Dear Parents 

This has been our Wellington College Annual Review (school inspection) week.  The inspecting visitors spent four days in classrooms watching teaching and learning, as well as in many meetings with staff, students and parents.  We have to wait for their full written report, but they gave me verbal feedback on Thursday evening.

Three sentences that stuck me: ‘School culture is exceptionally strong.’  ‘Students are highly engaged and interactions across the school are positive, respectful and natural.’  ‘Trust is a major feature of the school’s culture; you should all be very proud of that.’   

We already know Wellington is one of the academically strongest schools in Bangkok (see my previous notes about exam results etc).  What makes this week’s report so important for me is the set of such clear indications that our school culture is supporting your children to be – and become – good, confident, responsible, respectful, thoughtful, honest, caring, strong people.

I always assume that all schools do this – but apparently not.  And it seems we are exceptionally good at it!

Thank you to everyone who spent time with the Review team – and especial thanks to our staff, who have been most admirably professional, resilient and positive under the great pressure of Inspection Week.

Tomorrow is the wonderfully inspiring Festival of Education at Wellington – so no weekend this week!!

With best wishes

Chris

Dear Junior School Parents 

We were delighted to welcome two special visitors to our school this week from the UK, who spent time exploring how we work and the rich learning opportunities we provide for our children. One of the highlights of their visit was, without any doubt, the time spent with our students - hearing from them about the reasons they love coming to school each day. I understand one of their favourite questions was, “What would you do if you were Master for the day?” - the children’s responses to which were both thoughtful and very entertaining! As with all visitors to our school, they were deeply impressed by what they saw and by the warmth and enthusiasm of the children, staff, and parents they met. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all that we do so well as a community.

On Wednesday, we came together to celebrate the beautiful Loy Krathong festival. Children from across the school floated their krathong at the lagoon, and we were really pleased to also invite our Pre-Nursery and Nursery families into school to help make and float their krathong. 

The week ended with a vibrant Friday assembly, where our Thai enrichment group performed for us, accompanied by some impressive MCs who shared the meaning and traditions behind Loy Krathong. What a wonderful way to close the week – thank you to everyone involved. 

Looking ahead, we’re excited for our Year 1 to 6 Sports Days next week. We warmly invite families to come and cheer on your children - fingers crossed for dry weather and lots of fun!

Wishing you a super weekend.

Hannah 

Dear Parents,  

I begin this week’s newsletter by acknowledging the passing of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. Our thoughts are with all those who mourn her loss, and we reflect on her legacy of service, dignity, and compassion.   

Last week was Adventure Week, and I want to congratulate all our students for representing everything Wellington stands for. Whether visiting Singapore, taking part in expeditions, or trying something new such as scuba diving, cooking, or pottery here at school, students demonstrated all of our key values. They were a true credit to themselves and to our community. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my incredible staff - without each and every one of their contributions, these fantastic trips and events would not have been possible. Bravo to all!   

I also want to congratulate and celebrate our students for their incredible fundraising efforts in support of the Chiang Rai Fashion Project, an initiative that promotes ethnic textiles and sustainable livelihoods for local communities. They were thrilled to receive the Next Generation Creative Youth Award after raising funds for the charity through the sale of their custom-designed t-shirts, with all proceeds supporting educational opportunities for ethnic minority children in Chiang Rai. We are proud to be a sponsor of this inspiring project, which aligns with our values of creativity, cultural appreciation, and social responsibility. If you haven’t already seen the photos, please check out our social media post to see highlights from this fantastic event.   

Looking ahead, this weekend is with the annual Thailand Festival of Education. As you may know, this event originated at Wellington College UK in 2010 and has since grown, with festivals now held in several countries around the world. We have some fantastic speakers lined up, including a keynote session from our very own Senior School parent, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, who will deliver a session titled “The Future We Are Weaving” – it’s going to be an amazing event!   

With best wishes, 

Jane