At the end of last term, the announcement was made that James Dahl will become the 15th Master of Wellington College from September. During my four years here, James is someone who I have come to admire and respect, and someone I have come to like a great deal as a person. He is absolutely the right person to take on the role of Master, and I couldn’t be more delighted for him and for Wellington. The College is in an outstanding position and I feel confident that, under James’s leadership, it will go on to even greater things. James is in the unique position of bringing with him an unparalleled knowledge of all pupils and parents from his time as Director of Admissions; many of you know that James’s knowledge and understanding of the children in the school is second to none. I know that the College is in excellent hands, and I wish him every happiness in his new role.
The Easter break has been a busy one for me: I spent the end of last term and the first part of the holidays travelling in South East Asia and India, meeting representatives, OWs and prospective parents from both Wellington UK and from our family of schools abroad. In all my interactions, one thing that came through very clearly from everyone was a deep love for the College and a commitment to developing it still further. The Widening Opportunity at Wellington Campaign, through which we hope to raise funds for bursaries and scholarships, was particularly interesting to many. It really feels as though this campaign is gathering force, which is exactly as it should be, as we look to further develop the sense of social responsibility, both in our pupils and within the organisation.