Wellington School

Term has got off to a flying start with our Whole School Assembly. School Captains Jude and Grace welcomed everyone including our new Head Mr Alex Battison, who was able address all the community and share some of his views and thoughts. He was also able to meet many pupils across the School and enjoy some inspirational music from our Music Captain Cirrus and some of our fabulous musicians. Prep School Captains Ed and Polly also addressed the whole school, as did Prep Head Mrs Richardson. It was a truly motivational start to the year and we are very much looking forward to the months ahead!

Welcome to our Year 7s on their induction day! They have been able to explore the School prior to the start of term and enjoyed the Chapel Welcome Tent with games to play and delicious refreshments!

Pre-season hockey training for our senior girls started with a 2-hour training session, followed by a friendly with The Portsmouth Grammar School. The squad then headed to North Devon for fish and chips on the beach at Saunton Sands, team bonding at North Devon Wake Park and further training. They then took part in a tournament at West Buckland School. Thanks to Portsmouth Grammar School and West Buckland.

We are delighted to be welcoming all our new boarders to the School today. Coming from all around the globe they are an integral part of our vibrant community and we are so looking forward to meeting them all and getting to know everyone. Our boarding houses are looking sparkly and smart after their summer spruce-up and our fabulous boarding team are raring to go!

32 Wellington rugby players, from Year 11 -13, are working hard in our pre-season training camp in Cornwall.
Students are staying in university accommodation in Falmouth enjoying the experience of living in halls of residence and preparing some of their own food.
Training has taken place on the all weather pitch at Penryn College to re-engage rugby core skills and get to know each other. Players also trained on the beach with sand dune interval training and a 5km run. The hard work was rewarded with brunch at a beachside cafe.
On top of the outstanding training opportunities players have put their skills into practice with matches.

Some of our illustrious alumni who have excelled in the world of professional theatre include Sir David Suchet, Carly Bawden, Eddie Brown and double BAFTA award winning lighting designer David Bishop. We are so very excited to see so many of our students inspired and following in their footsteps.

✍️ Pip Williams is in her final year at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama
🎵 Abi Govey has graduated from Bird College
💡 Fin Irving is in his second year at Guildhall School of Music & Drama 🥁 Toby Shaw is enjoying his time at Rose Bruford College and
🎭 Louisa Wall looks forward to joining him!
🎭Cameron Forest studies Acting at LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
🎥 Callum Richards is embracing his Acting for Film course at University of Chichester
💃🏻 Martha Askew accepted an un-conditional offer to study Musical Theatre at at
Bath Spa University
🎭 Dan Cape starts his Drama course at Falmouth University
💃 Rebecca Frearson has graduated with a BA in Dance from University of Gloucestershire with first class honours

We value everything that the Performing Arts has to offer and we can’t wait to follow these journeys into the future 🌟

Congratulations to OW Ed Fuller on an outstanding performance at the paralympics Paris 2024. Gold in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Fours. So proud of you for all your hard work and dedication.



Photo: British Rowing

It's been a fantastic summer for Wellington School Equestrians.

🐎 Emilia in Year 10 won the Novice Show Jumping Class with the Polden Hills Pony Club team at the The Pony Club Championships.
🐎 Sixth Former, Alex, with his polocrosse worked hard and managed to come 4th at The Pony Club Championships , having only taken up the sport 6 weeks prior to the event.
🐎 Daisy in Year 8 )and her pony, Warleigh Blushing Groom, won the overall Show Hunter Pony Champion at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show to qualify for the Horse of the Year Show 2024. Daisy and Joey are trained Gill Thompson Show Team in Staffordshire.

Well done everyone!

Congratulations to Swimmer, Jess in Year 10 had a fantastic Aquatics GB Summer Championships taking a Bronze medal in an exciting 200m backstroke final.
Incredibly, Jess also made the final in the
🏊 100m backstroke
🏊 200mIndividual Medley

Jess has since been selected for the Swim England National Age Group Development Pathway and will be part of the Devon team, competing at the National County Champs in October.

We are looking forward to the start of the academic year when, Alex Battison, will be welcoming students, staff, and families as the new Head of Wellington School.

Alex was previously Senior Deputy Head at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire and has extensive strategic development experience, as well as an impressive academic and pastoral leadership background.

Alex is currently working towards the latter stages of his Doctorate in Leadership, Learning and Policy at Bristol University and prior to Lord Wandsworth, Alex led the teaching and learning as Assistant Head at Wells Cathedral School and was previously Director of Learning and Innovation, as well as Assistant Houseparent and Head of Sports Science at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex.

