of aspiration and are continuing to attract extremely strong
candidates for both educational and administrative roles. We have run
extensive professional learning programmes in terms of leadership, pedagogy,
technology and inclusion. Staff are happy to be at UWCSEA and we continue
to enjoy a very experienced and stable staff body.
In terms of the Immersive Learning strand, we are also moving the intellectual
landscape of the College as we seek to develop critical, ethical adults capable
of independent thought and principled activism. Strategic curriculum changes
have freed up space for deep, mission-aligned learning, allowing us to use
content as a route to conceptual understandings that are not located in
time or space, ensuring our students develop transferable and enduring
intellectual habits. We are proud to have launched the first cohort of the IB
Systems Transformation: Leadership for Change course, in partnership with the
International Baccalaureate—a tangible expression of our vision for education
as a platform for agency and changemaking. This work will feed into the next
iteration of the IB Diploma and will allow us to scale our mission-aligned
curriculum to hundreds of thousands of students across the globe each year.
Under the Sense of Belonging strand, we are working to remove barriers to
learning and embracing every student’s unique profile. Guided by Universal
Design for Learning principles, this tiered model of support is designed to
remove barriers to learning and embrace every student’s unique profile. It
systematically addresses students ready for advanced challenges as well
as those who benefit from targeted support for learning differences and
wellbeing. We’ve also strengthened our First Languages provision as a further
commitment to the cultural diversity of our community, and hosted dozens
of community and alumni events on our two campuses and in other locations
across the globe.
The Curiosity and Exploration strand reflects not only the many incremental
improvements underway, but larger and potentially disruptive changes.
As well as beginning to integrate AI into our educational and operational
practices, we’ve also begun to map out our approach to Environment, Social
and Governance (ESG) matters, which will allow us to drive sustainability,
performance and transparency across the board, and ensure we remain an
educational leader in this space.
These internal practices reinforce our commitment to leading in sustainability,
a commitment that is profoundly reflected in our planning for the future as
we continue to explore the move of our Dover Campus to the new eco-
town of Tengah in 2032. This planned relocation, announced in November
in partnership with Singaporean authorities, is a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to embed sustainability into our physical environment. Building
on our Platinum Super Low Energy accreditations, we aim to influence the
broader building landscape of Singapore.
The ambitious scope of our Strategy to 2030, and the commitment to realising
the UWC Mission, has been met with extraordinary generosity this year. We
have seen a very significant increase in philanthropic giving, ensuring we can
not only go over and above what we can do with fees alone, but also support
many scholars in service to our mission-aligned diversity. This unprecedented
level of support is a powerful affirmation of our vision and significantly
enhances our ability to translate our ambitious plans into tangible, long-term,
transformative impact.
As you read this report, I hope you see a College that refuses to rest on
its laurels, one dedicated to combining the idealism of our mission with
the pragmatism required to make it work. It is in this spirit of purposeful
endeavour that we look forward to the promise of the coming year.
Thank you for being an essential part of this ongoing journey to shape a more
peaceful and sustainable world.
Nick Alchin
4 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
UWCSEA BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Sulian Tay
Board Chair
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Committee of Chairs
Co - Chair, Campus Planning
Steering Committee
Sajjad Akhtar
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Governance Committee
Engagement and Foundation
Committee
Committee of Chairs
Nick Alchin
Ex-Officio Governor and
Member – Head of College
Co - Chair, Campus Planning
Steering Committee
Education and Talent Committee
Engagement and Foundation
Committee
Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Governance Committee
Yukiko Izumi
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Audit and Risk Committee
Committee of Chairs
Angel Wu
Community Elected Parent
Governor (Dover) and Member
Audit and Risk Committee
Campus Planning Steering
Committee
Anthony Hodge
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Audit and Risk Committee
Governance Committee
Brian Arcese
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Audit and Risk Committee
Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Chas Pope
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Campus Planning Steering
Committee
Sugandhi Matta
Community Elected Parent
Governor (East) and Member
Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Education and Talent Committee
Dimple Sanghi
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Education and Talent
Committee
Committee of Chairs
Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Governance Committee
Daire Dunne
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Engagement and
Foundation Committee
Committee of Chairs
Gayathri Nair
Community Elected Academic
Staff (Dover) and Member
Education and Talent Committee
Don Stokes
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Governance Committee
Campus Planning Steering
Committee
Maureen Thomson
Community Elected Academic
Staff (East) and Member
Engagement and Foundation
Committee
Brian Lim
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Chair, Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Leon Toh
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Finance and Infrastructure
Committee
Campus Planning Steering
Committee
Mara McAdams
Board Elected Governor and
Member
Engagement and Foundation
Committee
Education and Talent Committee
All information correct as at 31 July 2025.
