Governance, School Affairs Board, Best Schools in China- Wellington College Education (China)

Wellington College Education (China) (WCEC) has a robust, multi-layered governance structure that provides strategic oversight and accountability across all our schools. It consists of three key components: the WCEC Executive Board, the School Affairs Boards (SABs) and a series of sub-committees.

The WCEC Executive Board serves as the top level of governance, approving group-wide policies and overseeing the Central Office. Each WCEC school then has its own SAB, which is responsible for its governance and strategic direction. The SAB handles critical tasks such as hiring and evaluating school leadership, setting the school's development plan and evaluating its progress, as well as monitoring educational and financial performance.

To provide more specialised and in-depth governance, the SABs have delegated certain responsibilities to four sub-committees. These allow for deeper analysis and decision-making in their respective domains.

The Academic Sub-Committee (ASC)

The ASC plays a vital role in evaluating the academic performance of our schools. It closely examines a range of data and evidence, including:
• Quality of teaching
• Pupil attainment and progress data
• Public examination results
• University destinations of graduates

The Facilities and Services Sub-Committee (FaSC)

The FaSC oversees the physical infrastructure and support services that enable our schools to thrive. Key duties include:
• Aligning capital expenditure plans with the educational needs of pupils
• Evaluating the quality and effectiveness of services such as catering, uniforms and transport
• Approving long-term facilities maintenance and improvement plans
• Signing off on capital expenditure budgets for facilities and IT
• Ensuring that robust environmental health and safety measures are in place across all WCEC campuses

The Finance and HR Sub-Committee (FiHRSC)

The Finance and HR Sub-Committee (FiHRSC) is tasked with safeguarding the financial sustainability of our schools, as well as overseeing the development and compensation of our staff. Specific responsibilities include:
• Approving annual operating budgets
• Overseeing the creation of multi-year budgets aligned to each school's educational plans
• Ensuring staff salaries are competitive externally and equitable

The Safeguarding and Child Protection Sub-Committee (SCPSC)

The SCPSC operates across the group. It is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding and child protection. Through this sub-committee, we uphold our uncompromising commitment to the safety and wellbeing of every pupil in our care. The SCPSC's key duties are:
• Reviewing safeguarding updates and reports from the schools
• Monitoring the implementation of WCEC's safeguarding action plans
• Ensuring all safeguarding training remains current and in line with best practices from the UK

A key strength of this model is the diverse composition of our boards and committees. We have a balance of full-time, paid employee governors and unpaid, non-executive governors. Appointments come from both Wellington College in Crowthorne and WCEC. The full-time governors bring deep institutional knowledge and administrative expertise, while the non-executive governors provide a wider range of external expertise in areas such as school leadership, academics, finance, legal matters, HR and facilities management.

This blend of voices ensures transparency and accountability while also enabling a more collaborative approach to governance. It has also garnered recognition within the wider field of international education. Most recently, the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) named Wellington College International Hangzhou a Beacon School for its governance practices. It is the only school in China to hold this title. Such an achievement underscores our steadfast commitment to setting the standard for effective, modern school governance.

Wellington College Education (China) Executive Board

Joy Qiao
Wellington College Education (China)
Chair
Paresh Thakrar
Wellington College International
Managing Director
Elton Huang
GLP China
Executive President
Jean-Paul Churchouse
Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Pte
Managing Director
Ros Marshall
Bright Horizons
Managing Director International

Wellington College Education (China) School Affairs Boards

Allen Lueth
Wellington College Education (China)
COO
Alastair Phillips
Wellington College International Shanghai
Head of Primary
Andy Yarrow
Anthem Schools
Chief Executive
Benjamin Evans
The Wellington College
Deputy Head (Academic)
Cathy Xie
Beijing Normal University
Dean of Huiyan International College, Faculty of Education
Chen Chen
Russell Reynolds
Executive Director
Ed Venables
The Wellington College
Head of Wellington College Prep
Edwin Wai
Wellington College UK
Group Estates Bursar
Helen Zhang
Governor
Javier Calvar
Ipsos
Senior leader
Jie Zhang
Westlake University
Deputy Secretary-General
Joanne Budge
REYs federation
Executive Headteacher
Justin Koh
Alix Partners
Senior Vice President
Li Ji
Senior Educator
Lydia Cheung
INNIU Italy
Financial Controller
Lydia Lim
Hiba Academy Shanghai
Bursar
Margie Chiang
Joyview Education
Senior Partner
Maya Tarabay Schisano
Friends of Wellington (FOW)
Founding Member & Event Chair
Paul Vanni
Wellington College International
International Director
Rachel Loaring
Wellington College, UK
International Academic Director
Rebecca Li
Kejie Associates
Senior Partner
Shanshan Lu
Shanghai Seasons Investment Co. Ltd.
Executive Director
Shuanglin Chen
Lujiazui Group
Senior Architect
Stephanie Piper
Devonshire House Prep School
Headmistress
Xueming Liang
Tianjin Juilliard School
Chief Strategy Officer