WHAT? WHERE?

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire aerial view of campus

Nestled in an epic 400 acres in the leafy Berkshire village of Crowthorne, Wellington College is a top tier co-ed boarding and day school that has a rich history, while being lauded for its progressive curriculum and teaching – leading the charge when it comes to educational innovation.

With 1,140 pupils from 13-18 years, the school ranks with Eton, Harrow, Brighton College and Charterhouse, in the elite band of English Senior Schools with a global reputation but appeals to parents and pupils who want a modern education that looks to the future rather than tying itself in knots about its past.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire chapel

Conceived by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a memorial to the Duke of Wellington, the school opened in 1859 offering a subsidised education for orphans of army officers. The first pupils were mainly Foundationers and the remainder fee-paying. Girls joined the Sixth Form in the 1970s, and Wellington College went fully co-ed in 2006.

If impressive architecture is your jam, then there are plenty of buildings – old and new – to admire. Make your way halfway down ‘The Kilometre’ (aka the drive) and head through a grand arch into a series of immaculate Grade II listed quads and courtyards. The main building is vast, and the Gilbert Scott-designed chapel is breathtaking.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire performing arts centre

The contemporary wood-clad Performing Arts building is one of the crown jewels with multiple spaces to perform and rehearse. A new boarding house opened in September 2024 and the new Sixth Form Centre will open later in the year. Impressed? Absolutely. Is it intimidating? A little. But look beyond the style and you’ll find plenty of academic and pastoral substance.

FACILITIES

This is a Berkshire school offering all the bells and whistles when it comes to facilities – and wellbeing is at the heart of it all, ensuring physical and mental health gently hum. There’s a stunning library with soundproof glass study pods, a huge DT workshop kitted out with all the power tools and cool bits of kit, Mandarin lessons take place in a tranquil red pagoda and the buzzy V&A café is a slick hangout. To be honest, we’ve barely scratched the surface.

Sport

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire girl plating football

Any school with two sports centres – Wellington Health & Fitness Centre and the Robin Dyer Centre – plus a grandstand, mean business on match days. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll also find indoor and outdoor pools, 16 rugby and football pitches, 9 cricket pitches, 2 Astro pitches for hockey, 5-aside football and tennis, 10 netball courts, climbing wall, 9-hole golf course, state-of-the-art gym, rackets and real tennis courts, as well as low and high ropes course.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire sports grandstand

Wellington College is a sporty school, no question about that, and whatever you want to do, there’s a good chance Wellington has it covered. Rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, football and racquet sports are the main sports here, but if your interests lie elsewhere, you’ll probably find it here. There’s just as much emphasis on inclusivity and developing health habits as there is on contributing to the trophy cabinet.

This more enlightened approach to sport means pupils choose one Core sport each term, with the opportunity to add an Option sport, too. Then there are four tiers from competitive keenos to fit for fun types. In addition to the team sport big guns, shooting, basketball, fencing, squash, climbing, equestrian, polo, triathlon, sailing, skiing and more are all on offer, plus a lengthy list of sporty clubs. Running Club is popular, and one Wellington student has been crowned British Speed Golf Champion.

There’s a lot on offer and, if you have a sporty child or one who just wants to try everything, there’s a danger of overcommitting. That said, the house parents and coaching staff step in if it all gets too much and cracks start to appear.

Creative Arts

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire performing arts centre stage and auditorium

With so much sport on offer, you would be forgiven for thinking that your creative, arty kids won’t be catered for. Au contraire! There’s an entire cultural quarter dedicated to the business of show. The architecturally cool G.W. Annenberg Performing Arts Centre’s circular design, inspired by Grecian amphitheatres, is really clever. It’s a vast space, featuring the 916-seat Annenberg auditorium, the 350-seat Christopher Lee Theatre, a smaller black box studio and the Cultural Living Room. Plus, a full orchestra pit, a scenery dock, foyer bar (essential), green room, lighting rig, sound decks and all the tech you’d find in a West End theatre. It’s impressive.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire dabce oerformformace

As you can imagine, productions are of a very high standard. But what we were particularly impressed by is that everyone has the opportunity to get involved, on stage, behind the scenes or taking on creative and leadership roles. Confidence and creativity in abundance. While jazz handers and dancers are given top billing, opportunities are seemingly endless. Limelight talks also see industry pros swing by. Most recently Succession star Matthew Macfadyen and Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes took to the stage in between awards ceremonies.

