Wellington College is set in 400 acres of beautiful parkland and is home to a blend of breath taking original architecture and modern state-of-the-art facilities to provide the best possible educational environment for our pupils.
A wonderful fusion of heritage and modernity characterises our educational philosophy. Our curriculum, facilities, and teaching methods are constantly adapting to the challenges of preparing young people for the ever-changing world of the 21st century.
Meet the Master
James Dahl was appointed 15th Master of Wellington College in September 2019. Prior to that he was Second Master Elect as well as Deputy Head Pastoral, having served previously as Director of Admissions & Marketing at the College since 2013.
"Wellington College is a place like no other and our mission is to provide an education like no other. This was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s vision when they founded the school in 1853 and this desire to pioneer, to do things differently, and to make Wellington the most inspiring and interesting place to live and learn burns as brightly today as it did when our first pupils arrived.
Wellington College’s international aspirations date back over 15 years. We have been working with our first international partner since 2009 when we planned our first school in Tianjin which opened in 2011.
We continue to be inspired by the creative possibilities which we knew would flow from the meeting of Eastern and Western pedagogies. We are deeply aware of the significant strengths of other educational systems and traditions and, as befits a school which wants to fuse the best of tradition and heritage with modernity and an eye to the future, we knew that we had as much to learn from the experience as any potential partners. From the very beginning, this was designed to be a partnership where we all benefitted from true collaboration and a shared vision.
A Wellington College education is based upon a commitment to developing each and every child, in every facet of themselves as a human being. Of course, we want them to achieve excellent exam results and to develop intellectual curiosity in the world around them, but we also want them to develop their individual passions and interests to the full, which will last for the rest of their lives.
We also want them to learn how to nurture their own wellbeing and give them the tools to cope independently with everything that life will throw at them. We want them to learn that the most rewarding lives are not those focussed around selfish personal gain, but around a desire to serve and lead, with a deeply held sense of inclusivity and a moral desire to make the world a better place. We want Wellingtonians to live their lives by a clearly defined set of moral values, so that they can leave school as decent human beings, as well as with a fantastic set of exam results in their back pocket. Everything we do is built upon our Values, the foundation of kindness, responsibility, respect, integrity, and courage.
It is really important that our family of schools are not a clone of Wellington College, but from that shared ethos and vision they deliver exceptional quality education uniquely tailored to their communities. It is through this that we have also brought vividly to life a dialogue between different pedagogies – which now delivers so much enrichment to the intellectual and cultural development of our students and their communities across the whole educational network.
I can think of no better way for us to deliver our purpose of pioneering education to help serve and shape a better world than by sharing the very best of Wellington College here in the UK with passionate and progressive partners around the world in the Wellington College Education network."
