Independent School of the Year – Shortlisted for Contribution to Social Mobility

We are thrilled to announce that Wellington College has been shortlisted for an award in the Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility. This award is for the school which most impresses the judges by the way in which it has made an inspirational and decisive contribution to upward social mobility within its community in the past year. 

At Wellington College, social mobility is not just about getting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into university. It is about helping to unstick them from their rung on the social ladder, to see what might be possible, enabling choices. We approach this through two key programmes: the Prince Albert Foundation and the Wheeler Programme.  

The Prince Albert Foundation (PAF) currently enables 26 children from low-income families to attend Wellington on a par with other pupils. Each award is for 110% of the fees, which is unusual – just 15% of all means-tested bursaries offered by independent schools do this (ISC Census, 2022). The extra money is used for school essentials such as uniform and commuting, but also for enrichment activities and providing diverse experiences. Pupils are funded to take music tuition and participate in optional school trips; and in the holidays, theatre trips for the whole family and volunteering expenses are paid for. PAF pupils also participate in leadership training, designed to build resilience and ambition. Of course, we see great academic success for this cohort, of first-in-family to go to university or Oxbridge. But more importantly, we see our PAF-supported pupils leave Wellington with purpose, with previously unrecognised options and the confidence to choose. 

The Wheeler programme has similar objectives, to help children to see beyond their constraints. It currently supports 89 state school pupils, who join in year 9 for five years of additional academic and extracurricular experiences, delivered after their school day and in the holidays. This equates to around 200 contact hours, of which approximately 65% target soft skills via teamworking and social interactions, reflection and coaching. Pupils are not selected on academic talent, but because they are thought to be underachieving against whatever academic potential they have. Low-income children, those with English as an additional language and young carers are disproportionately represented in the intake. University research in 2021 found that our Wheeler pupils had a higher growth mindset (“a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment”, Professor Carol Dweck, 2015) than a comparator group of state-schooled children of the same age. A teacher of three pupils attending Wheeler commented how it “sparked a renewed interest in their academics and [to] aim high”.  

The PAF and Wheeler programmes take place against a wider backdrop in which the College leadership has committed to try to improve equity of opportunity, so that “young people – no matter their school or their family background – can discover and pursue their passions for the future” (Wellington’s Social Impact framework, 2022). We support many more children indirectly, by making grants totalling £500,000 p.a. to state schools to help fund their priority teaching and learning projects; and to extracurricular providers working with disadvantaged children. But where we can see the most impact, where pupils grow before our eyes to seize better life chances, is in our PAF and Wheeler cohorts. We are immensely proud of their successes, be that at university or elsewhere.  

“It has been truly wonderful to receive nominations which showcase transformative and innovative projects that are underway across the country, and it is with great pleasure that I am able to tell you that Wellington College has been shortlisted for an award in the Independent School of the Year for Contribution to Social Mobility.”- Dr Helen Wright Chair, Independent Schools of the Year 2023

A list of Finalists will be published on 6 September and the winners, chosen by the Independent Schools of the Year judging panel will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.