The Spirit of Wellington

Karen Sullivan looks inside the country's most improved independent school

Article from SecEd website, http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/features/article.html?uid=3615

There is no doubt that any child given the opportunity to attend Wellington College, a public boarding school set in Berkshire, near the Surrey border, is very lucky indeed. This is a prestigious school, with an illustrious past (it was founded by Queen Victoria and the Earl of Derby in 1859 as a national monument to the Duke of Wellington), and the fees are as breathtaking as the extensive, beautifully-manicured grounds and sprawling buildings.

Once considered to be a school for those with "more brawn than brains" (an allusion to the considerable sporting prowess of many of its members, and often lukewarm academic record), it has, over the past few years, been transformed into a school of true academic merit and, in fact is the most improved independent school in the UK.

Much of this transformation has been attributed to Dr Anthony Seldon, the fiercely intelligent, spirited and determined head who took over leadership of the school in January 2006, after achieving a similar revolution at Brighton College, of which he was headmaster from 1997. The Daily Telegraph's Independent Schools report calls Dr Seldon a "pioneering and reform-minded headmaster".

He is a leading authority on contemporary history (having written or edited over 25 books, including his recent biography of Tony Blair). His often controversial views are widely published in the media, and he does not mind stirring up a storm in the name of healthy debate and reform, as he did a few months ago, when he said independent schools should be doing much more to end the "apartheid" with state schools.

I meet Dr Seldon in his office, and he is buzzing about a trip earlier that day to London to look at the architect's plans for the new academy being set up in Wiltshire, in which Wellington is not only heavily involved, but is partially funding and organising. He has high expectations of what can be achieved at this new school, and even the design of the building, which is based on eight aptitudes (linguistic, logical, cultural, physical, spiritual, moral, personal, and social) is in keeping with his aspiration to make the most of every student who will attend.

The building will have four sections, each exemplifying two of the attributes, encouraging students to focus on their unique strengths, and to develop in all eight areas. Reminding students of these aims by configuring the building around them seems a stroke of genius, but Dr Seldon is keen to move on and expound upon the hopes he has for the new academy. He has an inherent belief that all schools in the independent system should be starting or joining similar projects, and should be prepared to share their facilities, knowledge and skills to ensure that every student in this country has the opportunity to gain a first-class education.

Teachers from Wellington will spend days or weeks at the academy, and so will the students. Academy students and teachers will be invited to do the same in return, and to embark on joint activities in academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular programmes at the school. The 16 Wellington "houses" will be echoed at the academy, and inter-school competitions and team efforts will be encouraged in all aspects of school life.

Dr Seldon is a small, still, and (somewhat unnervingly) contemplative man. His silences cause me to gabble slightly nervously, until I realise that he takes time (quite a lot) to consider before answering. He is a fan of yoga and meditation (there are early morning meditation classes for students), and there is, undoubtedly, a serene calm enveloping him - and, indeed, the entire institution.

He has got high expectations for his students, but not the sort you might expect in an elite institution. He wants the students (both boys and girls, taken from the age of 13, and the majority of whom are boarders) to achieve to and beyond their capabilities, but not as much through rigorous study and teaching methods, as through self-knowledge, personal development, and an awareness and understanding of the world around them. He confirms that Wellington caters to a wide variety of abilities, and not all of the students are privileged - in fact, 25 per cent receive financial assistance, and in keeping with their history, heavily subsidised places are offered to students who have lost a parent in service to his or her country.

He is not as interested in talking about the academic side of schooling as much as the community projects that the students undertake (all are involved in a variety of programmes in the local area), the international projects (his aim is that every student will spend at least two to three weeks in the developing world, working on a project), the Round Square ethos (Wellington is one of 60 schools comprising the Round Square organisation - more on this later), the benefits that working with the new academy will bring, and the "happiness" programme that is currently offered to students.

Every opportunity is given for the students to become well-rounded and the number of sports, music, drama and artistic groups is staggering. Enterprise is encouraged, and therefore clubs such as cooking and even car mechanics are on offer. Looking down the list, it is hard to see what talent or potential interest has not been catered for. To be expected, you may think, given the level of fees; however, there is a real sense of industry at this school, and also a great deal of respect for ideas and initiatives that will benefit others.

Being a boarding school, pastoral care is high on the list of priorities, hence, perhaps, the intense interest in providing students with a solid spiritual foundation. Family visits are encouraged and allowed well into the school week, and there is no limit to the number of phone calls and emails that a student can make home.

