As part of our ongoing We are Wellington project, Rita Jia, mother of Cindy and one of the inaugural members of the Friends of Wellington, shares her thoughts about the experiences she and her daughter have enjoyed since joining the College in its founding year.   Big things from small beginnings When I first visited Wellington College International Shanghai, it was still a construction site; there was a long way to go before the campus fully took on the shape we recognise today. Aside from the incredible potential of the infrastructure itself, one of the first things that struck me was the openness and determination demonstrated by all the staff I encountered. Just from talking to them, it was plain to see their quiet but determined ambition to make this the best international school in Shanghai. It’s fair to say that even from the beginning, I could tell that Wellington was going to be a school that was both different and special, which is why I went with my gut feeling to have my daughter transferred to Wellington.   New paths to explore When Wellington opened, we started with 300 or so pupils. This small size, combined with the strong school-wide emphasis on inclusion and respect, made for a very close-knit community where everybody was extremely welcoming to one another. Another advantage of our starting size was that all pupils had the opportunity to try anything and everything that interested them, without having to face overwhelming competition. This meant that everything was open to them, whether they wanted to be on various sports teams, secure a role in the school productions or musicals, or anything else that appealed to them. Personally, I think this really helped encourage the children to mix well and cemented a lot of important friendships as they discovered new passions and interests together.   Adjusting to growth As the College has expanded and the number of pupils has almost tripled, this feeling of being part of a supportive and closely-knit community has remained. More pupils has meant greater competition, of course, but Wellington’s teachers do an outstanding job of encouraging everyone to try new things and to always try their hardest no matter what they are attempting. For example, my daughter Cindy has always been very keen to engage with different sports and when she arrived quickly became involved with all manner of sports, representing the College in many fixtures. Despite the sports teams’ small size and lack of experience compared to bigger, more established schools, they always tried hard and played very well no matter who they were facing. This is a very important part of how Wellington helps to shape the personality of its pupils in a positive way: they are always encouraged to take risks, to try new things even if they are hard and to learn from every experience. This is still something I see today at Wellington: pupils always try their best and go after what interests them while also trying new things.   Learning to lead At the same time, Wellington is also great at developing new avenues for pupils to demonstrate their abilities. The expanding set of pupil-based roles of responsibility is a great example of this. Cindy has enjoyed her time as deputy head of house for Combermere and I’ve personally seen the positive affect that holding this position has had on her. Along with her fellow young leaders and school council members, she’s sacrificed her own time to consider new ways of improving the school while better understanding the working relationship between pupils and their teachers. This position of responsibility has helped teach her how to respect her community by always thinking of ways to make it better and bring people closer together.   Building a bigger and better community This is something that I have also been involved with while participating in the activities of the Friends of Wellington. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to volunteer and get involved in FoW, joining the core committee as it was being established. From the beginning, FoW has always been a key part of the excellent coordination between school, parents and pupils at Wellington. This has led to many successful events which continue to be bigger and better each year. This is very important as we grow together as a school, because the new pupils, parents and teachers who join us should all feel just as welcome as we did when we first arrived. Particularly outstanding events include the Summer Festival and the International Food Fair, because they give us all the opportunity to get to know one another better and discover our more relaxed, informal side. Similarly, during FoW coordination sessions and parent/teacher evenings, we get to see teachers as individuals rather than just being our children’s instructors; they’re all unique, interesting and multi-talented people who really help make the College as successful as it is. The common feeling among the College’s parents, is that we need to do everything we can to maintain this wonderful sense of community. Pupil numbers may have tripled in the almost four years since the College opened but that has done nothing to diminish how close and supportive the Wellington community is. Each newcomer is still welcomed with open arms and has the chance to make their mark on the College, which is something I think we can all be proud of.   More relevant articles :

• WeareWellington | Building a close community
• WeareWellington | Proud tradition, new horizons
• WeareWellington | Blending UK heritage with a modern mindset