Read more about the
the composition of the
Board, activities, policies
and regulation here.
UWCSEA is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and benefits from a highly experienced Board of Governors. The role of the Board is to
work closely with the leadership and stakeholders of the College to shape the vision, chart the major directions, and oversee programmes and initiatives. The Board
draws a clear line between governance and management, and operates at a strategic level. It does not involve itself in the day-to-day running of the College. The
maximum number of Governors is 21. The Board has six constituted committees. All members serve on a voluntary basis.
At the end of the school year, the UWCSEA Board of Governors comprised 17 members including respected business and industry leaders, academics, educators,
entrepreneurs and professionals.
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS: THE UWCSEA FOUNDATION LIMITED
Kirtida Mekani
UWCSEA BOARD ADVISERS
Ijlal Naqvi
Varun Dutt
Luke Furler
Saumitra Shivastrava
Shine Ding
Madhumita Banerjee
David Katz
Warren Wu
Priyanka Dinghra
Rahul Sahgal
Charmaine Chin
Alain Bernasconi
Betty Yang (resigned 16 March 2025)
COMMITTEES
AUDIT AND RISK COMMITTEE
Yukiko Izumi (Chair)
Anthony Hodge
Angel Wu
Brian Arcese
Luke Furler
Alain Bernasconi
Betty Yang (resigned 16 March 2025)
EDUCATION AND TALENT COMMITTEE
Heather Carmichael Chair (resigned 16 January 2025)
Dimple Sanghi (appointed Chair 16 January 2025)
Nick Alchin
Sugandhi Matta
Mara McAdams
Seng Chee Ho (resigned 16 January 2025)
Gayathri Nair (appointed 13 March 2025)
Ljlal Naqvi
Shine Ding
Madhumita Banerjee
ENGAGEMENT AND FOUNDATION COMMITTEE
Daire Dunne (Chair)
Mara McAdams (appointed 26 September 2024)
Gayathri Nair (resigned from EFC 13 March 2025)
Nick Alchin
Kirtida Mekani
Maureen Thomson (appointed 16 January 2025)
Rahul Sahgal
Varun Dutt
Warren Wu
Priyaka Dhingra
FINANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Dimple Sanghi (Chair, until 13 March 2025)
Brian Lim (Chair from 13 March 2025)
Sugandhi Matta
Brian Arcese
Leon Toh
Nick Alchin
Jeffrey Plein (resigned 16 January 2025)
Charmaine Chin
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Sajjad Akhtar (Chair)
Nick Alchin
Dimple Sanghi (appointed 26 September 2024)
Don Stokes
Antony Hodge
David Katz
Alain Bernasconi
Pamela Kelly Wetzell (resigned 16 January 2025)
Kim Teo (resigned 16 January 2025)
COMMITTEE OF CHAIRS
Su Lian Tay (Chair)
Yukiko Izumi
Daire Dunne
Dimple Sanghi
Sajjad Akhtar
Heather Carmichael (resigned 16 January 2025)
Brian Lim (appointed 13 March 2025)
The audited Financial Statements and full Corporate Governance reports for each campus and the Foundation are available on the Charity Portal: charities.gov.sg.
6 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
UWCSEA STRATEGY 2023–2030
The UWCSEA Strategy 2023–2030 is designed to guide all facets of College development. It ensures that our students continue to receive a world-class education,
supported by exceptional teachers, staff, and a diverse, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. The strategy is deeply aligned with our
UWC Mission and Guiding Statements.
OUR
WORLD
CLASS UWC
EDUCATION
We will continue to
provide
exceptional
educational
experiences,
guaranteeing a
holistic and
values-driven,
rigorous
education that will
contribute to a
peaceful and
sustainable future.