Musically, Chapel is central to school life at Wellington, and music is taken seriously, with almost half of students learning at least one instrument, as well as songwriting / composing, music technology, and the chance to lay down tracks in the recording studio (nicknamed Shabby Road). Students can flex their musical muscles at regular concerts, competitions, busking, informal shows at the V&A café and there are plenty of choirs, orchestras, ensembles and bands to get involved in.

Art is strong. The paintings and sculptures created by students that fill every wall are impressive too and a real talking point on tours of the school. The art studio space caters for all passions. We’ve visited many schools, and they don’t all offer creatives the facilities and enrichment that you find here at Wellington. Textiles, painting, drawing, sculpture and photography are taught in a light, bright inspiring building, with good GCSEs, A Level and IB options. Workshops and masterclasses are offered, and student-led societies include art history and architecture.

School

Wellington has seen enormous investment and expansion over the last 20 years, so you’ll find a series of modern buildings dotted around the campus that house dedicated subject areas – for example, the distinctive Queen’s Court (home to humanities), opened by you-guessed-it in 1974 and the wood-cladded Sebastian Faulks building, named after the author and former Wellington pupil, houses 19 classrooms. Plus, there’s an impressive DT workshop and science labs that are split to provide practical and theoretical work.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire pupils DT lesson

DT is also a very popular subject here with some seriously impressive kit. The workshop is vast, but you’ll be drawn to the race cars built by Wellington’s aspiring engineers which they race at the Greenpower Racing series. ‘The Beef,’ is a flagship ‘’scratch-built’ carbon fibre monocoque car and ‘The Eagle’ is a simpler kit car.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire mandarin centre red pagoda

Elsewhere, the other standout is the Mandarin Centre – a red temple-like building, surrounded by a Chinese water garden. It’s a space that is inspiring and immersive. Students can dabble in journalism, TV-editing with Wellington College TV (WTV) and broadcasting via the school’s radio station, DukeBox. There are more than 70 clubs and societies at Wellington College (D of E and CCF both have a cult following) and noticeboards are awash with information on careers conferences, lectures and visiting speakers. Somehow Wellington manages to feel both grand and quite intimate.

SIXTH FORM

Wellington College new Sixth Form Centre digital image of building

Sixth Form is going from strength to strength – and currently oversubscribed. But not for long. A new multi-million pound Sixth Form Centre and boarding house – opening in 2024 – will add 60 students to the cohort. The Sixth Form Centre will be kitted out with a sleek café, social and study spaces, meeting rooms and offices for the staff who help with careers advice, uni applications and courses in the UK and abroad, academic support and more. All the newer additions are to a seriously high spec.

Wellington offers both A Levels (always taken with an EPQ) and the International Baccalaureate – uniquely, the uptake is equally split. A Level subjects are broad, including Philosophy, Psychology, Economics, Business Studies, Photography, Project Design, Music Technology and Design Engineering. Maths and sciences are very popular, particularly among girls.

Destinations tend to be to Oxbridge and Russell Group unis, with US Ivy League, like Yale, Harvard and Cornell, proving popular. Top UK destinations include Edinburgh, Durham, Exeter, Bristol, UCL, Bath, Imperial College and Warwick.

A new programme Life Beyond Wellington has been introduced to support current and ex pupils as they edge towards their first jobs. It covers everything from career options, uni applications, personal statement support and industry networking and they can tap into Wellington’s version of LinkedIn, called Welly Connect Global. Sixth Formers we spoke to said they are well supported but feel some basic life skills like tax, budgeting and knowing how to cook a few meals, were missing right now. Plans are afoot to ensure nutrition and personal finances are covered and a Life Beyond Wellington Centre could be on the cards.

ACADEMICS

Wellington College is a pioneer when it comes to teaching and learning. It was the first school to ditch Common Entrance as an entry assessment, the first to teach wellbeing as part of the syllabus, and an early adopter of Mandarin in school. Lessons are enquiry based, so you won’t often see teachers stood in front of a whiteboard talking at the kids. Pupils sit at round tables discussing and debating. Teachers act as facilitators and every student is expected to take part. The idea is that you learn the curriculum material, but deep dive into the subject, question, enquire and form your own opinions. It all feels very grown up – but teaches kids how to study, without them even realising it.

