38
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39
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ACADEM IC
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The 2007/8 academic year began on a high fol-
co-ed year the Combermere also won the Toye Challenge,
lowing the summer’s outstanding examination re-
which is awarded for the highest academic achievement
sults: the best in the College’s history at a Level,
across two academic years, and therefore spanned the
as Level and at gcse. This tremendous triple achievement
transfer of the Combermere from boys to girls and was a
gave pupils and Common Room alike a reason to be proud
joint achievement of both sexes.
T
and confident for the year ahead. An enormous amount of
For many boys and girls in the middle school, the big
hard work had paid off and, most importantly, the univer-
academic decision of the year was over whether to take
sity prospects of so many in the Sixth Form were substan-
ib or a Level in the Sixth Form after the school gained
tially enhanced. Despite this, Oxbridge success remained
its formal accreditation as an International Baccalaureate
relatively scarce in December, although we were delighted
World School, ready to offer one of the world’s most highly-
for those who attained offers. This year saw the balance
regarded, challenging and exciting academic qualifications.
tip heavily in favour of Cambridge for the first time in long
From September 2008 the College entered an exciting new
memory, if not ever, while the College also made a strong
era, running both the ib and a Levels, endorsed by not one
our pupils started studying the International Baccalaureate
years, making it a stable and reliable qualification. In fact
push towards American universities, hosting the second an-
but two highly successful academic inspections, one by the
ib Organisation and the other by the Independent Schools
(ib) Diploma and they are joining an ever-growing number
the Financial Times recently gave it 10/10, and claimed that
u.s. Universities’ conference for pupils and parents at
of their contemporaries doing just that. In the United
it puts students “significantly ahead in the global race for
state and independent schools. American connections were
Inspectorate, which saw the quality of teaching and learning
Kingdom there are currently 130 schools offering the
ib,
the best universities”. A growing number of our students
also cemented by an expedition of Wellington teachers to
at Wellington as very good and much improved since the
but by 2009 that will have risen to over 200, and by 2010
are now applying to universities abroad, and no doubt the
examine the discussion-based Harkness teaching method
last inspection.
that will have increased still further to over 300. This is not
ib will strengthen their applications.
nual
in renowned New England schools, including Lawrenceville
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F
or the first time in its history Wellington
for the 3 points, giving a maximum score of 45 points.
College is offering an alternative to A levels in
Universities rate it very highly indeed. They value the
the Sixth Form. From this September, 50 of
fact that the
ib has registered zero grade inflation in 40
This was confirmed by the examination results attained
the preserve of independent schools: approximately 50% of
That’s all terrific stuff, but at the heart of the Diploma
those schools opting to do it are in the state sector. Such
is a flinty idealism which is unapologetic in its attempts to
growth is unmatched by any other academic programme in
bring about real change across the world through shared
the world, and it speaks volumes for the Diploma.
educational values. Promoting internationalism in today’s
While many teaching practices have changed, perhaps
a Level results were our best yet at the
top end with 57% a grades. Sixty pupils—a third of the
College’s candidature—attained straight as, including
seventeen who attained four or more a grades. Laura
ib? It was established in Geneva 40
increasingly interconnected, wired-up world no longer
the greatest lever of academic improvement at Wellington
Brooks [C] in French, Rachel Elliott [C] in Physics and
years ago. It has changed and developed in those years,
seems unusual. In fact it is common sense. Indeed, to do
in recent years has been the new effort grading system,
Matthew Richards [Bn] in Geography were amongst
but the fundamentals remain the same: each student has to
otherwise, to turn inwards and narrow your options might
through which pupils’ effort is assessed in each subject
the top ten highest scoring pupils in the country in their
take six subjects from six groups (native language, second
seem self-limiting. The
and is averaged to produce an overall award of gold, silver,
respective subjects. Once again, the pass rate at
a Level
language, natural science, social science, maths, arts) plus
parochialism. The renowned philosopher A.C. Grayling
bronze, white or red. Competition between houses for the
was 100%. At as level, the results were also our best ever
‘the core’, which is made up of a ‘critical skills’ course
has recently written of the Diploma: “this course should
highest averages is fierce. The Anglesey was the top boys’
at 71% a and b grades, up 10% on the previous year. We are
(Theory of Knowledge), the Extended Essay, and the
be compulsory in all schools everywhere. One outcome
house for 2008/9, while the new Combermere in its first
also delighted for the
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