Students are given freedom at appropriate times (they can, for example, spend an evening out in the local village, subject to a curfew), there are cooking facilities in the boarding houses, and the students are encouraged to develop a few key life skills by looking after themselves and their belongings increasingly more as they progress through the school.

Dr Seldon puts the success of the school down to four things: the emphasis on wellbeing, and the positive psychology that accompanies that; a positive learning environment; outstanding classroom practices (there are some extremely good teachers here, and they all adhere to the same ethos of making learning a positive and experiential process); and regular monitoring - students are set clear targets, and their progress is consistently and constantly analysed, both by tutors and by themselves. The school has moved to the International Baccalaureate programme because it is considered to produce better rounded, better prepared students.

The Round Square ethos also helps to refine, define and expand the minds of the student population. Based on the teachings of educational philosopher Kurt Hahn, who believed that schools should have a greater purpose beyond preparing young people for college and university, the Round Square organisation embraces six ideals: internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership, and service. Students at Round Square schools make a commitment to addressing each of these pillars through exchanges, work projects, community service, and adventure.

It is, however, the happiness programme (officially called the "Skills of Wellbeing") that most intrigues me. Do children need to be taught happiness? Isn't it intrinsic? I am met by Ian Morris, head of philosophy and religion, and he is about as enthusiastic as it gets. It is fairly clear that his youth belies a sharp, philosophical mind, but enriches his understanding of the students he works with, as well as the world they inhabit. He has got a pretty good handle on teenagers, and the nature of the issues they face. He feels that today's youth have been done no favours by being made the victims of the "self-esteem" brigade, which is now, he believes, entirely bankrupt.

He firmly believes that students are more resilient, happier, optimistic and realistic when they are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them - not simply handed success on a plate in order to preserve confidence. They need to be accountable, and to develop respect for themselves, others and the world. They need to understand the nature of emotions, and the consequences of their actions. They need to be able to analyse how they feel and how they make others feel, and rectify problems through positive action. And so students are given a series of 40-minute happiness lessons, in curriculum time, where they are encouraged to understand, and, most importantly, talk about their emotions, relationships, past, present and future, their relationship with the environment, media and technology, and talent, as well as the most important relationship they will ever have - with themselves.They learn about looking after their bodies, and the impact of exercise and nutrition on their wellbeing, and their social and personal responsibilities.

They learn to analyse the feelings they have when they are happy or down, and work out how to make changes towards wellbeing when things are not going well - with a strong measure of personal accountability, self-awareness and problem-solving skills implicit. Students are, for example, asked to consider undertaking a random act of kindness every day, and to work out how it makes them feel, and how this feeling differs from more gratuitous "joy". They keep a wellbeing scrapbook over two years, and use film, music and literature to stimulate the process. They learn to read facial cues, and to relate on different levels with their peers, families and teachers. If I were to summarise this in a single phrase - they learn to understand what it is to be human.

What is the object? According to Mr Morris, it develops the spirits of tolerance and altruism - which are, perhaps, the most important keys to happiness - as well as self-awareness and an ability to work through periods of difficulty with increasingly mature problem-solving skills.

The fact that the academic results at Wellington have increased so dramatically over the period that this programme has been in operation can be no coincidence. There is an open, understanding spirit at this school, in the classrooms and outside them. Mr Morris feels that bullying has been significantly reduced, and that normal teenage behaviour, such as smoking, alcohol use and drugs, has been addressed from different angles, so that it no longer holds the same appeal.

The Wellington students simply do not have the same need to blot out an unhappy reality, he believes, because they know how to make changes towards something more positive, and they have the skills to understand themselves, their motivations, the reasons why they take unhealthy risks, and how to solve issues before they become a problem. Of course, many students will never experience first-hand the deprivation faced by many of today's children; however, these are still kids, and they are still plagued by the same societal and personal problems that affect us all.

As I leave the school, I meet a group of girls on their way to sports practice. It is lunchtime, and every girl is eating an apple and has a bottle of water. They are enthusiastic and eager to express their delight - in everything - and I am immediately engaged by their willingness, their fresh, healthy faces, their confidence, and their self-belief. I ask about the happiness programme, and one girl says: "We expect it now. We are happy because we know what real happiness means, and we know how to achieve it in our lives, every single day."

Dr Anthony Seldon believes that sharing information between the state and private schools and sectors is the key to an all-inclusive, fair and equal education system. His students, the purveyors of the Wellington value system, have already clearly got a handle on how to spread the word. I have to say it, I'm impressed. I want some too.