Wellington College, one of the top UK schools with a 170 year old heritage, has set up a K-12 School in Pune with its academic year beginning in September 2023. Wellington College International Pune, with its extensive academic facilities totalling more than 4,00,000 sq. ft., is said to be one of the biggest International Schools to open in Maharashtra.
Wellington College International Pune, Academic Block
The School hosted a Getting to Know You event for parents in preparation for opening this September.
The Founding Master, Dr Murray Tod, presented what Wellington has to offer as a school in the changing landscape of education in India.
Founding Master of Wellington College International Pune, Dr Murray Tod
He noted that “Drawing upon the Wellington legacy of world class educational provision, the school will be ready to share not only its state of the art infrastructure but also their pioneering approach to teaching Wellbeing.”
Ms Katie Byrne, Founding Head of Junior school, presented on the school’s philosophy for curriculum, pedagogy and a holistic education.
Katie Byrne informed that, “This is a very exciting time for education in India. As the NEP lays down, with the global ecosystem it is becoming increasingly critical that children not only learn, but more importantly learn how to learn. Education must move towards less content, and more towards learning about how to think critically and solve problems, how to be creative and multidisciplinary. This is core to what Wellington is set to achieve.
We are very aware and mindful of the respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum and pedagogy.
After serving in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo, I am delighted to be part of the Pune community and enjoying the hospitality and vibrancy that the city offers.”
This will be the first school of its kind in Pune. Mr Anuj Aggarwal, Co-founder Wellington College International India and Co-Founder Unison Group, led the vision to bring a Wellington Education to India. As he commented:
“When we looked to partner with Wellington there was a lot of synergy between what Wellington College UK was offering and what we as an Indian partner were looking to establish. For our first school in India, Pune was a natural choice for the fact that a lot of impetus is given to good education by the people of the city, it is dynamic and forward facing. We are fully committed to provide the best of the global education and Wellington experience to Punekars.”
Parents were able to take a tour of the campus and view the upcoming academic, sports, music, performance, science and technology areas, including the pioneering Harkness Room and Learning Villages.
A parent, who has registered her daughter, said, ”We attended the Wellington College International School’s – Getting to Know You session. The HODs are highly experienced with exposure to international standards of education. The school curriculum is second to none. I am happy to see WCI Pune integrate compassion into their teaching standards and emphasise the importance of values. With the state-of-the-art facilities and best of teachers, along with an encouraging environment, we are very excited to see our children blossom and excel. It is an international school in the true sense.”
