Our first article in the series is from the parents of Margaux (Year 5) and Sacha (Year1), where they share their experience of moving to
and living in Hangzhou and joining Wellington for the founding year.
We are a French and Chinese family. Both children are French. Margaux is 9 and Sacha is 5. We have been living in China most of the
past decade, besides a couple of years in France. We moved from Shanghai
to Hangzhou and started living in Hangzhou in the summer of 2018. It
was just a 200-kilometres move for us parents, but a big step for the
children, as they were in French schools in Shanghai. They had to jump
from their well-balanced life – with French and Chinese education – into
a new world and a new language.
We chose to join Wellington as founding parents because of the excellent reputation and deep educational roots of the school. We were
obviously amazed by the campus on our first visits and had no doubt
Wellington was going to settle perfectly well in Hangzhou. Also, the
careful attention we always received when we visited was very
appreciated.
Our children have been responding very well to their new language and curriculum. The small-sized classes are a great opportunity for them
to get the support they need. Extra activities are plenty and the
houses are a new way for them to grow in a stimulating environment.
We often joke how we prepped our kids for Wellington College by having them watch and read the Harry Potter series. It created a funny
back story to our family adventure in Hangzhou.We were touched by the
tree lighting ceremony and the children’s performances last Christmas.
They worked hard and gave their best.
We also have a special memory of the award ceremony after Sports Day in October 2018. Sacha received a medal for Best Integrity given by
Carlton Palmer. That meant the world to him. It was an immense day.
Seeing a nice picture of Margaux from that Sports Day on the walls at
Wellington is still a great joy.
We are witnessing a clear and central ambition to help each child rise and develop his or her own personality. For us, that makes
Wellington College stand out.
As parents, it is sometimes difficult to get feedback from young kids about their day at school. They could have entirely different ways
to behave than at home, and we don’t usually speak English to them, as
we prefer to use our native tongues. But we can see them rushing to
prepare every morning, getting their uniform in order, knotting their
ties and hurrying to the bus stop. It tells us a lot.If you would like
to join the Wellington community, no matter whether you are planning on
living to Hangzhou or you are already based in Hangzhou, or if you would
like to learn more about the Wellington Values and Identities, you can
arrange an on-site visit by clicking HERE. Our admissions team are on
stand-by to host you for a personalised campus tour and to help you
discover what makes Wellington special.
