Wellington College
Educational Partnerships 2020-21 Iain Henderson Deputy Head of Partnerships
In a year when it would have been too easy to hide behind the excuse-for-everything that is COVID-19, it is heartening to be able to report that Wellington’s partnership work expanded significantly, at a time when there was significantly more need, and equally, significantly greater moral imperative for such a privileged institution to be increasingly proactive in facilitating meaningful collaborative work.
Thanks to the support of so many within and outside the Wellington Community we were able to support a number of programmes some of which are outlined here. Through our scheme “Donation for Education” scheme, we provided a laptop computer for online learning to all students at all 26 partner schools who needed one. This was achieved mainly through devices donated by Wellington families, being donated then professionally wiped, repurposed and distributed. Thank you to everyone who donated it really did make a difference. We made the decision that the entire online Festival of Education was free to all, and available even after the event. Over 17,000 attendees enjoyed the event live, and many more in the following weeks.
24
Our first cohort of Wheeler Programme students completed their Year 13 (final year). Some are off to university or further study, some to apprenticeships, and some to employment. We are so proud of all the Wheeler students and we wish this first pioneering cohort all the best going forward – in the knowledge that we are always here to support when needed – particularly through Welly Connect. Our Independent State School Partnership (ISSP) refined and grew its student-facing programme in especially difficult circumstances, with access to online resources and events restricted for many families early on. Like many of us, we also saw that several of our events became even more successful online. The Wellington College Teaching School Partnership has also grown, with four new schools joining during the year. The depth