UWC
MISSION
UWC makes
education a
force to unite
people,
nations and
cultures for
peace and a
sustainable
future.
EXCEPTIONAL
PEOPLE AND TEAMS
We will attract, retain and grow
outstanding people and teams,
and build our organisational
strength and capacity.
IMMERSIVE
LEARNING
We will ensure that our students’
learning is rich in experiences,
relationships, and connections to
people, places, organisations and ideas.
A SENSE OF
BELONGING
We will create and sustain a
sense of belonging for all
members of our community, past,
present and future.
CURIOSITY AND
EXPLORATION
We will leverage our sense of
curiosity and pioneering spirit to
drive incremental and disruptive
innovation, and sustainable change.
Read more about the
UWCSEA Strategy
2023–2030 here.
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 7
UWCSEA GUIDING STATEMENTS
Our ambition is to be a leader in international education, with a worldwide reputation for providing a challenging, holistic, values-based education with an
emphasis upon academic achievement, service to others, environmental stewardship, teamwork and leadership.
UWCSEA provides a holistic Learning Programme through a K–12 concept-based curriculum. We create an environment that is underpinned by wellbeing and
learning principles, providing all students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, qualities and mission competencies that will enable them to live the
UWC Mission throughout their lives.
UWCSEA’s Guiding Statements are a reference point for all decision-making at the College.
Because UWCSEA is driven by its Mission, Values and Educational Goal, we create an environment that is underpinned by Wellbeing and
Learning Principles, and provide a holistic Learning Programme that develops the Qualities, Skills and Mission Competencies that enable
students to live the Mission throughout their lives.
8 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
LI PO CHUN UWC
Hong Kong SAR, China
1992
Opened in
Student population
256
Age group
16–18
UWC MOVEMENT
UWC CHANGSHU CHINA
Jiangsu, China
2015
Opened in
Student population
620
Age group
15–19
UWC COSTA RICA
Santa Ana Downtown, Costa Rica
2006
Opened in
Student population
205
Age group
16–19
UWC ISAK JAPAN
Nagano, Japan
2014
Opened in
Student population
200
Age group
15–18
UWC DILIJAN
Dilijan, Armenia
2014
Opened in
Student population
220
Age group
16–17
UWC ADRIATIC
Duino Aurisina (TS), Italy
1982
Opened in
Student population
186
Age group
16–19
UWC student population source uwc.org
UWCSEA is a member of the UWC movement, a group of 18 schools and colleges around the world supported by a network of National Committees, made
up of volunteers in around 150 countries. The College was opened on 15 December 1971 by then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew and is the largest UWC in
the movement.
UWC ATLANTIC COLLEGE
Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom
1962
Opened in
Student population
381
Age group
15–19
UWC SOUTH EAST ASIA
Singapore
EAST CAMPUS
DOVER CAMPUS
1971
Opened in
Student population
3,134
Age group
4–18
2008
Opened in
Student population
2,849
Age group
4–18
UWC EAST AFRICA
Tanzania, East Africa
1973
Opened in
Student population
700
Age group
3–19
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 9
UWC RED CROSS NORDIC
Flekke, Norway
1995
Opened in
Student population
205
Age group
17–19
UWC ROBERT BOSCH COLLEGE
Freiburg, Germany
2014
Opened in
Student population
200
Age group
16–19
PEARSON COLLEGE UWC
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
1974
Opened in
Student population
200
Age group
16–19
UWC-USA
Montezuma, New Mexico, USA
1982
Opened in
Student population
220
Age group
16–19
UWC THAILAND
Phuket, Thailand
2008
Opened in
Student population
540
Age group
2–18
UWC MAHINDRA
Pune, Maharashtra, India
1997
Opened in
Student population
245
Age group
16–18
UWC IN MOSTAR
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2006
Opened in
Student population
204
Age group
15–19
UWC MAASTRICHT
Maastricht, Netherlands
2009
Opened in
Student population
945
Age group
4–19
WATERFORD KAMHLABA UWC
OF SOUTHERN AFRICA Mbabane, Eswatini
1963
Opened in
Student population
620
Age group
11–20
10 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
10 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 11
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
12 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
UWCSEA offers a holistic Learning Programme organised into five interlinking elements:
Academics, Activities, Outdoor Education, Personal and Social Education, and Service.
