Anna Shotbolt Visits Wellington College in Shanghai New Bund

On Monday 26 September, Wellington College in Shanghai had the pleasure of welcoming Anna Shotbolt to visit. Anna Shotbolt is First Secretary and Head of Education and Skills, Department for International Trade at British Embassy Beijing. Anna arrived and was received by Joy Qiao, the Chair of Governors, Dr. Ahmed Hussain, Director of Schools of Wellington College China, Gerard MacMahon the Master and Eleanor Prescott, Second Master of Wellington College International Shanghai. The tour, led by Emma Button, Head of Pre-Prep, Rachel Chadwick, Director of Admissions and Lorena Zhi, Group Director of Marketing of Wellington College China, allowed Anna to visit a wide range of classrooms, arts and sports facilities, and to meet our wonderful pupils. Anna was able to experience at first hand the unique values and identity of a Wellington College education through its holistic approach to learning. Anna was then able to visit the New Bund Headquarters, who hold a long standing cooperation with Wellington College China. Mr Stephen Shi, Assistant to General Manager of the New Bund Investment Corporation Ltd introduced the impressive New Bund project development which includes many high end residential, commercial and social amenities in partnership with major multinational corporations. At the heart of this project, however, is the partnership with Wellington College China, offering the best international and bilingual education to both expatriate and Chinese families in Shanghai. Anna then visited the newest member of the Wellington College family of schools in China, Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai Early Years Centre. She was welcomed by Vanessa Szucs-Hussain, Master of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai Early Years Centre, and her leadership team. Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai, an educational partnership between Shanghai Lujiazui Group and Wellington College, proudly joined the Wellington College family in March 2016 with over 70 founding pupils and now there are over 200 children attending the setting by August 2016. Aimed at providing a Wellington education to Chinese national families, the school is specifically designed to meet the needs of children between 2-6 years of age. Anna toured the purpose-built bilingual setting, happily greeted by the bilingual Chinese pre-school children involved in a variety of learning through play activities in and around the indoor and outdoor learning spaces by a team of highly motivated and qualified early years practitioners. Following her visit to both campuses, Anna commented:“I was very impressed to see how both the international and bilingual setting, are bringing the very best British education to China and adapting it to the needs of Shanghai's international and local communities.”