The Week Ahead

Stewart Brown

Head of Senior School

Studying in Australia – Part 1

The majority of pupils I meet list the UK and the US as their preferred destinations for university. It is understandable as both locations have a wide variety of institutions with excellent reputations. However, Australia, a country with eight universities listed in the top 100 QS rankings and some of the best research institutions in the world, is often overlooked. Nevertheless, there are some fantastic higher education opportunities in Australia, and it is certainly approaching the idea with an open mind before making a decision. I will be sharing some of the great advantages of an Australian university experience, starting with this week’s academic benefits:

Global recognition

Australian universities offer high quality academic programmes in an extensive range of fields, including nursing and healthcare, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and engineering. Degrees obtained here are recognised and highly respected worldwide, making them valuable to every student’s CV.

Learning style

 

Australia provides guided learning to international students. Teachers deliver lectures and small class tutorials. The courses consist of essays, group work and individual assignments. Students are expected to think independently and creatively, and gaining practical experience is always encouraged. There is also a healthy emphasis on studying electives to gain a broader and more tailored academic experience.

Application

 

The application system for Australian universities is far simpler (and easier) than its US counterpart. The streamlined application system and visa process mean that Australian universities have a friendlier and more welcoming approach to international students than the US, where acceptance rates are low, and it is incredibly competitive for places in top universities.

Work opportunities

 

International students can work up to 40 hours a week in Australia on a student visa, compared with only 20 hours in the UK. This will allow students to gain experience in work while helping to fund their studies. After graduation, students can apply for Temporary Graduate visas to stay and work. 

I will continue to share the benefits of studying in Australia next week, where I will be highlighting the other considerations that drive the university decision making process: lifestyle and wellbeing factors. 

Hatty Leung

Head of Sixth Form

Last week, the Year 6 pupils, on the back of concluding their unit on The Mayans, led an exit celebration for parents. It was brilliant to welcome over 80% of the Year 6 parents, who experienced the lives and views of waxwork statues, viewed timelines, artwork, DT work and written outcomes, all led by the pupils. We even had Mayan hot chocolate and some Mayan themed music performances. Parent feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It was a great example of how thematic curriculum planning can help to inspire and motivate pupils and how fun and engaging learning opportunities enable pupils to connect subjects and the world around them.

Exit Points are fantastic opportunities for our learners to collaborate with their peers in other classes and learn new media skills while demonstrating their personal connections and understanding of the big idea. Not only are pupils able to celebrate their learning, but the exploratory nature of the exit enables pupils to delve into their interests and express themselves as individuals.

For our pupils to become globally competent citizens, they need to develop a strong interest in their own and other cultures and a deep understanding of multiple perspectives and a desire to help shape the local and global communities through actions that positively impact society. We hope global competence adds to the curriculum in the sense that children are capable of influencing positive change and are aware of how others have influenced change in the past.

We are looking forward to the next Theme Day, Year 2 Pirates, and I am positive it gains as much excitement as Year 5 had during their Victorian Day experience.

Matthew Coleman
Head of Primary School

Primary House Singing Competition

We are thrilled to be working towards our second musical production at Wellington College Hangzhou: Seussical Jr. The Musical will take place in our school theatre at the end of June 2022.

Over 60 pupils across Wellington College Hangzhou participate in this sensational production. Please lookout for the cast announcement in the coming weeks.

Alejandro Montoya

Director of Performing Arts

This week the lower primary pupils continued to work on their balance. Balance is an essential athletic skill because it is intertwined with so many other fundamental movement skills like running, jumping, landing, twisting and rotating, making up many sports skills in some shape or form. The development of balance is the foundation of which all other movements are developed.  

This week the upper primary pupils continued learning dance. Dancing is an excellent form of exercise, and a love of dance from an early age helps motivate our pupils to stay active as they grow into adults. Dance classes increase our pupils’ flexibility, range of motion, physical strength and stamina. As well as promoting overall health, enhanced development in these areas helps our pupils with sports and other activities at school and beyond.

This week the senior school pupils are learning medium distance running techniques. They are also learning the benefits of running, including Regular running or jogging offers many health benefits. Running:

Timothy Schulze

Head of PE

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