Wellington College International Shanghai

Wellington College International Shanghai is in the Qiantan International Business District, Pudong New District (No.1500 Yao Long Road; campus main gate listed as No.100 Hai Yang Xi Road). The school also operates a separate Early Years Centre (No.195 Tongwan Road). The nearest metro is Oriental Sports Center (Lines 6, 8 and 11 — exit 4 is the recommended exit and involves a short walk via Yaoti/Yaolong roads).

The school runs an Early Years Centre for children aged c.2–5 (Pre‑Nursery, Nursery, Reception), a Primary/Prep phase and a Secondary phase up to Year 13. Years 10–11 follow IGCSE programmes and Years 12–13 study the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP); the school's published age range is from the Early Years through to graduation around age 18.

Wellington Shanghai is a co‑educational private international day school offering a bilingual (English–Mandarin) curriculum and is part of the Wellington College Education (China) group, linked to Wellington College in the UK. The Shanghai campus does not operate a boarding programme (students must reside in Shanghai with a parent).

The school has a Learning Support department that provides bespoke support for pupils with learning difficulties, working with class teachers, families and — where needed — external specialists. Support is planned, reviewed regularly and sits alongside the school's pastoral and wellbeing provision.

The campus is affiliated with Wellington College (the founding school in the UK) and is part of the Wellington College Education (China) network — it is an independent international school rather than a government/state school.

The Shanghai campus does not present itself as a faith school on its website. (For context, the original Wellington College in the UK has historical Church of England roots, but the Shanghai campus does not advertise a religious designation.)

The school notes that every school day begins with a pastoral session; break and lunch arrangements and exact school start/end times vary by year group. Detailed daily timetables and term‑specific schedules are published to parents via the school calendar/parent portal — contact Admissions or consult the calendar/parent resources for the precise times for the year group you are considering.

Wellington provides an optional daily school‑bus service operated with a licensed third‑party transport company; routes cover many pick‑up points (the school cites more than 130 in Puxi and 70 in Pudong) and each bus is staffed by a bus monitor responsible for pupils on the journey. Parents register via the EDU365 bus platform; the school publishes a general annual bus fee and a separate Welly Line (local) route and fee schedule (the website shows the Welly Line fee and the standard annual fee with termly breakdowns).

Wellington College International Shanghai delivers a bilingual (English–Mandarin) curriculum across Early Years, Primary and Secondary stages, integrating Mandarin as a core subject and offering a Dual Language Pathway.
The Early Years Centre (Pre‑Nursery, Nursery, Reception; ages 2–5) follows a bespoke programme linked to the UK Early Years Foundation Stage with play‑based and inquiry approaches.
The Primary School (Years 1–6) uses the English National Curriculum adapted for international learners, delivered through a concept‑based Programme of Inquiry and substantial Chinese language provision.
The Secondary School serves ages 11–18 (Years 7–13): pupils study towards IGCSE qualifications in Years 10–11 (core English, mathematics, sciences plus options in humanities, languages, arts and PE).
Sixth Form (Years 12–13) follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP); Mandarin study routes include IGCSE Mandarin in Years 10–11 and IB language options (ab initio, Chinese B, or Chinese A at SL/HL) in the Diploma years.

Wellington states that pastoral care is central to the College and that every school day begins with a pastoral session led by class teachers, form tutors, heads of year and tutors to provide one-to-one and group discussions, quiet self‑study and wellbeing reflection. The school says its wellbeing curriculum was developed in partnership with the Institute of Positive Education and includes age‑appropriate PSHE elements and mindfulness to build emotional literacy. Pastoral provision is described as operating across Early Years to Year 13, with class teachers taking the lead in Early Years/Primary and heads of year and tutors leading in Senior School. Specific staff roles named on the site include heads of year, tutors and specialists from the Pupil Services department.

The College's website describes a Learning Support department that provides support and guidance to pupils with learning difficulties at varying levels and that the school works closely with teachers, pupils and parents to identify, plan and review bespoke support. The school states that, in some cases, it will engage external partners where the need demands it, and the site references external speech‑language specialists in related events. The website does not present Wellington College International Shanghai as a specialist SEN institution; provision is described as school‑based Learning Support rather than specialised residential or specialist SEN provision. Specific diagnostic categories (for example, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disorders, etc.) are not listed on the public pages.

Wellington publishes a dedicated explanation of its EAL provision: pupils are grouped by ability into three tiers (beginners, intermediate and highly proficient) and may receive targeted small‑group intervention, in‑class EAL teacher support or enrichment and challenge as appropriate. The site names a Director of English as Additional Language and describes practices such as withdrawal groups, in‑class support from EAL teachers and a 1:1 reading programme with interns to develop English proficiency. The pages emphasise immersion in an English‑rich environment alongside structured support to develop both conversational and academic English.

