In August, Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai Junior High will open its doors for the first time to welcome its
founding pupils, who will become the first group to complete their Wellington journey with us, once they graduate from
our High School in seven years’ time.
We have consistently high expectations for all our founding pupils, and to help them realise these expectations we
have built a world-class campus, complete with high-quality teaching resources, and crafted a unique curriculum
combining the respective strengths of Eastern and Western education, supported by Chinese and international
educational specialists within Wellington. The curriculum will be implemented by a mixture of carefully selected and
highly talented Chinese and English teachers who are passionate about bilingual education and making the shared vision
for Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai a reality.
“The process of educating is to deliver knowledge, to explore the
meaning of life, to shape spirit and behavior, and to pass on cultural heritages to the younger generation in order to
inspire the freedom in their nature as they grow.”
— What is education by Karl Theodor Jaspers
Education is more than imparting knowledge; its first and foremost goal is to inspire and pass on a sense of cultural
heritage. Our education model is designed with the aim of becoming the leading bilingual education provider. It offers
all pupils plenty of opportunities to have positive emotional and artistic experiences through active exploration and
investigation, while enjoying the fun of learning.
Our Junior High curriculum will be based on the Shanghai curriculum, which is rooted in China’s history and culture, but
adds in the best Western educational ethos and practices as well, providing a balanced and inclusive educational
outlook. We believe that our inclusive and scientifically developed curriculum has the advantage of developing the
aptitudes and international perspectives that our pupils will need to thrive in today’s globally interconnected world.
They will not only learn essential skills and knowledge, but also the ability to think critically, create, analyse,
solve problems, use two languages seamlessly and learn how to lead effectively. This will serve as excellent preparation
for studying the international curriculum once they arrive in High School.
In addition to demonstrating academic excellence, our pupils will develop holistically, becoming well-rounded
individuals who embody the Wellington Identity and Values while possessing the skills and talents to positively
influence the world around them. They will explore, collaborate, and experience art, culture and much more: setting out
from Wellington to pursue their passions and experience the best of what life has to offer.
Promoting cultural inclusiveness
We strive to provide high-quality bilingual education. We expect that when our pupils leave us for their intended
college or university, they will be fully bilingual, not only capable of using both languages, but also understanding
the culture and history of both worlds while thinking, analysing and solving problems using two distinctly different
thinking patterns. To achieve this, we have designed a well-structured and systematic teaching model offering
opportunities for both broad and deep learning. Taking cultural subjects as an example, our Chinese and English teachers
plan their lessons together, so that our pupils will gain the ability to obtain and process information efficiently in
both languages. This is an essential skill in an ever-changing world, as is the ability to analyse and discuss social
phenomena from different perspectives with the right values and an inclusive attitude toward diverse cultures.
Delivering comprehensive pastoral care
Pastoral care is central to the vision and ethos of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai; it affects and
influences every aspect of the educational journey a pupil experiences while at the College. Our responsibility is to
help Wellingtonians to achieve academic success and become a “whole person” in terms of their physical, mental, social,
and moral development.
The house system is another important part of our pastoral care system. A pupil’s house is their home in the College;
it’s where they make friends, celebrate their successes, and learn to collaborate as well as to show leadership and
management skills.
Pastoral care is also given to children through wellbeing programme. Developed through the synthesis of various positive
psychology studies, the programme combines the strength of traditional values with a character education ethos. Pupils
will be widely encouraged to explore the nature of wellbeing, set goals for their lives, and build their courage to face
challenges in difficult times through positive interactions with teachers and peers.
Nurturing the spirit of exploration
“Allow children to explore the steps of learning and through which
discover themselves.”
— Rudolf Steiner
At Wellington, it is our goal to inspire a lifelong love for learning. The learning of mathematics, for example, will
take different forms of exploration and investigation under the guidance of bilingual teachers. It will be closely
linked to other subjects and areas of pupils’ personal development. Teaching will be pupil-centric and differentiated,
providing all pupils with plenty of activities to build their knowledge and creativity through discussing and
cooperating with each other while building well-structured cognition systems and positive character traits.
Providing successful opportunities
The Wellington way of teaching allows all pupils to take ownership of their learning. In our science
classes, teachers focus on nurturing curiosity and questioning attitudes, while planning opportunities for pupils to
have successful learning experiences through direct, hands-on practice, independent exploration and collaboration within
study teams. Pupils will learn essential scientific concepts, principles and techniques that they will need to improve
their investigative skills and their ability to understand the links between science, technology and society itself.
As part of our holistic education approach, sports and the arts are highly valued at Wellington, as they build physical
strength in pupils, help them to realise their potential, broaden their horizons, and develop their ability to adapt to
new challenges and environments.
Teaching at Wellington provides lots of immersive educational experiences, inspiring pupils to take ownership of their
learning and develop a positive attitude towards it. If pupils feel happy and engaged, they will be sufficiently
encouraged to push themselves, take risks and make new discoveries.
Wellington College in England has enjoyed over 150 years’ of continuous educational development, becoming one of the
most respected schools in the country. Wellington College International Tianjin and Shanghai are both widely recognised
as having achieved admirable success within a short space of time, and there is no doubt that Wellington College
Bilingual Shanghai will be able to build on their successful experiences and achieve more of the same.
