Wellington College, Berkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wellington College |
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Dukes Ride
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England
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| Coordinates | 51°21′51″N 0°48′24″W / 51.3643°N 0.8067°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private school Private boarding and day school |
| Motto | Virtutis Fortuna Comes ('Fortune favours the bold') Heroum Filii ('The children of heroes') |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Church of England |
| Established | 1859 |
| Founder | Queen Victoria |
| Department for Education URN | 110125 Tables |
| Chairman of the board of governors |
William Jackson |
| Master | James E. L. Dahl |
| Second Master | Cressida Henderson |
| Staff | 150 (approx.) |
| Gender | Co-educational The school will have a 50%-50% split of girls and boys by 2025 |
| Age | 13 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1100 pupils (approx.) |
| Houses | 17 (15 boarding, 2 day) |
| Colour(s) | Yellow Light blue Orange |
| Publication | The Wellingtonian |
| Former pupils | Old Wellingtonians (most commonly) OWs |
| Campus | 400-acre (1.6 km2) rural campus |
| Affiliations | G30 Schools HMC The Rugby Group |
Wellington College is a private school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. It is a boarding and day school, meaning some students live there, and others come for the day. The college is a registered charity. It teaches about 1,100 students, aged 13 to 18.
The school was built to honor the first Duke of Wellington (1769–1852). It is named after him. Queen Victoria laid the first stone in 1856. She officially opened the school on January 29, 1859.
Many former students fought in the First World War. 707 of them died in this war. Another 501 former students were killed in the Second World War.
Wellington College is part of the Rugby Group of 18 British public schools. It is also a member of the G20 Schools group. In 2023/24, the cost for students living at the school was about £18,310 per term.
Since 2020, The Schools Index has listed Wellington College as one of the world's top 150 schools. It is also one of the top 30 senior schools in the UK.
Contents
- Learning About Wellington College's Past
- Exploring Wellington College's Buildings
- Discovering the College's Location
- Achieving Academic Success
- Leaders of Wellington College: The Masters
- Famous People Who Attended Wellington College
- Sports and Athletics at Wellington College
- Understanding the House System
- Connecting with The Old Wellingtonian Society
- See also
Learning About Wellington College's Past
Wellington College received a royal charter in 1853. This special document officially created "The Royal and Religious Foundation of the Wellington College." The school opened its doors in 1859. Its first headmaster, called the Master, was Edward White Benson. He later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
How the School Changed Over Time
The school first taught only the sons of army officers who had died. In 1952, a new Royal Charter allowed orphan sons of officers from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Air Force to attend.
By the 1960s, the school thought about teaching both boys and girls. But it did not have enough money at that time. The first girls joined the school in the Sixth Form (the last two years of high school) in the 1970s. The school became fully co-educational, teaching both boys and girls, in 2005.
In 2006, the school changed its fee reduction plan. Now, orphan children of any deceased service members of His Majesty's Armed Forces can get reduced fees. Also, children of people who died in acts of bravery can get this help. However, most students at the school today do not come from military families.
Awards and Recognition
On September 6, 2013, The Week magazine named Wellington College "The Most Forward-Thinking School in the UK." Four days later, Tatler magazine chose Wellington College as the "Best Senior School in Britain." This happened at their Schools Awards evening in London.
Helping Other Schools: The Wellington Academy
Wellington College helped start a new state school in Wiltshire called The Wellington Academy. This school opened in 2009.
Wellington College Around the World
Wellington College has partnerships with schools in other countries. These include Wellington College International Tianjin in China, which opened in 2011. It is also partnered with Wellington College International Shanghai and Huili School Shanghai. In Hangzhou, China, there are Wellington College International Hangzhou and Huili School Hangzhou. There is also Wellington College International Bangkok in Thailand. These schools are based on the ideas and style of Wellington College in England.
Exploring Wellington College's Buildings
The college buildings were designed by John Shaw, Jr.. He had also worked as an architect for Eton College. The design of Wellington College was quite unique for its time. Prince Albert, who helped choose the architect, liked Shaw's classical style.
