We are Wellington: Welcome back to our ‘first’ founding family

At Wellington College International Hangzhou, community is at the centre of all we do at Wellington. We continuously strive to work with our parents, staff and pupils to develop that strong sense of community that makes our school unique. In this series of ‘We Are Wellington articles, we aim to tell our families’ stories and highlight their special contributions to our community.

What attracted you to Wellington? 

As the first generation of the Indian community in Keqiao, we struggled with finding an international school for our daughter Krisha. Education has always been the most important factor for me in my children’s life. Just as I was planning to take my daughter back to India because there was no international school, I read an article about how Wellington College UK was about to open a school in Hangzhou and we were intrigued immediately. We know that Wellington College is the top boarding private school in the UK and that there is a three-year waiting list to be enrolled into the school. Even in Shanghai, a city representing the highest level of education in China, Wellington is also hard to get into. 

At that time, the construction of the Wellington College Hangzhou building had not even started but I was very sure my daughter will go to this school. I started following the articles and website and waited for the admission forms. 

I have a very clear memory of the day we were called for the interview, where I was flabbergasted to find out we were the first family interviewed for Wellington international! The head of school and the teachers were respectful of our child and us, the teachers had strong educational backgrounds and extensive teaching experience, and the campus was equipped with eye-catching, world-class facilities. By the end of the interview process, my children and I were so excited and could not wait to join such an outstanding school. 

Both my children belong to House Combermere and they are very excited at every event to earn points for their House. I believe that the House system at Wellington is marvellous. It was like in the world of Harry Potter, where children of different ages are connected to participate in house events, competitions and charity activities. Children bond in their house and no matter where they are in the future, as long as they say they were once a member of House Combermere, they can extend their social network and lead a more wonderful life. 

As a parent, the best I can give to my children is education, and by choosing the right school, I believe I am going to achieve that with the support of the school.   

It was a difficult time for all but please tell us about the teacher support your children received for e-learning when your family was unable to return from India during COVID? 

Just when everything was running smooth, the pandemic hit and unfortunately, we got stuck in India. But I did not worry at that time because a new concept of online classes had been introduced by school where teachers were very supportive and had rich online teaching experience. Therefore, even in those difficult times, the pupils did not miss out on academic study. One of the best things about school is that it has always welcomed parent feedback and suggestions.  

Honestly, the e-learning was going so smoothly that I never thought of enrolling my daughter in any local school because I did not want her to break that link with Wellington’s teaching concept and curriculum so whenever she goes back to school, she would not find it difficult to adapt. I am proud to have made the right decision to continue e-learning for two years because when she returned to school, she just picked it up from where she left off. I am really thankful to the school leadership and teachers who supported us during the toughest time.   

Click here to learn how Wellington supported the pupils during the COVID period.  

Understandably, your return recently to Wellington after two years was emotional, being welcomed back by all the staff and pupils.  Please tell us how that felt for you and your family? 

Words won’t be enough to describe how we as a family felt returning to that campus and this time, into the new modern building. There were a lot of new faces and the old ones who were very happy to see Krisha back in school after a long wait. This time without even a second thought, I enrolled my second child too, while I was still in quarantine! Without wasting any time, I wanted both my children to return home and start school from the very next day. 

Now that the children are comfortably back in the school routine tell us their favourite things to do? 

It’s almost the end of the academic year and the children settled so well. They have enjoyed every single day after they returned to school. In my perspective, the school has everything to offer that a child needs in his/her education years. Be it values, specially curated curriculum, SAs, activities and events, everything is planned according to the children’s needs.  

My children’s needs in all the areas - which are necessary for their overall development, not only academically but also shaping their personality with Wellington values has been met here. I feel happy and satisfied when they behave as Wellingtonians not only on the campus but also outside the school.  

It feels great to hear from Krisha when she says “I am proud to be a Wellingtonian”. She aims to get into Harvard and she is very sure that with the school’s support, she will get to her aim.