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Most of us associate the Duke of Edinburgh award with the rainy British countryside. For five lucky Wellington College pupils, they had the opportunity to swap the Brecon Beacons for the mountains of Chiang Mai to take part in the Silver Duke of Edinburgh award. This was all made possible by the annual exchange programme with Wellington College International Bangkok.
During their trip, they also took part in lessons, after-school activities and enrichment. They experienced a range of additional activities with their host families, such as visiting the Ramayana Water Park in Pattaya, wakeboarding, enjoying a whole host of Thai food and cultural experiences, and much more.
After they had met with the Master of Wellington College Bangkok, Mr Nicholls, they spoke about their time in Bangkok and it was clear that the trip had an incredible impact on all five. Teddy spoke fondly of his host family and his buddy, Charlie: “They made me feel part of their family and offered lots of activities and great food, and Charlie made me feel really at home and helped me to settle by introducing me to his friends.”
Reflecting on how different school life in Bangkok is compared to the UK, Luke commented, “The switch from being a boarder to a day student was very different. It was great to be able to head home earlier than usual,” although he did admit to missing his friends and the boarding community in Crowthorne too. Nancy also noted, “A big difference I noticed was the cultural integration. We really enjoyed the Loy Krathong festival activities, but also saw the spirit and affection displayed by everyone in school to commemorate the passing of Thailand’s Queen Mother while we were here.”
When asked if they’d recommend the exchange to their fellow students in the UK next academic year, the message was clear: “Definitely do it!” said Chloe. “It felt like a bit of a risk when we signed up, as we weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but it really gave us an opportunity to experience lots of new things and meet new people.” Nancy added, “The exchange has given us an added sense of independence after travelling on a plane without our families for the first time, and then exploring all of the activities was incredible.”
These exchange trips are just one small part of the unique connection we have with our family of schools. Being able to offer such experiences have been an incredible opportunity for everyone who has taken part, and we can’t wait for our students to experience this next year.