The main buildings look like "French Grand Rococo" style. This style is known for its fancy and detailed decorations. The chapel, which is only half the size it was planned to be, was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott.
There are also newer buildings. Some of them follow Shaw's grand rococo style. For example, the new Nicholson building is for modern foreign languages. In 2019, the GWA Performing Arts Centre opened. It has a 900-seat auditorium for students to use. It also helps raise money for the Wellington College Arts Fund.
Filming Location for The Crown
Wellington College was used as a filming location for the Netflix series The Crown. It pretended to be Kensington Palace in seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5. It was shown as the home of Princess Margaret and later Diana, Princess of Wales. You can even see one of the college's mottos, Heroum Filii, in a scene. The official motto, Virtutis Fortuna Comes, is also visible.
Discovering the College's Location
Wellington College is on a 400-acre (160 ha) estate in South-East England. It is near Reading and Sandhurst. The college grounds include a 9-hole golf course. There are also large wooded areas and many playing fields. These fields are used for cricket and rugby.
The woodland area is a local nature reserve called Edgbarrow Woods. The grounds also have a special area called Wellington College Bog. This area is important for nature and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Achieving Academic Success
Wellington College students have excellent academic results. In 2022, 84.2% of students scored A*-A or 7/6 in their A-Level or IB exams. A-Levels and IB (International Baccalaureate) are important exams students take before university. Also, 97.6% scored A*-B or 7-5 grades.
In the same year, 75% of students scored 9 or 8 grades in their GCSEs. GCSEs are exams taken around age 16. The school's average IB score in 2022 was 41.3. This was the highest score in the College's history.
Leaders of Wellington College: The Masters
The head of Wellington College is called the Master. Here is a list of the Masters who have led the school:
- Since 2019 James E. L. Dahl
- 2015 – 2019 Julian P. Thomas
- 2006 – 2015 Sir Anthony Francis Seldon
- 2000 – 2005 A. Hugh Monro
- 1989 – 2000 Charles Jonathan "Jonty" Driver
- 1979 – 1989 David H. Newsome
- 1966 – 1979 Frank Forman Fisher
- 1956 – 1966 Graham Henry Stainforth
- 1941 – 1956 Harry Wilfred House
- 1937 – 1940 Robert "Bobby" Paton Longden
- 1921 – 1937 Frederick Blagden Malim
- 1910 – 1921 William Wyamar Vaughan
- 1893 – 1910 Bertram Pollock
- 1873 – 1893 Edward C. Wickham
- 1859 – 1873 Edward White Benson
Famous People Who Attended Wellington College
Many well-known people have studied at Wellington College. These former students are often called "Old Wellingtonians" or OWs. Here are some of them:
- Historian P. J. Marshall
- Field marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck
- Field marshal Sir Geoffrey Baker
- Squadron leader Roger Bushell (1910-1944), who planned the "Great Escape"
- Military historian Sir Michael Howard
- Clergyman and author David Watson
- Architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw
- Impressionist Rory Bremner
- Pakistani politician Hammad Azhar
- Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
- Theravāda Buddhist monk Ñāṇavīra Thera (born Harold Edward Musson)
- Author Sebastian Faulks
- Businessman Gerald Mordaunt Broome Salmon
- Playwright Hugh Salmon
- Language school pioneer John Haycraft
- Political journalist Robin Oakley
- Actor Sir Christopher Lee
- Liberal politician George Ferguson who became the first elected Mayor of Bristol (2012–2016)
- Writer George Orwell (for a short time in 1917)
- Poet Gavin Ewart
- Composer John Gardner
- World champion motor racing driver James Hunt
- Rugby union player and first-class cricketer Simon Clarke
- Former Leader of the House of Lords Lord Strathclyde
- Journalist and television presenter, Peter Snow
- The UK Pop Idol winner Will Young
- Revenge actor Josh Bowman
- BRIT Award-nominated singer, Nerina Pallot
- Rugby Union players, James Haskell and the brothers Max and Thom Evans
- Actor Robert Morley
- Actress Caggie Dunlop
- Actress Elize du Toit
- Actress Ellie Bamber
- Olympic athlete Morgan Lake
- Michael Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne
- Soros family
- Getty family
- de Betak family
- de Givenchy family
- Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein
- Prince Maurice of Battenberg
- Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke
- Count Nikolai Tolstoy
- Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark
- Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark
- Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece and Denmark
- Prince Odysseas-Kimon of Greece and Denmark
- Formula One Engineer Patrick Head
- Cricketer Tom Curran
- Cricketer Sam Curran
Sports and Athletics at Wellington College
Wellington College was one of the 21 founding members of the Rugby Football Union. Students at the school have always played high-level schoolboy rugby. In 2008, the College made history. It was the first school to win the Daily Mail Cup at both the Under 15 and Under 18 levels in the same year. They won their finals at Twickenham.
