Julian Jeffrey on his vision for Wellington College China

Julian Jeffrey

Chief Executive Master

Wellington College China

After finishing his degrees at Durham University and the University of Exeter, Julian began his teaching career at a prestigious private girls’ school. He then went on to Wellington College, where he remained for 18 years. “Wellington’s values fit very well with my own, and I witnessed firsthand how Wellington truly implemented those values in all aspects of curriculum design and school life in those years,” says Julian.

In 2012, as a Wellington College evaluation team member, Julian visited Wellington College International Tianjin, the first Wellington College international school in China. Upon return his return to the UK, Julian proposed a teacher exchange programme to promote collaboration between sister schools. He became the programme’s first teacher and took on a position at Wellington College International Tianjin. When the programme concluded, Julian was asked to remain and was eventually appointed Master.

Under Julian's leadership, Wellington College Tianjin went from strength to strength, gaining widespread recognition for its academic achievements. Most recently, several Wellington Tianjin graduates have received offers from Oxbridge and Ivy League schools to study biochemistry, economics, business management, art and design, computer science, applied mathematics and more. Additionally, Wellington Tianjin pupils have consistently won regional, national and international competitions in maths, debate, science, golf and many other fields. Building on these successes, Julian is well-equipped to guide Wellington College China into the future. 

Class of 2022, Wellington College Tianjin

Julian also cares deeply about pupils’ development after graduation. "Academic success is only a short-term goal in pupil growth. Education should be more about their long-term development and a vision for the future," he says. He cites a survey by the University of Greenwich that concludes that by 2025, 65% of today’s pupils will be working in occupations that do not yet exist. AI or computers will replace 5 million jobs. To Julian, these seemingly alarming figures are a constant reminder to our teachers that they must educate for the future, emphasising technological literacy. To this end, Wellington College Tianjin entered into a partnership with Microsoft early last year, becoming the first international school to sign up for the Microsoft Showcase School programme.

He also recognises the important role that soft skills will play in the workplace of tomorrow. Attributes like creativity, adaptivity, leadership, discipline and teamwork will prove to be invaluable assets. As the world continues to grow more interconnected, he adds, so will our capacity for openness and understanding. "Schools should not become cultural islands,” he insists. “We should help pupils to fully understand that they are part of the local community, to learn the local language and appreciate the traditions and culture."

This, of course, goes hand in hand with a sense of obligation to one’s community. "If a Wellington pupil does not have this awareness of serving others and giving back to society, it will make my job as a Chief Executive Master a failure," Julian adds.

Wellington College China’s unique pastoral care provision ensures that pupils graduate as well-rounded individuals with strong values and the skills to thrive within an ever-changing world. Julian is quick to note a UK survey that pupils between grades 1 and 12 who received a wellbeing education performed 10 to 20% better academically.

At several Wellington College China schools, boarding is central to pastoral care. They continue to provide academic support for boarders after school and offer a wealth of social activities for pupils to discover their potential, improve themselves in multiple dimensions and build lifelong friendships with their fellow pupils. This year, Wellington College China expanded this offering with the opening of Hiba Academy Nantong. Able to accommodate nearly 700 boarders, it is now the group’s flagship boarding school.

Wellington College China is committed to being a fantastic place to work. “We always set and maintain high hiring standards and make every effort to guarantee the quality of teaching services," says Julian. This is achieved through competitive salaries, a wide range of CPD programmes, leadership training, internal promotion channels and pastoral care for all staff. These are just a few of the reasons why HR Asia has awarded Wellington College China its 'Best Companies to Work for in Asia' award for two years running. 

Not one to rest on laurels, Julian hopes that "Wellington will continue to find new ways to educate and help young people graduating from Wellington schools to have a more meaningful life.” He adds, “After all, school education is only a part of a pupil's life journey, not the whole thing." Under Julian’s leadership, Wellington College China will help even more pupils achieve excellence.