Wellington College

[lottie4576]

Im thinking sending my daughter there for sixth form (depends if she gets a scholarship though) so if anyone has any views that would be great! Really interested in the thoughts from current parents

AS (the head) is probably one of the most unpopular heads on MN. You have to hand it to him he's an outstanding self promoter bit IMO most of the time talks absolute rubbish or talks about the things that he's implemented at Wellington as if they are completely ground breaking and he's the only one who in the world of education who can come up with such original ideas but the reality is that h's just talk a good talk For this reason alone i never considered it for my DS's. We know a few people who have looked at it and having been really excited by its website (which I personally find irritating) or prospectus have come away after a visit rather underwhelmed and cannot see that its anything very different or special from what most others claim to offer.
Having said this we do know a family who sent all theirs DS's to another well known boarding school but removed their daughter from it within a few months of starting becasue she was utterly miserable and moved her to Wellington and were very happy there.

happygardening I have heard lots about AS but never heard him! I have to say that the Website seems very impressive but I do agree its very irritating to use and slow! I would like to know some more about entance requirements, girls boarding houses and the teachig methods/styles that they appear to rave about on their website

A friend of mine used to teach there. I think he was very pleased to leave. I used to visit him there from time to time and thought it was a ghastly place.

I am aware this is highly subjective - and what would be more helpful would be to compare it to similar/competing providers.

Know of one girl there who seems very happy and her parents are impressed too. However I'm a bit about the teen nightclub trips the school seem to endorse.

I looked at is very seriously for DD2 and went to an open day and sixth form subject evening. There was a stark difference between the Head's address to parents on the different occasions. If the second talk had been the first talk we would never have looked at it again. The problem was that on the open day there was an emphasis on school being happy to accept young people with a variety of talents as well as a reasonable academic profile. DD keen on dance, art and musical theatre. We thought it sounded great. 6th form evening was a major disaster. Apparently so many children at Wellington are capable of doing 5 A levels, that IB is the only way to go. I knew after a few minutes that they only really want the extra clever ones going into the 6th form. Interestingly our 6th former host was doing IB and said it was a big mistake. It would have been a big mistake for DD too. If your DD is clever and gets a scholarship, then well done, but when we asked a member of teaching staff why there was so much emphasis on IB he said it was because they had invested a lot of money in it so had to make sure it had large numbers doing it. We felt conned by the open day and fortunately went elsewhere. I believe the academy they sponsor has just had disastrous GCSE results and Head is now the executive Head of that as well as his "day job" and his media commitments. There are better schools than Wellington.

BlackMogul, thanks for your reply! Ive heard a lot about Wellington pushing people to do the IB but didnt think it would be to bad for my DD as she has settled on doing Alevels and as she isnt at the school I didnt think that she would be pushed into doing if she went there! We have no idea whether she is going to go there but we Im on a mission to get as much information before the open day so I can decide whether I want to visit the school. So please keep giving me lots of information! Information about sport (particularly hockey), the school day, boarding, scholarships, the style of teaching(i believe they have quite an original idea), teachers, houses, headmaster and anything else that I havnt written down would be excellent! Thanks everyone

I think there is no substitute to visiting the school and getting your impressions first hand. We visited a school today that some on MN are rather sniffy about. I went with an open mind and I'm glad I did. We are near the start of our school search but I will be amazed if I find a better school for ds than the one we saw today.

Bisjo, my name is getting overdue for a change but before I draw curtains on the summer it would be interesting for me and others making choices to know what characteristics of this school you noticed that stood out for you as being well matched to your son. Even better if you can give a hint as to which school!

the academy they sponsor had sixteen members of slt in 4 years many resigned die to stress, several were edged out. there were tribunals the fact that no one thought this was odd...

due.. dont think many died

I liked the genuine enthusiasm from the pupils I met. They were clearly proud of their school and keen to show it off but they were also reflective about what they liked and didn't like. The teaching staff I met were easy to talk to, interested in why we were looking at the school and keen to tell us about the children they wanted to come to their school. It just felt very welcoming but also quite understated. Rather as if they know they are doing a good job so didn't feel a need to oversell themselves. I really liked that. It was a school whose name is nearer the end of the alphabet than the beginning. I'm reluctant to name as the last time I started one of these threads I was accused (wrongly) of making stuff up.

I should add that it wasn't Wellington!

Thanks , very well put about the genuine qualities to look for.

My friend's dd went to Wellington in 6th form. He was not impressed at all either with pastoral care or academic side. Classes cancelled as teacher was off in London doing work in industry or something and no other teacher put in place. Dd did not settle boarding but no support from school. Can only comment on her experience but was not positive at all. His very bright dd ended up flunking her Alevels and he really blamed the school.

Been to wellington for a few conferences as I am a Primary Deputy Head, it has amazing grounds and I personally quite like the head - but that is obviously subjective!

I think it is one of the nicest co-ed public schools in the south and know a few of DCs friends who left Guildford High (a very academic girls school) to go there for sixth form and did very well. Definitely suits a certain type of child though.

As with all schools, only you know if it suits your DC... including if she will suit the IB in sixth form which many schools are now moving away from and back towards A levels.
I wouldn't worry too much about the partying a PP mentioned. In every single sixth form there is lots of weekend parties and clubbing once they are 18. It is so normal and I personally would rather my DC learnt to handle their drink, socialise, let the novelty of over drinking wear off and learn how to keep safe at that age when they are (slightly!) more open to adult words of wisdom and before they are off to uni without so much support.

Thanks everyone for your posts! Still want to know more though inform on as much as possible please! Need to know about the teachers, classroom setup as i think its quite different to other schools, type of people who go there, hockey, houses, boarding and anything else you can think of! Thanks again to everyone whi has helped so far!

"i think its quite different to other schools,"
All we know who've looked at iy came away disappointed say its all hype by the head when you actually examine carefully what they say they do they don't anything more than many other reputable boarding schools. Its just they way it's packaged up that males it sound so different.

Thanks, anymore views and information that would be of use to me?