Welcome back! Wellingtonians

It felt like a new beginning for Wellington College in Tianjin this morning, with the arrival of our first pupils through the gates since 17th January. On a glorious morning, senior pupils were met by representatives from the school’s leadership and medical teams, as well as observers from the local government authorities. The safe and orderly re-admission of pupils to the school grounds has been weeks in the planning, so it was with both a sense of relief that the moment has finally come and the school was able to move from the preparation stage to implementation. Pupils observed the safety guidance impeccably and it was obvious how much it meant to them, and their teachers, to once more be back at their seat of learning. Pupils will continue to follow a full school timetable, although there are still restrictions in place in areas such as the swimming pool and the use of larger public spaces such as the theatre. Special arrangements have been made for safe dining at lunch times. Mr Jeffrey, the Master, who was on hand at the school gate to greet pupils and staff, commented that, “Wellington has always prioritised the wellbeing of our pupils and wider community, so I am delighted to be able to welcome back our wonderful pupils in this safe and secure environment. It is a tribute to the huge work done by our staff teams here – both academic and non-academic - that we have been able to meet the requirements of the stringent government inspections.” One area that is characteristic of an education at Wellington is the strong focus on wellbeing and fostering mental health in young people. The Wellington College China group has been working on a counselling and emotional support programme for those returning to our schools in Tianjin, Hangzhou and Shanghai over the past month, and pupils at Wellington have access to confidential 1-1 support if they report anxiety or experience feelings which cause them to feel unsettled in school. Further work will be done in Houses and in the tutorial programme, uniting those who are in school with those still working from home. As our oldest pupils settle back into the familiar routines of school life, they in turn will help to provide support and advice for younger Wellingtonians, once they too are readmitted to the school. Of course, some of the College’s pupils continue to work from home, studying a full timetable of live lessons and activities. We hope that they too will soon be able to join their peers in the classroom, but in the meantime, they can be assured that their friends are safe in school and that they themselves will continue to get first-class online tuition from the teaching staff.