WOW!


Widening Opportunity at Wellington

Widening opportunity and access is part of our DNA at Wellington

The College was established to educate the sons of soldiers killed in action at a minimal financial cost. While the need for this has, thankfully, diminished over the years, our ambition to ensure that children of talent and promise are able to reach their full potential is stronger than ever.

Widening Opportunity at Wellington

WOW!

We are supporting the aspirations and ambitions of young people in the UK and helping to change lives by widening opportunity at Wellington.

In 1945, 34% of all Wellington pupils received some form of fee remission

In the future we aim to provide this level of support again. We want to be able to offer over 25% of our students significant means-tested fee support over the next 10 years. Our ambition is to ensure that the make-up of our student body reflects today’s dynamic and diverse society.

If everyone in the Wellington Community gave £30 per month, then in just 2 years, over £10 million would be raised for the ‘WOW!’ campaign. This in turn could allow over 250 students to come to Wellington on a 50% means-tested bursary. Now THAT’S the WOW Factor!

We are extending our reach to allow children with real promise, but limited financial means, the opportunity to come to Wellington. Scholarships are a key part of our widening opportunities work, aimed at raising attainment of young people in our partner schools and local community, and sit alongside the work we do with the Wellington Academies in Wiltshire, the Independent State School Partnership, our Teaching Schools programme and the Global Social Leadership programme.


 

“The experiences I gained at Wellington and the memories I now cherish have shaped my future. Words simply cannot express the gratitude I feel towards receiving a bursary – the two years I spent at Wellington have changed my life.”
Maya Stock OW 2017


 

“Wellington is more than just a school – for me it is a place where lifelong friendships were born and where character-defining events in my life happened. I owe it to this College for making me the person I am today – my beliefs, values, character and aspirations were all formed within these walls – thanks to the generosity of the bursary programme and academic scholarship which enabled me to attend.”
David Kim OW 2016

 

We are now reaching out to our community and asking you to pull together to help widen opportunities at Wellington.

OUR SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS

Our scholarship students are motivated, aspirational and committed to transforming their lives by taking advantage of all the experiences that an education at Wellington can offer. All scholarship students must have the potential to be able to cope and thrive in the busy and high-achieving atmosphere of Wellington College. This promise is likely to manifest itself in terms of academic potential and character, but may also be in other areas of school life, whilst taking into consideration the lower levels of support and opportunities that each student may have been given up to the point of entry.

 

Our successfully run scholarship programme has three key elements:

FUNDING

Funding comes from very generous donations from the Wellington Community; parents, OWs and friends. Our scholarships are awarded to both day and boarding students to cover fees and additional costs when required, to cover items such as clothing, equipment, trips, laptops and stationery.

SELECTION

We consider each application on a case-by-case basis. Successful candidates show potential academic ability and preferably offer potential excellence in other areas of College life. Whilst direct contact is an acceptable route to applying for a scholarship, the College has close affiliations with partner organisations including; Springboard, Eastside Young Leaders Academy (EYLA), Into University and others. All our partners have rigorous systems of selection to ensure due diligence and selection based on our criteria.

TRANSITION PROCESS AND ONGOING PASTORAL SUPPORT

We understand that our scholarship students and their families may need additional pastoral support, both when they begin and throughout their time with us, and to this end there are a range of initiatives to support the process including: familiarisation days, parent/carer get-togethers, a ‘buddy’ system for the students as well as the parents/carers.

Latest news

17 for 17 Podcast Launches with Darcy Bourne (C 20), GB Hockey Player

07 November 2025

This week, we launched our brand new podcast, 17 for 17: 17 Stories of Sustainable Impact, a series of 17 inspiring conversations between current Wellington students and OWs who are making a global impact through their careers. Each episode aligns with one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and explores personal career […]

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Latest PAF Supporter Update

06 November 2025

We are delighted to share with you the latest Prince Albert Foundation Supporter Update for the Michaelmas Term. We hope you enjoy reading inspiring stories about our Scholars’ achievements, new initiatives such as the mentorship programme for PAF OWs, and highlights from Giving Week 2025.

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Wellington College shortlisted in Talk Education Awards for ‘Support for Life Beyond School’

15 September 2025

Going up against entries from hundreds of schools around the globe, Wellington is delighted to have been recognised for our efforts to prepare pupils for life beyond the ‘school bubble’.  Earlier this month, Wellington was named Best of the Best Senior School for Preparation for Life in The Week Independent Schools Guide. We proactively equip pupils to flourish in their future […]

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