As President Xi Jinping’s successful state visit to Britain marks a new "Golden Age" of Sino-British relations, New Bund, a division of Shanghai Lujiazui Group, and Wellington College signed a cooperation framework agreement to jointly develop the ‘New Bund Wellington College Bilingual Education Project’. The project marks another major breakthrough in Sino-British education cooperation.
Following the successful joint launch of Wellington College International Tianjin and Wellington College International Shanghai, Lujiazui Group and Wellington College have again joined forces to create ‘New Bund Wellington College Bilingual Education Project’. The project embraces the Wellington College’s ethos, values and model to meet China's domestic demand for high-quality education.
The first phase of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai is designed to meet the needs of children between the ages of 2-6 years. The second phase will extend Bilingual Shanghai into a bilingual school for students until year nine. The project will fully integrate the concepts of Chinese and British education. Furthermore, it will build on the foundation of China's educational heritage and mainstream values and be linked to the eight aptitudes of Wellington College, to provide an exceptional educational environment and underpinned by quality educational resources.
“As Wellington College’s international school is currently unable to meet the educational needs of all households in Shanghai, we are cooperating with New Bund to develop a bilingual education project that is committed to giving Chinese families access to the best of Wellington College’s education," said Mr. Stephen Crouch, Group Finance & Operations Director at the Wellington College UK. "The bilingual education project is another example of our commitment to China. I believe Chinese students will benefit from Wellington College's values, aptitudes and commitment to excellence. Our team is working hard to ensure that students will have access to a unique learning experience in an extraordinary learning environment. "
Ms. Tao Jianwen, General Manager of Shanghai New Bund International Business District Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., said: "The ‘New Bund Wellington College Bilingual Education Project’ will add momentum to the exciting developments taking place in education in Pudong and Shanghai at large. It will play an important role in shaping the New Bund international community. We are looking forward to the opening of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai, which I believe will become an excellent choice in early-years education for Shanghai families.”
"The ‘New Bund Wellington College Bilingual Education Project’ is undoubtedly another successful example of Sino-British educational exchange and cooperation," said Ms. Liu Jing, Head of Education and Skills, UK Trade & Investment, British Consulate General during the signing ceremony. "The ‘Golden Age’ of Sino-British relations is opening a broader space for the development of British educational exchange and prospects for more cooperation. We want to support the Chinese government and enterprises, as well as academic and other relevant institutions, in to bringing high-quality British education resources and partners to China to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in education."
Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai is Shanghai’s first bilingual education institution with a British tradition. The bilingual immersion will ensure that the children have a 50/50% exposure to Chinese and English. In the early years’ setting, Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai will adopt the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as a framework for practice, which will also be linked to the eight aptitudes of Wellington College.
British Headmaster of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai, Ms. Vanessa Szucs-Hussain, said: "The early years’ environment of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai has been very carefully planned and designed to meet the varying needs at each important stage of a child’s life in all areas of learning and development. Supported by a purposefully planned and themed curriculum, the children at Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai will be exposed to learning opportunities in the indoor and outdoor learning spaces by a team of highly motivated and qualified early years’ practitioners.”
Located in proximity to Wellington College International Shanghai, Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai is part of the New Bund International CBD, in an excellent location with convenient access to multiple methods of transport. With an available construction area of 3.5 million square meters, Shanghai New Bund International CBD will become a comprehensive city centre, attracting business headquarters, cultural and media organizations, as well as providing sports and leisure facilities.
The fee of Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai starts from CNY 180,000 per year. Parents can visit Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai from as early as January 2016, and the first intake of students will commence in March 2016.
