the wellington college year book 2010/2011
the wellington college year book 2010/2011
14
15
linguistic & logical
academic life
A performance of Twelfth Night
during the Artsfest
But be not afraid of greatness:
some are born great, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon them.
T
he academic profile of
Wellington has been transformed: seven years ago
barely 60% of students at a
level achieved an a or a b;
by 2010 this was 93%. Standards and results
are soaring. But Wellington is also witnessing an education revolution. New academic
courses, new pedagogy and new confidence
are re-calibrating academic life at Wellington
which, in 2011, is characteristically innovative
and intellectually ambitious.
Perhaps the most radical changes have
come—as all good educational thinking dictates they should—in the classroom. The
dynamic between teacher and students remains the defining experience of school; the
classroom is the key arena where learning
happens. Great teachers still inspire, most
obviously when they are trusted to teach inspirational material. Wellington’s academic
life has been transformed by the introduction of two new curriculum models from the
International Baccalaureate. The first, the
Diploma Programme for sixth formers, is not
new: it has been taught internationally for
decades and combines breadth of study with
specific elements designed to prepare students for university and for life: an extended
essay; a service component and a philosophically and intellectually challenging ‘Theory of
Knowledge’ course. At a time when grade
inflation dogs national qualifications, the ib
has consistently maintained its high standards.
Since 2008, students at Wellington have been
able to choose to follow either an a level programme or the ib’s internationally minded,
academically rigorous dp as they prepare for
university and beyond.
And since 2009 they’ve had yet more
choice. 14-year-olds, traditionally on the cusp
of the decision abo ]???H? [???[????? [\?? HX??&\?ZYHYX\?? ???[[YB?\?[?[ \??]]?K???HY?Z[? \?\? ?\?Y?YH ?YX?[?[??H[? HX?Y[ZX?Y?H??H ???? ?H^\\??]?[? XX?\?? B???YY?H ?\?Y? Z\?????\??\? [??] \?Y?H H ? ?ZY? ?X??]??][?[ H ?\??X?Y ?[X?\?\?[?\?[??Y ? Y[? ? ?Y\???\? H??H?X\??[???]\?[?\??\??X?[ [H?[??H ?\?[ Y[?H??\?[???X?Y[ZX? ?[?\? ?????H?? ?[? ? LK?[?H [? ?[? H ? Y[? ? ?X?Z]?Y??\?????H???Y?H[? ?[Y\?X?[? [?]?\??]Y\??HY?\??Y?\?H?? YX\??\?HX?Y[ZX??[??\?\?HY\ ?\?[ZX?[? ?Y???\? H[?[X? X[ ?? Y[? ?\?H?Z[??[???\?Y?Y [??[?HY\ K ? ?XY[?H[? ?[??Y?H[?X?]N?[? \??[ \?H\?[??Y?]Y[??H?\????K??[?H ?\?]? ? H ?????[????\?B?] \?H\?[?^?][??X?Y[ZX???\???]??[[????HY X?][??\?]?[ ?]] ??