ACADEMIC SUPPORT
PREP
Homework or ‘prep’ as it is called at
Wellington, is a very useful part of the whole
learning process as a child grows up and takes
on more responsibilities as the years go by.
Prep is about preparation for lessons and
studies and teachers will use this in a number
of ways to enhance learning.
Pupils can consolidate skills and understanding;
they begin independence in learning without
giving up; they pick up research skills; they
learn breadth and depth of knowledge and
develop self-discipline and time management.
This will vary significantly from subject to
subject and across the year groups increasing
in volume as the children get older.
For years 3 and above, on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday as part of the CCA
programme, the children have a dedicated
hour long ‘prep’ session. This is independent
study time supervised by members of the
academic teaching staff. This allows the pupils
to commence their homework assignments
at school, and then if required, continue and
complete them at home.
Although we expect that the majority of prep
should be completed at school, parents can
still play an important role in learning at home
by establishing a routine, setting a regular,
uninterrupted study time each day in a quiet,
well-lit study area with no distractions.
It is ideal if a parent can monitor their child’s
organisation and daily list of assignments in
their planner whilst helping them to focus on
the learning, not to just get the work done.
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SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS
Children’s experiences and baselines vary
greatly. Some pupils are capable learners but
may need special educational provision to
access the curriculum at some point in their
school lives. It may be a short-term or a
long-term support depending on their needs.
At Wellington, we are committed to
developing children’s academic achievement
as well as personal and social growth. Our
SEN department provides support to pupils
with emergent learning difficulties. In order to
help pupils reach their full potential, we work
closely with teachers and parents identifying
needs, assessing the child, planning the right
support, and implementing and reviewing
SEN support.
We want all pupils to make progress,
recognising ability and potential as well as
celebrating high attainment.
Our aim is to support emergent learning
needs. We cannot support significant learning
needs in the long term.
A copy of the SEN Parents’ Handbook is
available upon request.
ENGLISH AS
AN ADDITIONAL
LANGUAGE (EAL)
As a College, we serve a very diverse
international community, therefore we are
very conscious of the need to support pupils
for whom English may be a second or even
third language.
Throughout the school in years 1-13, we
have developed an excellent EAL course
which is designed specifically to support pupils
in acquiring English both for every day usage
and, most importantly, to better enhance
their academic standards of English across
the curriculum.
Upon application to the school, pupils are
thoroughly assessed to evaluate their level
of English and their ability to access the
curriculum. If a pupil’s assessment outcome
indicates a level of English which could
potentially result in experiencing problems in
mainstream classes, then the Director of EAL
and Head of School, will ensure that this pupil
attends EAL lessons.
Acquiring a new language to an advanced
level of proficiency is a long process and can
take years to master. Whilst at Wellington,
pupils do make better rates of progress than
in other schools, this is not the case for all and
can be very dependent upon the child and the
support of the family. Some parents choose
to have additional English tutors outside
school hours and we strongly encourage
contact between the EAL teacher and tutors
to ensure that similar styles and methods of
teaching are being used, so as not to confuse
the child or cause damage to their learning.
When a pupil is ready to exit the EAL
programme, their parents are informed in
advance. Exiting the EAL programme is only
done after assessments have taken place,
day-to-day work has been scrutinised, and
if we feel that a pupil is ready to leave. This
decision is made with the close consultation
of the pupil’s class teacher and the Director
of EAL.
Pre-Prep English Language Examinations
At Wellington, we ensure high levels of
English language development from a very
early stage. Within both Prep and Senior School, pupils
will be able to work towards their EAL
examinations through Cambridge Language
exams, which give pupils a CEFR level which
reflects their overall language proficieny.
These examinations are spread across year
groups to ensure that pupils have both the
language skills and maturity to undertake very
formal examinations.
From the age of five onwards, our Pre-Prep
pupils who require additional support in
English receive it daily from a qualified
EAL teacher. These lessons involve both
pull-out and in-class support sessions,
where the children receive specialist
attention in the areas of reading, writing,
speaking and listening.
EAL lessons are carefully locked into the
timetable so that they occur during scheduled
literacy and phonics lessons, ensuring that
our EAL pupils do not miss out on any
other subjects. We pride ourselves on
running a rigorous, challenging and enjoyable
programme for all of our pupils that equips
them with the skills and knowledge to be
successful in all areas of the Wellington
curriculum.
Prep and Senior Schools
The curriculum at Wellington College
International Shanghai demands that our
pupils communicate fluently and expertly
both in day to day communication and
academically in English using the four
productive skills: speaking, reading, writing
and listening.
The EAL course for Prep and Senior pupils
offers a comprehens