Women are essential to Wellington College China’s success

Vivian Yang

HR & Admin Specialist

Central Office

Wellington College China 

Vivian Yang started as an intern in the Central Office’s Administration Department. But when was offered a full-time position, she wanted pivot to the HR Department. To her surprise, she had her supervisor’s full support. Being new to HR, she faced plenty of challenges, but she got the guidance she needed from her colleagues. Through Wellington’s training programmes she quickly upskilled.  

Two years later, she is making a meaningful contribution to her team. Looking ahead, Vivian says, “I will continuously explore within the profession to find which specialties and options are most compelling and exciting.”  

Kathryn Hastings

Early Years Class Teacher

Hiba Academy Nantong 

Kathryn Hastings was ready for a career move, but the thought of leaving Canada to work at our newest bilingual nursery in Nantong was daunting to say the least. But her conversation with Simon Kenworthy, Master of Hiba Academy Nantong, and May Xue, the school’s Chinese Co-Head of Early Years reassured her that the move was the right choice. “They provided me with full confidence that I could really find people who I wanted to get to know and work with here,” she says. 

After coming on board, she hit the ground running with the school’s comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes, which provided opportunities to upskill and learn from experts in various fields.

Daisy Xie 

Deputy Head of Primary

Hiba Academy Shanghai

In her five years at Hiba Academy Shanghai, Daisy Xie has advanced from Head of Chinese to Deputy Head of Primary School. She attributes this to what she describes as the school’s “learning and growth-oriented atmosphere.” She benefited immensely from weekly CPD programmes, Wellington’s annual Festival of Education and WCC The Bridge | China collaborations with East China Normal University. 

 

 

“This is a group of educators who share the same vision and are willing to put in every effort to pursue excellence, even though sometimes it means we spend twice as much time weekly developing inquiry-based course models. Every moment we experience, every step we take, and every change we try to make here — they all count,” she says.  

Alice Wang 

Assistant Head of Primary

Hiba Academy Hangzhou

Even with a bachelor’s degree from Beijing Normal University, a master’s degree from Harvard and a national high school teaching certificate, Alice Wang has found boundless potential for professional growth at Hiba Academy Hangzhou. 

Ever since joining as a teacher of Chinese, she has expanded her skill set through the school’s regular training sessions. “These sessions equip us with the tools we need to provide our pupils with the best education possible,” Alice reflects. And combined with her own persistence, the sessions have paid off. Alice is now the Assistant Head of Hiba Hangzhou’s Primary School.  

Yvette Peden 

Head of Senior School

Wellington College Tianjin

When asked why she joined Wellington College  Tianjin last summer, Yvette Peden, Head of Senior School, recalls, “I love the drive through the gates at Wellington College, through the wonderful grounds and seeing the old historic buildings. It is a very impressive school and I have been lucky to go to a few of the Wellington College summer Festivals of Education. They have been very inspirational for me in my work as a leader of a school in the UK.” 

In her brief time at Wellington Tianjin, she notes how impressed she is with her colleagues.” They are highly knowledgeable and collaborative, and they are guiding me along,” she says. “There's a collaborative network across the WCC schools who are also very friendly and helpful.”

Suisui Yu 

Principal

Hiba Academy Nantong 

Suisui Yu is now entering her fifth year with Wellington College China. She originally joined Wellington College China as a member of the WCC The Bridge | China, which she describes as “a pioneering effort to this day”. 

 

She was then given an even bigger challenge, opening the group’s flagship bilingual school in the middle of a global pandemic. “I was really touched by the solidarity and dedication of our team, meeting this challenge head on so we could welcome our founding class of pupils in 2022, as planned,” she recalls. “These days, I am happy to see the twinkle of curiosity in our pupils’ eyes, and I am moved by the strength and dedication our founding team have shown in opening this school.” Recently, Ms Yu celebrated an important milestone, Hiba Nantong’s 100th day in session.