Deputy Head (Academic) Benjamin Evans explained that Wellington’s holistic approach to education is based on the understanding that you never stop learning and there’s space in education to learn things just for the sake of it. “It’s about developing intellect. Grades are important, but you can educate pupils brilliantly in the discipline, so they get high grades. Or you can slavishly devote yourself to practising a million past papers so they get high grades.” The goal is to take the pressure off and to light a fire within each student to see the joy in discovery. There’s a lot to be said for that.

What does this look like on exam results day? At GCSE, 9 was the most common grade (38.1% of all grades), 65% were either 8 or 9 and 83.3% were 7-9. Results are excellent across the board, but science subjects, modern languages, Geography, Design Engineering and Photography stand out.

In 2024, the cohort of 120 IB students achieved an average of 38.4 points, with 40% achieving 40+ points. A Level results are also excellent with 66.3% of all grades being A* or A. Over 40 pupils scored at least three A* grades or three 7s at higher level IB. Biology, Chemistry, Art and Music saw the best results. Wowzers.

Up to GCSE, all pupils study core subjects in classes of about 16 and 10 in Sixth Form. Parents praise the balance between teachers’ ages and experience (average age is 35-45). There’s minimal setting though some streaming in maths and languages. Mandarin, taught in its own bright red, temple-like building, is one of five languages on offer.

SEND

Learning support is highly rated. Wellington can accommodate pupils with mild learning difficulties. Given the pace of the curriculum and size of the campus, inevitably there are limits to what is doable. Sustained one-to-one support isn’t. Wellington offers direct access to psychiatrists, psychologists and speech and language therapists so that assessments can be completed on site and will determine what support is realistic.

PASTORAL CARE

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire pupils fun run

A school where boarders are in the majority, pastoral care is in the spotlight, and perhaps an advantage to Wellington as it scoops up Day and Boarders into the House system with wellbeing its no.1 priority. Each boarding house has a dedicated pastoral team – the house parents and matron, with Sixth Form prefects mentoring new joiners.

Beyond that structure there’s the Deputy Head (Pastoral and Wellbeing), Head of Student Emotional Health and Wellbeing, Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Responsibility, the health centre is well staffed and there’s a culture of openness. Pupils say they feel listened to and able to share any concerns. It’s fair to say wellbeing really is a priority and robust AND not just a tick-box exercise.

Wellington was one of the first schools to move mental health and wellbeing to the top of the priority list – and the entire campus facilitates the need to switch off, get fresh air, embrace healthy habits, talk openly and help other. It’s always a work in progress, but this is school on a mission to ensure kids can cope with stress and just be happy. Everyone has off days, but you sense there’s a lot of support.

BOARDING

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire boarding house common room

Boarding is big at Wellington College – and there are currently 18 boarding houses across the vast site, including the new Sixth Form co-ed boarding house. The rooms are comfortable, but it’s the common rooms that will impress. Lots of squishy sofas, but not so many it looks like a DFS showroom.

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire boarding room

Atmosphere is homely. Pupils can return to collect forgotten possessions. Boarders can make their own snacks in the kitchens – although their culinary talents don’t often go far beyond toast and toasties. Bedrooms (a few larger dormitories, but mainly up to three share in junior years, double or single for older pupils) range from functional to fun.

THE HEAD

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire Master James Doyle

James Dahl (no relation to Roald Dahl) has been Master of Wellington College since 2019 (one term and then lockdown, yikes), but has been a familiar face on campus for 11 years. He joined as Head of Admissions and Marketing in 2013 before becoming Second Master Elect and Deputy Head (Pastoral and Wellbeing). He’s charming, fun and laser focused on ensuring the pupils here are happy and squeeze every opportunity out of their time at Wellington – and that includes ensuring the Prince Albert Scholarship fund is in good financial health.

Dahl is acutely aware that some kids will try and do too much (although staff keep an eye on this) and others won’t make the most of what is on offer – they are teenagers after all. But far from complacent, he appreciates improvements can be made. The co-curricular offering is vast, covering arts, sports, adventure, global citizenship and leadership, plus all the clubs and societies (Tricky Chemistry, Field Gun, WTV and DukeBox radio), trips and talks.

Wellbeing (mind, body and spirituality) is central to the culture he has created here – so staff and pupils are encouraged to share their ideas, opinions and requests. It means everyone is invested in Wellington – even if the final decisions mean they don’t always get what they want. The team is currently looking at AI and how that can be used in education, but acutely aware of Wellington’s reputation for leading the charge in progressive education, Dahl knows it is important to get it right and authenticity is essential.