Alex also has over 15 years experience in boarding houses.

Alex, his wife, Pippa and three children moved to Wellington this summer, and are looking forward to being part of the Wellington family.

Erin has spent the past 2 weeks at the Exeter Northcott Theatre where she has been performing in the Power of Camelot with the British Youth Music Theatre - BYMT
She did have a flying visit home to open her GCSE results, then back for more performances! Well done Erin - such an exciting project!

Well done to Issy who was selected for the team and competed in the England Hockey U18 Talent Academy Cup in Nottingham. The team placed 4th out of 24 teams from across the UK. Super congrats all. 👏

We are excited to be launching a new language initiative from September in our Prep School. Language teacher, Rachel Middleton, will provide an hour a week of specialist language teaching to children from Reception to Year 6.
Rachel is a languages graduate with a PGCE in Primary MFL and is delighted to be expanding her language teaching across all Key Stages.
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will have an hour each week of ‘Culture and Language’ and from Year 3 to Year 6, this will develop into an hour each week of Spanish language lessons.
All year groups will not only acquire Spanish language skills, but will experience this within the broader curriculum; language learning is also about understanding language and identity, about developing an international outlook and about learning. It is about inclusiveness and opportunities for all our children. It is about the kind of people they will become and the kind of world they will live in.
ịBienvenidos a todos!

Bristol Bears Rugby Academy were delighted with our facilities during their recent summer residential for the U17 and U18 squads. The academy coaches noted that the residential at Wellington was a key part of their summer training block and led to excellent cohesion on the pitch in a recent fixture.
If you'd like to learn more about hiring our outstanding facilities contact [email protected].

Bristol Bears Rugby

Our Academic Scholars' Programme for students In Years 10 to 13, allows students to select from a number of different pathways
Subject Ambassador
Creative
Debating and Public Speaking
Higher Project Qualification (HPQ)

This year awards were given to Ijeoma in Lower Sixth for her participation in debating and public speaking events, Asta in Year 10 for her work with Year 3 swimmers, Aparajita in Year 11 for her dedication and diligence in her studies and Milo Griffith in Upper Sixth for his amazing work in Computer Science.

This year's annual Ex Wyvern CCF Summer Camp saw 20 dedicated cadets developing and honing their skills in both the persistent rain and the blazing sun of the Salisbury Plains and Yoxter Training Area. As the days progressed, they went from firing on a 100m outdoor shooting range to learning about the kit current soldiers take out on deployment both on their own person and in the vehicles and tools they are equipped with. They finished the camp with a 36 hour field exercise, in which they practised their cam and concealment, their movement on patrol and how to approach an enemy, finally culminating in a three stage blank-firing simulated attack. Congratulations to all the cadets on a week of hard work and well-earned promotions.

Good luck to Old Wellingtonian, Ed Fuller (Richards '21), who is part of the GB rowing team at the Paris Paralympics.

From the early beginnings of trying out a rowing machine at an after-school club at Wellington to going out on the water with Exeter Rowing Club, Ed found a sport which he could excel at.

Ed races next weekend in the PR3 Mixed 4 at Vaires-sur-Marne and already has 3 World Championship medals to his name.

Paris 2024 ParalympicsGB

Wellington School's teenagers are inspirational people and - alongside their kindness, principle-led leadership and zest for life - have produced another excellent set of GCSE results. These have followed swiftly on from our outstanding A Level outcomes, with both sets of headline figures being significantly above national averages.

As impressive as these are, grades remain just one metric of the true magic of a Wellington education where individuals are supported and nurtured, confident to chase their incredible potential, with a lack of entitlement and a grounded ambition. Individuals - in all of their beautiful complexity - really matter here, and it is the individual journeys and stories behind every single one of these results that make us so proud.

In headline terms, the number of 9-7 grades is up by 10% on last year, with almost 15% of all grades at level 9, and close to one third of all grades at levels 9 and 8. Over 10% of students achieved seven or more grade 9s and 8s, and four students were awarded seven or more grade 9s. And all this in a school that - amongst many other recent national commendations and shortlistings - has won the 'Best Independent Day & Boarding School in Somerset' (Private Education Awards 2024) and is a finalist in the forthcoming national Independent Schools Award for 'Best Co-educational School' and 'Best Prep School'. Moreover, we are so fortunate to have inspirational teachers, alongside students who feel known, safe and valued, in an environment where it's cool to collaborate, be curious and think big.