Students do not spend an equal amount of time on each of these elements, however we place
equal value on them.
Read more about the
Learning Programme
here.
ACADEMICS
Through Academics, students develop knowledge, skills, understandings, and dispositions that stay with them for life. Learning goals in all curricula domains–
languages, mathematics, sciences, the Arts, humanities, technology and physical education–build progressively through each grade, preparing students for the
next academic challenge and for life beyond school. Across the College, we continue to strengthen and refresh our academic programmes to ensure they remain
relevant, engaging, and aligned with the needs of our students.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
All academic curriculums are being reviewed and updated on a five-year cycle such as Digital Information and Literacy (DIL), Service, Sustainability and Peace
(SSP), and Personal and Social Education (PSE). Each review focuses on internal and external research-based processes, clear vertical alignment across grades,
and targeted professional learning for teachers. By the end of 2026, every curriculum across the College will have been updated.
This year, the DIL, PSE, and SSP curriculums were written and ratified, while work continues on the Outdoor Education curriculum, which will be finalised by
2026. Updates to the Mathematics, Science, and Humanities curriculums are also in progress, ensuring these curricula remain rigorous and relevant.
Through our work on Access and Challenge protocols, we took steps to operationalise a tiered model of support to ensure that learning interventions are
responsive and organic. This allows students to access the right level of support at the right time. A key component of this inclusion work involved the English as
an Additional Language (EAL) Working Group, which refined how multilingual learners are supported. EAL support is explicitly linked to the Home Languages
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 13
Programme, recognising that maintaining first and home language
proficiency is vital for cognitive development and identity.
Furthermore, the Grade 9 and 10 EAL curriculum was refined to
reflect these protocols, and we have adopted a shared terminology
and approach across the College.
In support of our Access and Challenge work, we invested heavily in
professional development focused on Concept-Based Learning and
inclusive pedagogies, as described in our section on Staff.
In Grades 9 and 10, the Dover and East campus curriculums were
successfully aligned, creating a shared understanding of objectives
and outcomes while maintaining flexibility for teachers to adapt
to their campus contexts. Preparations were also completed for
UWCSEA Dover to fully adopt the new Grade 9 and 10 curriculum
from August 2025, marking the first year the College will no
longer offer IGCSE options. The 2025/26 school year will focus on
ensuring that students enjoy a rich, engaging learning experience,
that teachers are well supported, and that assessment approaches
continue to evolve to reflect deeper learning.
Within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
(IBDP), the first cohort of students embarked on the new IB
Systems Transformation: Leadership for Change course,
completing their first year of study. This innovative course reflects
UWCSEA’s ongoing commitment to developing future-ready
learners who combine academic rigour with leadership, empathy,
and a deep sense of purpose. As part of its development, we have
also gathered early feedback from students to help refine and
strengthen the written curriculum.
14 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
IB DIPLOMA RESULTS
It’s important to consider cohort size when looking at IB score averages. UWCSEA has one of the largest IBDP
cohorts in the world. Some schools have graduating IBDP cohorts of just 50 to 100 students.
Class of 2025’s IB cohort of 605 students had a pass rate of 98.7%. The world average pass rate was 81.3%.
UWCSEA
cohort
605
55
*Approximate
worldwide average
cohort
East
Dover
267
338
*Source: ibo.org
25%
2025 average IB Diploma score
2024 average IB Diploma score
2023 average IB Diploma score
30.6
Worldwide cohort
30.3
Worldwide cohort
30.2
Worldwide cohort
36.4
Entire UWCSEA cohort
36.3
Entire UWCSEA cohort
36.8
Entire UWCSEA cohort
43.3
100 UWCSEA students
42.9
100 UWCSEA students
42.9
100 UWCSEA students
44.1
50 UWCSEA students
43.8
50 UWCSEA students
43.8
50 UWCSEA students
Students awarded bilingual diploma
151
LANGUAGES
25
• Amharic • Bemba • Burmese • Chichewa
• Chinese • Danish • Dutch • English
• Estonian • French • German • Hindi
• Indonesian • Japanese • Khmer • Kinyarw
• Kiswahili/Swahili • Korean • Portuguese
• Russian • Serbian • Shona • Spanish
• Ukrainian • Vietnamese
Read more about IB Diploma
results, and the Class of 2025
University Destinations here.