It’s worth noting Dahl’s encyclopaedic knowledge of pupils’ names (all invited to dine at the Master’s Lodge), their parents, siblings, previous schools and successes is nothing sort of wizardry. “Every child has a need to be known. My heart sinks when other heads say they don’t have time to learn their names.” How he does it is a mystery.

Married with a daughter who is currently at the school, Dahl worked with the legendary Anthony Seldon here and at Brighton College, where he started his career – “an utter privilege and my biggest influence” – and they remain friends to this day. Big shoes to fill, but James Dahl brings dynamism, focus and humility to the role and that filters from the top down.

QUIRKS

Wellington College Crowthorne Berkshire CCF

CCF has an almost cult-like following. Nothing half done here. CCF is compulsory in Fourth Form (Y10), with cadets assigned to the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force – learning military and adventurous training skills to battle it out for the Salamanca Shield, an inter house competition. If you choose to continue CCF in Fifth Form and beyond (Y11), cadets can specialise in Royal Marines, Advanced Infantry, Cavalry, Senior Drum Corps and Senior Bugle Platoon. It aligns neatly to its heritage, having been founded by Queen Victoria in memory of the Duke of Wellington and set up to support orphans of army officers. Remembrance Day is a big deal here and CCF play an integral role.

Early morning swimmers are affectionately named Maniacs – where pupils get up early, swim two lengths of the outdoor pool then run off shivering for bacon rolls in the dining hall. Mini chocolate bars as prizes.

Fireside Talks are huge, giving pupils the opportunity to listen and question big names from a variety of fields. From former England rugby captain Will Carling and explorer Ben Saunders to ex British tennis player and Strictly star Annabel Croft and former McLaren boss Ron Dennis. There’s no shortage of brave souls facing their young inquisitors.

ISI REPORT

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) visited in 2022 and gave Wellington College a glowing double Excellent for its high academic standards and personal development. They returned in 2023 to green light its proposal to increase pupil numbers to 1,200 and to broaden admission to 12-19yrs.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

It’s a common-sense approach with a sliding scale of responsibility. The younger year groups have curtailed use of their phone during the school day. For older year groups there’s a more relaxed approach.

TRANSPORT

Wellington College is a mere 30 min drive from Heathrow airport. Reading is 15 mins by train, then you can hop on a fast train to Paddington (25 mins) or take a more leisurely trip into central London on the Elizabeth Line.

There are bus routes for Day pupils Monday to Friday – covering Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Virginia Water, Hartley Wintney, Wokingham, Winkfield Row and Upton Grey. Although most parents of day pupils choose to pick up in the evening, there are also evening bus routes Monday to Friday. Two routes operate on a Saturday morning.

FEES

Blissfully straightforward, but very much on the upper end of fees. Day pupils £12,700 per term, and Boarding £17,370 per term.

Fee assistance comes in two forms: means tested bursaries covering 10% to 100% of the costs (average is 50%) and the Prince Albert Foundation scholarship for low-earning families who would be unable to access independent education (there are currently 38 pupils) where 110% fees are covered.

WORD ON THE GROUND

We know quite a few parents at Wellington College and they talk about the children being kind, confident and supported. There’s none of the ‘noisy swagger’ you might expect of a top private school. Facilities are ‘outrageously good’, Fireside Talks are raved about – the stellar line up is the stuff of fantasy dinner parties. The emphasis on wellbeing is a big tick for the parents we spoke to, alongside the modern approach to teaching and learning. Academics are taken very seriously, but the pressure cooker is dialled down and balance is encouraged. If kids fall behind, there’s a lot of academic help to ensure each individual child reaches their potential.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Those looking for a top all-rounder school that balances wellbeing without sacrificing academic potential. Kids who grab every opportunity will thrive here. There’s a robust CCF programme that will please armed forces parents.

Not for: Academically Wellington College’s pacy curriculum won’t suit everyone and the sheer number of societies, activities and opportunities may be wasted on kids who don’t like joining in.

Dare to disagree: Be my guest! Take a virtual tour, before booking a spot on one of the many visitor events: Visitors Days, College Tour Days, Master’s Receptions and Director of Admissions Receptions.

Wellington College, Duke’s Ride, Berkshire, Crowthorne RG45 7PU. Tel 01344 444 000.

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Wellington College, Crowthorne

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