Rachel Chadwick is the director of Wellington’s admissions department, having joined the College right at its inception alongside her husband, Adam Shaw, deputy head in the Senior School. As part of our ongoing We Are Wellington project, she has shared her experiences of joining the Wellington family and jumping into academics from the corporate world. After moving to Shanghai, Adam and I quickly fell in love with the city and the new school, for many of the same reasons: both were big, exciting and welcoming places for us to explore and settle into. Within a few short weeks of our arrival, it became apparent that we had made the right choice in coming. I’d previously been working as a corporate lawyer in the Middle East and the UK but felt that a role in admissions would suit my personality and that education would be a rewarding environment to work within. With the school generating so much interest even during those early days, it was a daunting task to build an admissions team and introduce hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of applicant families to our new school. Fortunately, I was surrounded by many talented and supportive people who were completely dedicated to proving how great Wellington Shanghai could be, which made my job a lot easier. A sense of something special From the very beginning of Wellington’s time in Shanghai, there’s always been a very special feeling surrounding the school; it’s one which can sometimes be quite hard to define and capture on paper or video, but there is a tangible energy that underlies everything we do here. From the start-up phase right up until today, those involved with Wellington Shanghai have been completely invested in realising its ambition of becoming one of the best international schools in the city. There was a sense from the very start, that something exciting was happening here, for a number of reasons: We are in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, the team of teachers and support staff are dedicated and passionate about education, we have incredible facilities and resources, we have strong leadership and support within our own senior leaders and the board of governors, as well a strong connection to our founding college in the UK. This has produced a unique sense of character for the school, one which is very quick and easy for new pupils and parents to get drawn into when they join us. Naturally, this was a very important factor in terms of establishing ourselves, but it also remains one of the top reasons why parents keep choosing to send their children here, and why our newest pupils are so excited to come: they can see how special our community is and they want to become part of it. Pupils and parents: Wellington’s best ambassadors In the admissions department, a key part of our job is to make sure that when new people come to our campus to look around, they can easily get a sense of how Wellington brings out the best in the pupils under its care. I know that I can take visitors into any classroom around any part of campus, speak to any pupil at any time of the day, and I have absolute confidence that they will come away from their visit with a great impression of who we are and what Wellington stands for. As fantastic as our pupils are at naturally being able to show newcomers what makes Wellington special and giving them a warm welcome, our parents, too, are equally enthusiastic and genuine in adopting this role. With each new addition to our school, I take great delight in knowing that I introduce them to a whole raft of kind, caring, interesting and knowledgeable pupils and parents who will help them settle in, get them started, answer their questions and very quickly accept them as part of the Wellington family. It is this culture of inclusivity, of welcoming new additions to our community and helping everyone become the best version of themselves that makes me so proud and happy to be part of our community. It’s what makes us who we are: we are unique, we are welcoming - we are Wellington.