UWCSEA cohort: 605
(Dover: 338 | East: 267)
Pass Rate: 98.7%
UWCSEA cohort: 603
(Dover: 334 | East: 269)
Pass Rate: 98.3%
UWCSEA cohort: 578
(Dover: 333 | East: 245)
Pass Rate: 99%
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 15
CLASS OF 2025 DESTINATIONS
In 2025, 100% of UWCSEA students enrolled at universities around the world, as shown on the map below. A number of our students were admitted to highly
selective universities and courses. The majority, 84%, went directly to university, while 11% entered National Service in Singapore and 5% took a gap year.
38%
USA
4.3%
Canada
23.4%
UK
0.8%
Spain
0.3%
France
1.6%
Netherlands
2.1%
Singapore
8.7%
Australia
0.6%
Italy
Countries where graduates enrolled in university
• Australia • Belgium • Canada • France • Hong Kong • India • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Japan • Qatar • Netherlands • Philippines • Singapore • South Korea • Spain
• Sweden • Switzerland • United Kingdom • United States
20
1.3%
Hong Kong
16 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
ACTIVITIES
UWCSEA’s Activities Programme is a vital part of student learning, offering every student the chance to explore new interests, develop strengths, and pursue
personal passions. Designed to promote creativity, confidence, and connection, the programme enables students to engage with peers across grades, school
sections, and even beyond UWCSEA.
A UNITED COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE
In the 2024/2025 school year, the Activities programmes continued to play a pivotal role in delivering on UWCSEA’s strategic priorities: Exceptional People and
Teams, Immersive Learning, A Sense of Belonging, and Curiosity and Exploration. Across both Dover and East campuses, the focus remained on creating inclusive,
innovative, and sustainable experiences that strengthened student learning and deepened connections within the wider community.
A defining highlight of the year was the significant rise in female student participation across sport, reflecting intentional efforts to make physical activity spaces
more inclusive. There was also an increase in diversity in sport with more female players in sports such as football and touch rugby. Fitness facilities on both
campuses were redesigned to encourage broader engagement, incorporating new layouts and dedicated sessions for specific groups. The launch of the year-long
Volleyball Academy on East Campus further strengthened this work, creating a vibrant space for female athletes to connect and compete.
Community spirit was particularly palpable on the Dover Campus through the introduction of ‘Friday Night Showdowns’. These events brought together student-
athletes from schools across the region to celebrate sport, creating a rallying point for the community. The 2024/2025 school year also saw the beginning of an
annual Dover vs East derby match in SEASAC U19 team sports. This started with an annual Foster-Tullidge Shield Rugby match. Cross campus engagements have
brought positive community and connection across the College in a fun and friendly competitive environment.
The Activities Fairs on both campuses served as crucial platforms for students to discover clubs and Service groups, growing awareness of the breadth of
opportunities available. These fairs are entirely run by students, developing agency and leadership.
New parent programmes in partnership with the Parent Associations, including evening fitness, badminton, swimming, mahjong, chinese choir, cooking, and
gymnastics, brought families onto campus and strengthened community ties. These programmes support wellbeing, connection, and a shared sense of belonging
across the College community.
Under the pillar of Exceptional People and Teams, the department expanded professional learning. Seasonal workshops ensured that every coach and activity
leader was aligned with College values, supported by a new bespoke onboarding website for external staff.
The 2024/2025 school year also saw a rigorous focus on upskilling student leaders. Student mentorship programmes ensured that students stepping into
leadership positions possessed not only technical skills but a deep understanding of values-based leadership and service to others.
Student leadership development was further formalised through a new programme requiring student coaches to complete structured training in leadership,
mentoring, and first aid. The adoption of ‘Spiideo’ live broadcast technology across venues on both campuses, allowed families to watch games live whilst providing
students with powerful tools for performance analysis and reflection.
