IN THE PRESS

Tatler Schools Guide 2021 Review

Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted Wellington College posing quite magnificently as Kensington Palace in the Netflix series The Crown. Built as a monument to the Duke of Wellington, with the foundation stone laid by Queen Victoria in 1856, it’s no wonder this stunning and historical 400-acre site inspires the very finest minds. The 15th Master James Dahl is praised by parents as being ‘calm, collected, enthusiastic and dedicated’. In turn, he believes it’s ‘a campus to dream about’ that embodies ‘a school with mind, heart and a constant fizz’. At the forefront of every educational innovation, it’s no surprise that Wellington College was an early proponent of scholarships being recognised purely in terms of prestige and honour with no financial benefit, meaning every last pound is spent on means-tested bursaries for pupils who will benefit the most. At present, 10 per cent of Wellington students receive some level of financial assistance, with two per cent being recipients of the Prince Albert Foundation full bursary awards (plans are in place to increase this). There’s also a fabulous outreach programme helping 2,000 local students every year. Famed for its ‘buzz’ and ‘evident vibrancy and happiness’, which enthuses pupils and teachers alike, Wellingtonians are achieving their best ever results – 35.2 per cent realising A* at A-level and IB equivalent, and grade 9 being the most common score for GCSEs. By 2025, there will be an exact balance of male and female pupils, so a boys’ house is being converted to girls’ and a new co-ed Sixth Form boarding house is being built. Exciting times lie ahead for the assuredly brilliant Wellington.

Published September 2020