Dear parents

I have been very gratified to read some of the lovely feedback from the school's parents and friends, congratulating us on the recent successes for pupils applying to Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League universities. It has been a real boost to the community after such a challenging year in 2020.

Wellington is unquestionably a school that seeks to deliver outstanding academic opportunities and achievement. Encouraging our pupils to reach the universities of their dreams has always been a central part of our messaging to pupils, parents and staff. Everyone should understand that our ambition matches that of any of our families. It is in this spirit that pupils are supported so heavily in their university application process, starting in earnest from year 11, but with children from year 9 able to access resources through their tutors.

Achievement comes in many forms, though. Not all children are destined for Oxbridge or the G5, nor would they be best suited to such universities. The school is inclusive in its nature, accommodating young people with a huge range of interests and ambitions. Many parents will know of our excellent record in producing artists and designers. Year after year, the school sends a significant proportion of our graduates to the leading art and design colleges worldwide, studying courses as challenging as fine art, product design and architecture. We also produce young people keen to explore the world of finance and business, international relations, and media telecommunications. For many of these graduates, the goal is to access the right university for their courses. Specialist universities outside the exclusive bubble of Oxbridge and Ivy League offer brilliant opportunities to young people who want the best but are not always catered for by the traditional elite universities.

This philosophy, of tailoring courses to meet our pupils' needs, is reflected throughout the school. It is the reason we are so keen to emphasise effort as part of our reporting criteria – children who work will achieve, whatever their level. Those capable of committing consistently impressive effort grades will go on to outperform even their stretch targets, with the result that they will be able to have a broader range of choices when it comes to A Levels and potential degree courses. I like to stress effort as a core ingredient of a child's progress through school because effort does not rely on innate ability. Anyone can put in effort, regardless of academic potential. Of course, concentrating on effort also has the advantage of fostering resilience and a growth mindset; those children who believe they can succeed through working harder will do so. Research has long suggested that praising effort, rather than pure attainment, helps learners improve more quickly and has lasting results into adulthood. 

Many of you will speak to your children about the success of those graduates heading for Oxbridge or the Ivy League. That is only natural, and we share in the celebration of their achievements. However, to ensure that your child also goes on to fulfil their potential, I would urge you to frame these conversations around the effort needed to succeed, even for the most able learners. In this way, every Wellingtonian, however young, can begin to construct a mental pathway to individual success rather than feel overawed, perhaps even inadequate, by the achievement of the few.

If you would like to learn more about helping your child develop the life skills of resilience and a growth mindset, I recommend two essential writers: Angela Duckworth's Grit and Carol Dweck's Mindset: How you can fulfil your potential, both of which are available in translation.

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Online
1400hrs-1500hrs, Wednesday
3rd February

Please tune into Teams to find out about how we plan for children to learn through a play-based provision; how we make learning engaging and fun; and how we support children to rise to the challenge when something is a little more difficult.

Chinese Culture Week
1st-5th February

We will celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year from 1st-5th February next week. Although there will be no Spring Festival Temple Fair this year, we have organised various events and activities, giving pupils opportunities to enjoy the festive atmosphere, taste traditional culture, and have fun.

On Wednesday 3rd February, all pupils in the Junior School are encouraged to wear their own clothes with some red elements for the Chinese New Year Show. We cannot invite parents to watch the show in school due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, but we will record the Chinese New Year Shows across the school. The Nest show will be shared with parents online on Friday 5th February; for parents of pupils in the Junior and the Senior School, we will inform you when the videos are released.

The university guidance team will be running three subject-focused university research sessions during lunchtimes next week. The purpose of these sessions will be to inform pupils on how to choose the best universities for their proposed subjects and courses. The sessions will be delivered by the current year 13 pupils. All year 10 pupils and above are welcome to join. Year 12 pupils are also strongly recommended to join these sessions.