The school describes a central Pupil Services hub that includes counselling, life coaches and learning support and states that wellbeing is delivered through timetabled lessons and specialist interventions. A news article on the site reports that the Pupil Services team includes trained coaches, counsellors, staff trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and art therapists, and that there are fortnightly wellbeing lessons from Year 1 to 13 developed with the Institute of Positive Education. The site also refers to workshops from external specialists (for example ELG) and parent workshops as part of the wider mental‑health provision. Specific hour‑by‑hour service schedules or clinical treatment protocols are not published on the public pages.

Wellington's safeguarding pages state the College has robust child‑protection policies and procedures, requires all staff to read and sign the Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct annually, and provides annual safeguarding training for staff. The school says it follows the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection for recruitment and requires rigorous background checks for staff appointments. The site gives a named contact for safeguarding concerns (Designated Safeguarding Lead, Gemma McDonagh) and offers the full Safeguarding Policy as a downloadable document. For details of policy text, reporting routes or statutory timings, the site directs readers to the downloadable safeguarding policy.

1. Initial enquiry and information-gathering. Contact the Wellington Admissions team (phone and email are published on the school site) or use the online enquiry/OpenApply link to request the Admissions booklet and the application checklist; parents should download and read the booklet and checklist so they know exactly which documents the school requires.

2. Complete the online application. Applications are submitted via the school's OpenApply portal; you will need to upload the documents listed on the published checklist (for example: passport/ID, recent school reports and any assessment records). There is a non‑refundable application fee (RMB 3,500) that must be paid for the application to be reviewed — make sure you attach all required files before submitting.

3. Assessment scheduling and format. After a completed application is received the school arranges an age‑appropriate Wellington admission assessment; assessments are usually held at the campus but can be arranged remotely if your child lives outside Shanghai. Parents should prepare for an assessment that looks at age‑appropriate literacy, numeracy and learning behaviours — the school notes assessment results are considered but are not the sole basis for decisions.

4. Admissions Committee review and decision timing. Applications (including assessment outcomes and submitted documents) are reviewed by the Admissions Committee; the school aims to notify applicants within five working days but warns that busier year groups may take longer. Keep in regular contact with your assigned admissions officer if you need a faster update or if you must meet any internal deadlines.

5. Offer, acceptance and deposits. If you receive an offer the school issues an offer letter; to secure the place parents must accept the College's terms and pay the stated resource fee (the site lists RMB 18,000) within the published acceptance window (the school's page specifies a five‑day deadline). Check the offer letter carefully for the exact payment deadline and the method (bank transfer instructions/terms will be on the letter).

6. Waiting pool / provisional placement (if no place is immediately available). If no places are available you may be placed in the school's waiting pool (the school uses the term “waiting pool” rather than a simple first‑come queue); placement into that pool only happens after a completed application, assessment and a recommendation by the Admissions Committee. The school emphasises that the waiting pool is managed by “best fit” (not strictly by application date) and that not all applicants in the pool will be offered a place.

7. Practical documents, timelines and re‑application. An application remains valid for one academic year (August–June); if you wish to apply for the following year you must submit a fresh application. Parents should also prepare routine documents (proofs of guardianship/residency, up‑to‑date school reports, immunisation/health records where required) in advance to avoid delaying assessment and review.

8. Fees, what they cover and when to review them. The school publishes a detailed fee schedule (the site's 2025–26 schedule lists annual and term breakdowns by year group) and states which items are included (most curriculum materials, basic co‑curricular activities and some trips) and which are excluded (school lunches, uniform, transport, individual music tuition and voluntary trips). Parents should download the full fee schedule from the school site and check the exact figure for their child's year group before accepting an offer.

9. Final enrolment steps and contact. After you accept an offer and complete payment, follow any onboarding instructions from Admissions (medical forms, start‑date confirmation, orientation details). If you have timing constraints (relocation dates, visa timing, sibling placements) communicate these early to your Admissions officer as published contact details are available on the school site.

Wellington Shanghai runs a Fellows & Scholars programme plus means‑tested bursaries. The Fellows Programme recognises pupils (years 10–13) for exceptional contribution in academics, the arts or sport and does not carry a monetary award; Fellows gain additional enrichment opportunities. The Scholars (scholarship) awards are merit‑based, limited in number, focused in Academics, Arts or Sport, carry a bespoke programme of study and may include a fee reduction (the school's communications and news posts reference scholarships that can provide either 50% or 100% reductions in tuition for successful applicants). Applicants for scholarship consideration are typically identified or nominated by subject/department leaders during the admissions process (the site notes there is no separate formal application for scholarship — nominations are reviewed by a scholarship committee). In addition, the College offers bursaries for families in financial need; bursaries are awarded annually after objective means testing and the level of support is limited, so families should contact Admissions for the specific process and timeline. For full details, eligibility criteria and current deadlines consult the school's Fellowship, Scholarship and Bursaries page and the scholarship announcements on the school site.

Wellington College International Shanghai operates a formal waiting pool (referred to on the site as a “waiting pool”). A child is placed into the waiting pool only after the application has been completed, the assessment has been carried out and the Admissions Committee has recommended placement. The school states that the waiting pool is managed by suitability/best fit rather than strictly by application order, and that families will be contacted if a place becomes available; it also warns that not all applicants in the pool will ultimately receive an offer.