The HM

Sophie Jobson joined Wellington 10 years ago as Head of French and became an HM in 2014. She has been looking after the Hardinge girls for the last three years, having previously been Housemistress of the Apsley Juniors. A French national and graduate of the University of Rouen and IFI Business School, Sophie took a PGCE in French at the University of Surrey in 1996 and spent twelve years teaching in the maintained sector before joining Wellington College. Sophie is married to Chris, himself a former PE teacher, and they have twin daughters, Elodie & Charlotte (21), who spend most of the year at university in France. Sophie co-authored Hodder Education’s IB French textbooks and is a Specialist Leader in Education for the Wellington Teaching Schools network.

The House

The Hardinge is unique at Wellington in two ways. It is the only House which solely accommodates Sixth Form pupils new to the College – and it is also coeducational. Boys’ accommodation is located at the heart of the College in Back Quad, providing a living space for 42 bright, talented and engaging boys. Around half join Wellington from UK schools, with the others coming from international and overseas backgrounds. Currently, there are boys of sixteen different nationalities in the Hardinge who live as far afield as Mauritius, Cornwall, Hong Kong, Scotland, Germany and Wales! The Hardinge girls are also accommodated in the main College buildings, less than a minute’s walk away from their male counterparts. Their space offers an intimate, university-feel community for around 10 girls coming from countries as diverse as America, Italy, Jamaica, Singapore and Vietnam.

Equally diverse is the range of talents within the House, containing Academic, Sports, Art and Music scholars. The academic focus of the House is defined by the fact that every boy and girl is working towards A levels or the IB Diploma while simultaneously preparing for the next stage of education beyond Wellington.