Alex Battison, new Headmaster of Wellington School said: 'In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, our community is pioneering the ways and means to enable our young people to flourish. Rather than the status quo in all schools (which typically views education as preparation for a known future) we believe in creating the space and self-belief that inspires our students to create their futures, and to view the present as a site of vibrant possibility for doing so. It is clear that Wellington students are rising to this challenge and we are so proud of them all'.

Exciting times ahead for Martha and Louisa who are off to explore the professional world of acting. Martha has an unconditional offer to study Musical Theatre at Bath Spa whilst Louisa is off to Rose Bruford College to study American Theatre Arts! Both have taken leading roles in many of our school productions. What a tremendous future you both have ahead and what a testament to our outstanding Drama and Performing Arts provision here that our students achieve such ongoing success!

For our Summer Reading Challenge, students and staff are encouraged to read 5 books over the summer. Prizes and points awarded... Here is Year 7 Grace reading her favourite book! That's extra points for Oak!
The winning house will win biscuits for all students, as well as the glory... Hardwick were clear winners last year – can they triumph 2 years running…? Email pics into [email protected]

Boarding Captain Jecky has secured his place at University of Warwick to study Economics. Jecky joined us in Year 9 and has secured an impressive 3 A* grades, and a B as well as an A in his EPQ. He has been a valued and integral part of school life, an ardent Basketball player, Badminton Captain and the winner of many National and International Maths Challenges and Olympiads He was shortlisted for the prestigious John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition 2023 as well as being awarded the Mathematics Prize and the Headmaster's Awards for Loving of Learning and Pursuit of Excellence. Well done Jecky - have an amazing time!

George secured his place at Imperial College London to study Chemistry after bagging himself a raft of bumper A level results. With A*s in Maths, Chemistry and Biology, an A in AS Greek and a B in Physics, he is heading for a fascinating future. William also bagged a super crop of results with A*s in Physics, Maths, Further Maths and an A in Computer Science, he is heading to Cardiff University to study Mechanical Engineering. Both George and Will joined us at Year 7 and have enjoyed their time with us.

Library Helper Freyja has chosen The Atlas Paradox by as part of her summer reading challenge. This is the sequel to The Atlas Six, the runaway TikTok must-read fantasy novel of the year and will thrill those who love twisted plots, twisted relationships, and morally grey characters ready to kill for knowledge and power. Bookshop by the Blackdowns

Prolific reader Lily, in Year 6, has read over 200 books from the Prep School Library!
She is the first pupil to complete our Secret Society of Lost Books - the final challenge in Wellington Prep School's Book World Cup.
The Book World Cup was created by Mr Warren, our Subject Lead for English and Librarian Mrs Stanton and encourages pupils to read widely and regularly as they work their way through a series of challenges.
If you are looking for a good read this summer, Lily recommends The Ice Monster by David Walliams and Following Frankenstein by Catherine Bruton.

Exciting times ahead for Silvie who is off to Durham University to study Physics after achieving fantastic A level results, She gained A* grades in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and also an A in Latin! Silvie joined us at Year 7 from Dulverton Junior School and has a fantastic future ahead of her. Well done Silvie!

Finlay and Rosie will be fulfilling their dreams to become doctors as they head off to Medical School after achieving outstanding A level results. They both achieved 3 A* in Maths, Biology and Chemistry as well as A* grade in their EPQs. Finlay, who joined us in Year 7 from Kingston St Mary Primary School will be heading off to University of Bristol despite having received offers from all 4 medical schools that he applied to. Rosie, who joined us for the Sixth Form, will be heading to Cardiff University Medical School. Congratulations to both of you - such an exciting future ahead of you!

Kingston St Mary CofE Primary School

Well done to superstar Charlie who gained 4 A*s in Chemistry, Further Maths, Maths and Physics who will be taking up her place Imperial College London to study Physics! Well done Charlie - such an amazing achievement! . Charlie is one of two of our female academics who will be moving on to study Physics at highly prestigious universities.

Fantastic news for Madalyn who will be taking up a place at St Hugh's College, Oxford University to study Economics and Management after achieving outstanding A level results. Maddy joined us in Year 7 from Hambridge School after coming along to one of our Primary School Maths Challenges. Maddy gained an A* in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Economics as well as an A in her EPQ. We wish her all the very best in her exciting next step! University of Oxford Hambridge Primary School