Wellington College

Wellington College is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 occupying 400 acres of beautiful parkland in Crowthorne, Berkshire. It was established as a monument to the Duke of Wellington and to educate the orphan sons of army officers, with Queen Victoria laying the foundation stone in 1856. Today the College is home to 1,100 pupils of which 80% are boarders.

The Master, James Dahl, says: 'Wellington’s curriculum is vibrant, demanding and progressive, and with our ground-breaking Wellbeing course and classes in Philosophy and Thinking, Wellington has become nationally renowned as a centre for curriculum development. Our stunning examination results and university outcomes speak for themselves.'

'Outward-facing in all that we do, the College’s focus on service, leadership and character education means that Wellingtonians leave the school fully prepared for the challenges of adult life in the 21st century.'

'At Wellington the pervading culture of ambition and aspiration creates an atmosphere which not only encourages every pupil, teacher, and parent to believe anything is possible, but also recognises that each Wellingtonian has immense potential which must be nurtured and realised. Choice lies at the heart of this: one size does not fit all at Wellington, which is why every pupil experiences the school in their own unique way. We challenge our pupils to dare to dream – and they in turn learn to do just that as we guide them through the early choices they make while their unique journey starts to emerge.'

Inspection reports

Inspections provide parents with detailed information from which to assess key aspects of a school. Find out more about why inspections matter.

The school was last inspected in March 2018. Read the inspection reports on the school's website.

The school is a registered charity managed by a board of governors. Read more on the Charity Commission website.

What makes Wellington College different?

Attain asked the school, what makes Wellington College different – and why should parents consider it?

Wellington College is a vibrant and inspiring coeducational boarding and day school set in 400 acres of parkland, 40 minutes to the west of Heathrow. The College, whose educational philosophy is based on values of kindness, courage, respect, integrity, and responsibility, is celebrated not only for its academic achievements, which are stellar, but also for its music, drama, dance, and sport. It can justifiably claim to be one of the UK and the world’s leading schools, offering as it does both A Levels and the IB after its GCSE programme.

Although in many ways a traditional English boarding school, Wellington is both outward looking and modern, proud of its position in the vanguard of educational innovation and pleased to count students of 40 different nationalities amongst its number. Most students join in Year 9, but it has a particularly strong Year 12 entry.

Wellington provides a world-renowned model of excellence in every aspect of school life: academics, pastoral care, sport, drama, music, dance, art, student media, service, leadership, and global citizenship. We are uncompromising in our ambition to provide our pupils the opportunities to flourish, to become their very best selves, and to serve and help shape a better world.