the wellington college year book 2010/2011
10
Future
I want to look ahead in the final part of my
address. We are seeking to make Wellington
the most innovative school in the country, and
the most inspiring for its students.
Reconnecting with the spirit of our
foundation is vital in this process, which is
why I am so thrilled that Wellington Academy
has now been opened in its new buildings by
Lord Adonis.
Two weeks ago, Michael Gove was speaking
at Wellington Academy.
Wellington students will have regular opportunities to visit the Academy, and within
five years I would like all of them to visit
Wellington in China or in the other branches
that we hope to open in the bric countries
and beyond.
David Cook, headmaster of Wellington
Tianjin, has flown in, and has a short message
for us today.
While he is talking, you will see some fresh
images of Tianjin, beginning with an aerial
shot taken last month of the campus, of the
buildings being opened by Prince Andrew.
At Wellington itself, we will be opening
our new library this year, and Selangor Court,
which will double the size of the v&a.
Between the Chapel and the Theatre, we
will be opening the new Mandarin Centre, a
wonderful resource for the school.
In Combermere Quad, we are appealing for
funds for a statue of the head of Copenhagen,
sculpted by parent Nic Fiddian-Green, whose
horses heads are also to be found at Ascot
and at Marble Arch.
We will also be appealing for funds for a
new running track on Rockies, where we will
all be seeing half an hour of athletics finals
this afternoon from 2.30 until 3.00 p.m., just
before the Field Gun Run.
Further ahead, within the next two years
we hope to extend and cover the amphitheatre
to create a theatre and an assembly hall to
seat all 1,000 students.
We launch today also the Prince Albert
Bursary Fund, to raise money, by houses and
centrally, for children to attend Wellington,
who would not otherwise be able to do so, in
tune with our founding mission.
I ask all of you to give to these causes if you
feel able to support us.
I think Wellington is doing powerfully well
at the moment. Thanks to you, the parents,
and thanks to our teachers, colleagues,
governors, and students,
We have every reason to be proud, but
we have no desire to be complacent. We
drive on from here and these fresh buildings
and more bursaries will help us achieve our
mission educationally and morally.
By Waterloo Day 2015, our aim is to become the twentieth school in the country
academically, everyone maximising their Eight
Aptitudes, sixth in the country at sport, fifth
for music and the arts, and first for innovation
and first for service.
If we take those together, they spell out
the following date: 18.6.2015.
On that 200th anniversary, we are going to
have the most enormous party and I want you
all to be there?!