Choosing the right school can be a difficult decision for parents and children, so if considering a boarding education then making the right choice is even more important. By choosing to board, parents trust the school with their children’s day-to-day welfare, with the same high standard of care you would find in your own home, but with all the advantages of being part of a vibrant community. Boarding can make a real difference to children’s lives, with both independent and state boarding schools producing successful young men and women, who have the self-confidence to go on and achieve in their chosen fields.

Like every other aspect of society, boarding schools, and even the choice of boarding options, have changed significantly in the past few years. As part of a major expansion of state-funded boarding, Wellington Academy in Tidworth, Wiltshire, is one of only three academies in the country due to open new residential accommodation in September this year.

The Academy is sponsored by the leading private school Wellington College, and was established in 2009 to become one of the best and most exciting non-selective state schools in the country. Our £32 million campus is a learning hub for the whole community and the Academy has spent £5.5 million to create two boarding houses for 100 students, in state-of-the-art facilities. The campus also has outstanding sporting facilities, including a community sports and fitness centre, a 300-seat theatre and community radio station.
 

Wellington College has worked closely with us to establish the boarding houses and our students already enjoy a close relationship with the college. Our two boarding houses are twinned with college houses, and there will be opportunities to develop links further in the evenings and weekends for those that board.

Since opening, Wellington Academy has already become one of Wiltshire’s highest-performing schools; Ofsted judged progress ‘outstanding’. This remarkable start has been achieved by a dedicated staff team, with exceptionally strong parent and community support. Nearly half of the students at the Academy are drawn from Service families based at the nearby garrison, so we fully understand the particular needs of growing up on the move. By providing a boarding option the Academy now has the ability to offer continuity of provision to the children of Service families who are posted away, in a secure and safe environment, where you can be confident that your child’s social and educational needs will be more than met.

Wellington Academy admits students between the ages of 11 and 18, and there are several flexible boarding options for parents to choose from, all of which aim to ensure students are able to socialise, make friends and build independence in a supportive environment. Parents can opt for their children to board on a daily, weekly or termly basis. Unlike days gone by, when children were ‘sent away to boarding school’, the Academy encourages communication and parents are kept closely in touch regarding students’ welfare and progress, not least by the use of modern technology.

Living away from home in fully equipped individual study rooms, students are able to enjoy a range of enrichment activities, make use of the brand new facilities, and benefit from outstanding care, guidance and support from our dedicated pastoral team. Boarders also have the opportunity to join in the Academy’s Combined Cadet Force, run by our teaching staff and based in our purpose-built cadet centre, which includes a 25-metre indoor shooting range. By joining the cadets, students benefit from a high standard of training and are part of a disciplined organisation in a school setting, where they can develop their leadership skills and qualities such as responsibility, self-reliance and perseverance.

Hand in hand with the development of Academies, the growth of state-funded boarding provision heralds a genuinely exciting time in the field of UK education. The expansion of residential education brings greater parental choice and an opportunity to take advantage of the improvements pioneered by Academy schools. Wellington Academy, in partnership with Wellington College, is proud to be part of this exciting future. Our dedicated Service families deserve the very best in terms of education and care for their children. Our Academy can provide that.

 

 

Click on the cover to read the magazine in an interactive electronic format. Many school advertisements have interactive links. If you are having difficulties obtaining copies of Service Parents Guide to Boarding Schools magazine please contact your unit post form. Alternatively, click here for your free copy

Back issues
Click here to view back issues of Service Parents Guide to Boarding Schools