All together again – Wellington’s youngest pupils return

With close to 90% of Wellington’s teachers on campus, we are excited to now welcome back our final set of returning pupils. For our families that are unable to physically join us, we still look forward to their return and until that time they continue to join us virtually. At different points along the staggered return to school from the period of e-learning, we have heard from school leaders. With pupils in Wellington’s Pre Prep and Early Years arriving back this week, Alex Newell Head of Pre-Prep, Barbara Faria Head of Early Years, as well as, Lucy Palmer Head of Lower Prep, share their experiences of the long-awaited returns. What was the atmosphere like among the pupils as they saw their friends and teachers for the first time in months? Ms Faria: Simply put, it was amazing. The children were waving and calling out their friends’ names while they were queueing with their parents to come into school. They were quick to tell their teachers that they’ve missed them and one child in Reception wrote that her teacher was ‘butiful’ and that she was very happy at school because she could play with her friends. Ms Newell: Unsurprisingly, all the children were very happy to be back in school and greatly enjoyed seeing all their friends and teachers. They were very eager to learn and work collaboratively after such a long time apart. Some children were a little reserved, but this is only natural. Regardless, returning to a school filled with happy children, playing with their friends and excited to learn was a real pleasure! Mrs Palmer: A personal highlight for me was seeing the pupils playing outside, hearing the voices in the corridors and the general hustle and bustle of the school day. All we want is for our children to be happy and the College was oozing happiness, so it does not get any better than that. How have the pupils’ adjustment back to learning together on campus been after this extended period away? Ms Newell: We could all tell that the children were so ready to get back into school and into the swing of things again. They really adapted back into their routine and rhythms quickly; it felt like they had never left! Mrs Palmer: Our pupils have a lot of resilience and as we put in place transition sessions via Zoom, they felt ready to come back to class. We made sure that they knew what to expect and that helped the children to understand and feel calmer and less anxious about returning. As with many things in life, preparation is key and the transition went very smoothly. Ms Faria: The children were eager to role-play, to play with the marble run, to build Lego with their friends. Here they have a lot of fantastic resources they can use to build a narrative in their play, they have friends they like playing with, and they have balance of adult-led teaching and choosing their own activities. The children were also quick to adapt to the new hygiene and health procedures we are following, which are very strict, but th understand that they are necessary. What do you think this time has taught us? Ms Newell: I think our most valuable lesson learned during this time by our pupils is how they have strengthened their ability to adapt and successfully deal with challenging situations. We can achieve so much by all working together! It has been a steep learning curve for both teachers and children to develop our IT and online learning skills. Overall this has forced us to adapt and overcome, something that will stand our pupils in good stead as they grow older. Ms Faria: It has really showed us how strong the Wellington community is. We have also learned that school is a crucial and irreplaceable place for social interactions, for building friendships and having fun. This is why we are so happy to be back! Mrs Palmer: E-learning has taught us all that things can change very quickly and we have to be able to adapt, be flexible and resilient. During difficult times like these, the children showed just how much they have learnt from our Wellington Values. They now seem far more independent.  All of these lessons are valuable and help us to grow and reflect. We should never take anything for granted. Welcome back to every pupil, parent, teacher and member of the Wellington community. We are thrilled to have the College full of life and learning again. More relevant articles

• A welcome back message from Andrew Willis, Head of Prep School
• Welcome Back, Wellingtonians!

  Although our campus is currently closed to external visitors – you can still take a look round via our new virtual tours. Our admissions team is readily available to answer any questions you might have and to guide you through the application process.  Please do get in touch. admissions.shanghai@wellingtoncollege.cn