The Student Sports Council on Dover Campus grew significantly in influence, taking responsibility for generating excitement, the ‘hype’, around sporting events and
creating engaging content that connected the student body to the programme.
Finally, sustainability continued to underpin departmental operations. UWCSEA continued to model responsible practices, such as the use of energy-efficient
lighting and sustainable wooden trophies. A ‘single destination’ model was adopted for sports trips to consolidate activities related to travel and reduce the
environmental footprint. Trip reviews will continue. A commitment to sustainability was further supported by the enduring partnership with New Balance, an
organisation noted for its alignment with the College’s sustainability goals.
UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025 | 17
PROGRAMME OFFERINGS BY THE NUMBERS
DOVER CAMPUS
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Number of activities
545
547
521
490
Number of students
2,745
2,658
2,596
2,511
Average number of activities by student
2.8
2.8
2.7
2.5
Hours per student per week
4hrs
3.9hrs
3.7hrs
3.4hrs
1,769
Activities offered at
East Campus
2,103
Activities offered at
Dover Campus
EAST CAMPUS
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Number of activities
470
464
428
407
Number of students
2,559
2,563
2,387
2,301
Average number of activities by student
2.7
2.7
2.6
2.6
Hours per student per week
4.2hrs
4.3hrs
4.2hrs
3.9hrs
18 | UWCSEA Community and Impact Report 2024/2025
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The Outdoor Education (OEd) Programme is a powerful part of the UWCSEA experience, providing students with opportunities to develop the UWCSEA Learner
Profile qualities of resilience, commitment to care, self management, communication and collaboration.
A RETURN TO IMMERSION AND DISCOVERY
The 2024/2025 school year marked a significant turning point for the Outdoor Education (OEd) programme with the College shifting to strategic enhancement
The year was defined by a renewed commitment to Immersive Learning, aiming to provide students with expeditions that were not only physically challenging but
culturally rich and personally transformative.
A highlight of the year was the return of the Grade 8 expedition to Khao Yai, Thailand. This marked the first time the cohort had returned to this location since the
pandemic, and significantly, the trip was extended by an additional day to six days. This decision was grounded in educational research emphasising the critical role
of duration in ensuring effective skill transference; simply put, students needed time to settle into an environment to truly learn from it. Whilst the duration had
not yet returned to the twelve-day expeditions of the pre-Covid era, this extension represented a deliberate step of progress. Future extensions remained a topic of
active consideration, dependent on balancing operational costs and the capacity and wellbeing of the exceptional staff who facilitated these complex operations.
The Khao Yai programme also evolved to include a stronger cultural immersion component, which has proven to be a major value-add compared to previous trips.
Students engaged in authentic Thai cooking, spent time in Buddhist temples, and practised bushcraft using traditional Thai methods. This shift added a layer of
depth that distinguished the experience, offering students a deeper connection to the host culture and environment.
Similarly, the Grade 9 programme was successfully re-established in its larger, pre-Covid form. Consolidating the scope and duration of this expedition restored the
intended breadth and depth of the OEd curriculum, ensuring that students at this critical developmental stage received the full benefit of the outdoor experience.
The year also witnessed a surging student appetite for adventure and personal challenge. This was most visible in the increased uptake for longer, more demanding
expeditions, such as the Ladakh and Mongolia expeditions. This trend reflected a growing desire amongst students to test their resilience in rugged environments,
aligning perfectly with the strategic goal of fostering curiosity and exploration.
In an effort to ensure accessibility and affordability, the team conducted extensive site visits and research to develop closer-to-home options. Despite these efforts,
some proposed trips, such as those to Chiang Mai and Langkawi, were discontinued due to low signups. This highlighted the ongoing challenge of balancing cost,
accessibility, and student interest. Furthermore, whilst sustainability goals aligned with the move toward closer destinations and reduced flights, cost remained a
primary driver in these decisions.
Underpinning these operational changes was the completion of the Oregon State University study, which provided vital data on programme outcomes. This
feedback loop, alongside a broader review of strategic priorities, highlighted that pre-Covid frameworks required adjustment to fit the current context. As the
year closed, the OEd team utilised this data to refine the programme, intending to incorporate more student feedback into future reporting to ensure the outdoor
experience remained relevant and impactful.