Many former Wellington students play professional rugby union. These include James Haskell (England) and Max Evans (Scotland).
The school has special sports courts. It has one of only about 20 racquets courts in the UK. It also has one of 27 real tennis courts in the UK.
Understanding the House System
Wellington College has 17 houses. A house is like a smaller community within the school. Most houses are for students who live at the school (boarders). A few day students also belong to these houses. Two houses, Wellesley and Raglan, are only for day students.
Each house is either an 'in-house' or an 'out-house'. In-houses are inside the main school buildings. Out-houses are in other parts of the college grounds. Each house has its own special colors, symbols, and crest. The crest of each house is shown in the stained glass windows of the college chapel.
Each house is named after an important historical figure. These figures are usually linked to the Duke of Wellington.
| House | Colours | Insignia | Gender | Boarding or Day | Housemaster or Housemistress | Named for |
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| Anglesey | Maroon and Blue | A Star | F | Boarding | E-J Haining | Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey |
| Apsley | Blue and Black | A Pineapple | F | Boarding | A. C. Christodoulou | Henry Bathurst, Lord Apsley, later the 2nd Earl Bathurst |
| Benson | Blue and Silver | A Rose | M | Boarding | S. Allcock | Edward White Benson |
| Beresford | Medium Blue and Black | A Horseshoe | M | Boarding | G. M. Bilclough | William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford |
| Blücher | Black and White | A Fleur-de-lis | M | Boarding | S. A. S. Owen | Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prince of Wahlstatt |
| Combermere | Gold and Brown | A Lion | F | Boarding | S. M. L. Mackenzie | Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere |
| Hardinge | Green and Brown | An Anchor | F | Boarding (Sixth Form only) | S. N. Y. Jobson | Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge |
| Hill | Purple and White | A Skull and Crossbones | M | Boarding | A. J. Adams | Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill |
| Hopetoun | Yellow and Blue | A Moon and Star | F | Boarding | P. P. & S. C. D. Gutteridge | John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun |
| Lynedoch | Navy Blue and Black | An Iron Cross | M | Boarding | M. J. Cawdron | Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch |
| Murray | Purple and Black | A Moon | M | Boarding | M. E. Denhart | Sir George Murray |
| Orange | Orange and Black | A Double-headed Eagle | F | Boarding | N. C. & E. M. Hughan | William, Prince of Orange, later William II of the Netherlands |
| Picton | Pink and Brown | An Eagle | M | Boarding | J. D. Murray | Sir Thomas Picton |
| Raglan | Red and Grey | A Panther | M | Day | G. D. Carr | FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan |
| Stanley | Maroon and Light Blue | A Unicorn | M | Boarding | C. M. Sutton | Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby |
| Talbot | Maroon and White | An Iron Cross | M & F | Boarding | A. E. Brown | Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 2nd Earl Talbot |
| Wellesley | Pink and White | A Pelican | F | Day | S. L. F. Candappa | Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington |
Some houses that used to be for boys, like Orange and Combermere, became girls' houses between 2005 and 2011. Talbot is currently changing from a boys' to a girls' house.
Connecting with The Old Wellingtonian Society
The Old Wellingtonian Society is a group for former students of the college. It was started in 1890. The society helps the college and its past and present members. It also helps former students stay in touch with each other and with the school.
See also
- List of notable Old Wellingtonians
- Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
- Wellington College International Shanghai, a subsidiary school in China
- Wellington College International Tianjin, a subsidiary school in China
