Wellington College International Shanghai has announced a highly successful set of examination results for the 2016-2017 academic year, including its first set of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme results. In terms of international yardsticks, the following statistics stand out:

• At the IB level, a third of all Wellington pupils scored over 40 points, with the top score being 44. Globally, only 4% of IB pupils achieve a score of over 40.
• All pupils who gained the diploma did so with at least 30 points, which is the IB global average.
• The overall cohort mean was 35.2.
• At IGCSE, 66% of pupils achieved A*or A grades. This is the second year running that Wellington has achieved such a high percentage of grades; a significant achievement.
• 71% of pupils achieved five or more A* or A grade results. A* was by far the most common grade achieved by Wellington pupils.
• Some outstanding areas include Spanish (100% A*), mathematics (95% A*/A), Chinese (first language, second language and Mandarin as a foreign language) and the three sciences (physics, chemistry and biology).

Among these excellent results there are plenty of stories of individual brilliance. For example, two year 10 pupils took IGCSE mathematics a year early, and attained perfect scores in all their papers. Remarking on the results, Wellington’s head of Senior School Joe McKee drew attention to the close working relationships between pupils and their teachers, stating that the academic success shown in the previous year was allied to the high quality of pastoral care given by the school. Furthermore, Mr McKee highlighted that the pupils who achieved the best results at IGCSE and IB were often those who contributed significantly to the school community. Those who participated widely in a range of academic, sporting and artistic pursuits generally achieved the highest examination results, illustrating a tangible outcome of their holistic development.  “We’re very proud of our pupils and their extremely impressive results. They should be roundly praised not only for their academic success but also for their overwhelmingly positive attitude and complete willingness to make the most of every opportunity that is presented to them. Our experience, as this year’s results have shown once again, is that those who contribute the most, achieve the most. This kind of attitude underlines the philosophy of the school that pupils, parents and teachers have built together, and they are right to be proud of this belief.” The Principal, Eleanor Prescott noted that while this most recent set of results was a source of pride and a cause for celebration, it also represented another cycle in the ongoing challenge for Wellington and its staff: “While the exams have finished for the pupils, the work for the teaching staff at Wellington is just beginning anew. For us, a vital part of the examination process is to learn everything we can from this year’s results and let that knowledge inform our future approaches, both in terms of reinforcing success and addressing areas for improvement.”