Edward Johnson

Deputy Head of Senior School

Wellington’s Senior School has a new Deputy Head this academic year, as Edward Johnson joins us after spending the last eight years teaching in Thailand and over a decade in the UK before that. Settling into the College and Shanghai with his family, Edward is looking forward to taking the Senior School forward by building on its existing strengths.  

Before Wellington

I didn’t start my professional life in teaching, as I initially spent four years working in the city in London. To be perfectly frank I never really enjoyed it. I had initially shied away from the idea of teaching despite coming from a family with many ties to education – my father was a university lecturer and my mother was headmistress. However, four years in the city was more than enough to convince me that I needed a change. Once I started teaching it was an instant fit and I've never looked back. I spent the first half of my career in the UK at Dulwich College where I enjoyed 10 fantastic years. What I loved most was the fact that everyone got involved, everyone was invested in making the school the best it could be and got stuck in every day. It was a stark and pleasant contrast to my previous job! While the 10 years went quickly, my wife and I had young children and we both wanted a change of pace for them. That's what attracted me to taking on a role at the Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok, where I stayed for five years. Then I joined the startup team at Brighton College, Bangkok, which was a real privilege and had personal significance for me because I knew the original UK Brighton College from my work experience days. So, after eight years in Thailand, once again we were looking for a change, that’s when the deputy head role here at Wellington came up.  

Choosing Wellington

Having worked in a variety of schools, from startups to well established institutions, I was looking at Wellington from a good vantage point and everything I saw was telling me 'yes'. I was impressed by what it has achieved in its relatively short operating history and I quickly became excited about where the College wants to go. Now that I’m here, everything I initially thought about Wellington has been reinforced. The College has enjoyed a great start yet it clearly has a healthy attitude of self-reflection; there's a willingness to look at what works, revise what doesn't, and there’s an appetite to seek out ways to improve. This is something you don’t always get in older schools that have become too comfortable to ask themselves the important questions.  

Initial impressions

It’s clear to me that the Wellington values really are the heart of the College. This is something a lot of schools claim but it doesn't always prove to be the case in practice. Here, it's no empty rhetoric as the values are represented everywhere – in the way our pupils and colleagues behave and comport themselves, in their small, daily acts of kindness and the very respectful and kind attitude that can be felt throughout the campus. Wellington is also a happy place, that's what has struck me most during these early weeks. Unsurprisingly, the best test of that is seeing my own children coming home happy every day, satisfied with what they've learned and eager to see what they can discover tomorrow. There's a fantastic atmosphere among staff too. Everyone wants to be here, they want to make a difference, but they are openminded enough to do it in a collaborative way. Everyone is willing to learn from their colleagues and share their experience for the benefit of all, which is exactly the kind of behaviour we want to model and instil in our pupils.  

Maintaining the personal touch

Another very important indication of Wellington’s strength is that its pupils are so well known as individuals to their teachers. This is impressive given the College’s rapid growth and now sizeable body of well over 1000 pupils. I think that the pastoral system is a big reason for Wellington's ability to maintain such a good understanding of the children in its care. There are multiple layers of solid pastoral support running through the whole College, encapsulated by the house system, which is something that's very dear to my heart and has been an important influence on my outlook of teaching.   Wellington's house system has been very carefully and intelligently developed and that hard work and consideration has paid off because there is a support network that acknowledges and understands each pupil as an individual. Their housemasters and tutors know them, they know their strengths and weaknesses on a personal as well an academic level. More importantly, teachers throughout the College can use this knowledge to work together to give each pupil the right kind of support they need, the kind that is going to be effective because it shows them that they are seen, heard and valued. I can see that already, as every effort is made to give pupils tailored pastoral care and that makes all the difference in terms of helping to prepare them for the various challenges of their school years and later lives.   Personally, I am thrilled to be settling into Wellington with my family and I'm excited for the future. As this academic year progresses, I want to make most of what's in place, to consult my very strong team in Senior School and come up with new ways to make the most of everyone's passion and talent, both of which are in ample supply!

More relevant articles :

• Meet our Head of Early Years | Barbara Faria
• Insights | Understanding the Upper Prep School curriculum