Wellington Today Wellington Today 2018 en | Page 43

2018
WE ARE WELLINGTON
INTRODUCING
THE FOUNDING TEAM OF
WELLINGTON COLLEGE
BILINGUAL HANGZHOU
Paul Rogers
Founding Executive Master
Wellington College Hangzhou Jacqueline Speer Sharon Wan
Head of Early Years
Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou Deputy Head of Early Years
Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou
Paul Rogers, Executive Master of
Wellington College Hangzhou, has
worked as Founding Principal at Taylor’s
International School Puchong, Malaysia for
the past three years where he has helped
oversee the preparation, launch and
successful establishment of the school.
Enrolment is currently at over 1,300
pupils and rising. When she was younger, Jacqueline
thought kindergarten was a time of joy
and possibilities. As an adult she has built
upon these early understandings through
18 years of advocating for meaningful,
high quality education for young children
both at home in Australia and China.
This global platform enabled Jacqueline
to gain an understanding of international-
mindedness, and the importance of
developing this in young learners.
Prior to working in Malaysia, Paul
established, as Headmaster and Member
of the Board, the first ‘Article One’
Bilingual International School in Makuhari,
Japan where he worked for six years.
Makuhari International School grew to
full capacity during his time there and was
a model for other similar schools to be
established over the following years.
Paul trained as a teacher at La Saint
Union College of Further Education in
Southampton UK, specialising in Music,
after which he obtained the National
Professional Qualification for Headship
from the Leadership College as well
as becoming an Associate of the Royal
College of Music – focusing on piano and
‘cello. Prior to training to become a teacher
he studied music at Hull University.
When not working, Paul is passionate
about football and will happily watch all
and any English Premier League match
taking place. He also likes cooking,
immersing himself in different cultures as
well as travelling.
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Jacqueline is particularly interested in
innovative, research based pedagogy,
which was the focus of both her Bachelor
and Masters of Early Childhood degree.
Jacqueline passionately believes children
learn at their best from an authentically
responsive curriculum that validates their
interests as worthy of investigation.
When Jacqueline is not working -
supporting her daughters – or caring
for animals, you can probably find her
cooking. She enjoys using ingredients
from all over the world in her passion
for trying and tasting new cuisines. The
most important part of cooking to
her is its collaborative nature, with lots
of fond memories of baking with her
grandmother, mother and sisters.
Sharon Wan holds a Master’s degree
in Educational Studies and a Bachelor
of Science from East China Normal
University. Her academic background has
been enriched by 17 years of working with
young children at international schools
in Shanghai, which has given Sharon an
in-depth insight into bilingual education.
She treasures working with teachers
from different parts of the world and
appreciates the diversity of cultures. Prior
to working in Wellington College Bilingual
Hangzhou Nursery, Sharon spent one year
as a Grade 1 Math teacher in a bilingual
school in Shanghai.
Sharon believes that education for young
children is about listening, facilitating and
extending their interests. Passionate about
creating a stimulating learning environment,
Sharon arranges the classroom in a
way that encourages problem solving,
encouraging children to become active
participators in their learning.
Shen Guoqiang
Head of Junior High
Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou
Mr Shen Guoqiang is currently the head
of junior high at Wellington College
Bilingual Hangzhou. He is originally from
Hangzhou and has been devoted to junior
high school education in Hangzhou for
27 years, working as an English teacher,
English language teaching researcher,
teacher trainer and vice principal. Before
joining Wellington College in Hangzhou,
he has worked at Hangz hou Jianlan Middle
School for 4 years as vice principal. His
research interests and expertise involve
bilingual education, curriculum design
and development, teacher training, TESL
teaching, cross-cultural communication,
and study abroad planning.
Mr. Shen believes that a strong curriculum
is like a track leading pupil’s growth and
development. In a bilingual environment,
with highly qualified and professional
local and native English teachers working
together in small classes, we can not only
successfully transform our pupils’ cross-
cultural communication skills and improve
their second language acquisition. We can
also promote interdisciplinary interaction
and knowledge integration, and help our
pupils achieve well-rounded development
and personal growth.
Jonathan Mills
Head of Primary
Wellington College Bilingual Hangzhou
After graduating from Kingston Polytechnic
(Kingston University London) with a degree
in Chemistry, Jonathan Mills first worked
in the Chemical industry then gained a
commission as an Officer in The Royal
Air Force before embarking on a career
in teaching.
Prior to joining Wellington College Bilingual
Hangzhou, Jonathan spent four years as
principal of an international school in
Yiwu city, Zhejiang province China. Before
coming to China Jonathan was Deputy
Head of Great Ballard Preparatory school
in West Sussex.
Jonathan has specialised in teaching Science,
but has also taught Maths and Geography at
KS3, coached rugby and cricket and been a
head of boarding.
Jonathan is determined to ensure that
every child that attends Wellington College
Bilingual Hangzhou is challenged to be their
best every day, that they enjoy their learning
and become real Wellingtonians; striving
to have a positive impact on the world and
maximising their potential.
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