For 13+ entry, Scholarships for Sport are offered but not until after joining Wellington College, at the end of a pupil’s Third Form year. These scholarships are based on performance and attitude while at Wellington, but also take potential into account.
Candidates who are interested in being awarded a Sport Scholarship are invited to attend an Inspire Day in the Lent Term of Year 8. Inspire Days allow students to show their talent, work with our teachers and coaches, and get an understanding of the Sports Extension Programme that will be available to them from the Third Form and beyond. The award of a Scholarship is not dependent on attending an Inspire Day.
14+ entry
Wellington does not award Scholarships for 14+ entry.
16+ entry
At 16+ Scholarships for Sport are offered on entry based on current and future sporting performance and potential and include an assessment day in the Michaelmas term prior entry.
13+ Inspire Days
These days give children with particular interest in specific Academic subjects, Sport, Art, Drama and Dance the opportunity to show our staff their talent and potential before they join Wellington. Attendance will not be a requirement for a subsequent Scholarship award but will be a very useful first step.
The Sport Inspire days take place at Wellington at the end of January or beginning of February while Pupils are in Year 8.
The Sport Inspire days are action-packed and extremely fun for the students. They do not include a formal assessment, but our professional coaches will be looking for athletic potential across a range of sports and activities.
The day consists of participation and coaching in a carousel of sports and sporting activities framed around the student’s main sport or sports. The focus will be on athletic ability and enjoyment.
Once students have applied to join the Sport Inspire day (via the ‘Bursary, Scholarship and Inspire day’ form that will be distributed by email) they will be contacted by the Sports office and asked to identify activities they wish to take part in on the day.
Once they join Wellington and over the course of their Third Form year, all Inspire Day participants (and other interested pupils) will be invited to Aspirational Athlete Programme sessions that cover a variety of sporting topics such as: Physical Development and Nutrition, Psychology, Leadership, Life skills & Wellbeing, and Technical and Tactical development.
Sports scholars will be selected at the end of the Third Form and will be chosen after taking into account many attributes and characteristics, such as:
Performance over the year in a number of sports
Commitment to Wellington sport both in training, competition and in the Performance Programme
Relationships created with coaches and team-mates
Positive and inclusive behaviour in training and matches
Leadership qualities both on and off the field of play
Sports coaches will also provide feedback on the athletic potential of pupils in the following areas:
Physical Sporting Potential
Tactical Sporting Potential
Psychological Sporting Potential
Technical Sporting Potential
Demonstration of College Values
Example Provision for Sports Scholars
Access to a greater degree of bespoke technical and tactical coaching, with support services provided by more experienced coaches on the teaching staff, Heads of Sport and external professional coaches.
Video analysis support (where given sports lend themselves to this from an individual development perspective).
Access to the structured long term ‘Aspirational Athlete Programme’.
Support to complete a sporting Individual Development Plan.
Physical Training Support – either provided by face-to-face delivery from the Head of Strength and Conditioning or through education and instructional videos via the WellyHUB.
Wellness monitoring – on a weekly basis pupils record perceived levels of ‘Sleep, Soreness, Mood, Energy and Motivation’ which are analysed by the Head of Strength and Conditioning and are shared with Heads of Sport and House teams.
Mentoring programme – pupils in the Sixth Form are provided with mentoring and coaching training.
Pupils in the Sixth Form have access to a group of staff who act as a ‘Sporting point of contact’ and who have understanding of elite sporting pathways, contemporary elite sport, and high level performance.
US University application support – Many sports scholarships to US Universities exist, and Wellington has a bespoke team to support students with their applications. We also work with a team of recruiting experts externally who can advise on issues such as the application process, the timeline for contacting coaches, and when to take the standardised tests.
