The Inaugural Wellington College China Festival of Education Hangzhou Brought Innovative Education Insights to this Leading Technology Hub of China

HANGZHOU, China, May 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellington College International Hangzhou successfully held their inaugural Festival of Education in Hangzhou April 14^th - 15^th. The event brought together 13 speakers to deliver 29 presentations, talks, and workshops across the two days, inspiring over 500 participants from Hangzhou and the surrounding regions (who are involved in or passionate about education) to explore, celebrate, learn, debate and connect.

Hangzhou's reputation as a hub for innovation and creativity has attracted high-end foreign talent in fields such as technology and e-commerce. Many have moved and immigrated to Hangzhou with families, and this has triggered high demand for high-quality international education in Hangzhou. The Festival of Education fulfills the need for higher level debate and discussion on education as the region grows and develops.

Over the two-day event in Hangzhou, experts from the United Kingdom, China and all over the world gathered in this international school in Hangzhou, bringing their views and expertise on forward-looking educational issues and stimulating thinking and discussion about education in international perspectives. This year's festival provided additional opportunities for in-depth discussion on the five key strands of Early Years, Wellbeing, a Developing Romance between Chinese and British education, Exploring Education and Multilingualism.

Key speakers at the event included Ruby Wax, renowned writer, comedian, performer and mental health campaigner; Professor Sir Jonathan Bate, eminent intellectual, Shakespeare scholar, writer, and broadcaster; and the inventor of the Leuven Scales for emotional wellbeing, Professor Ferre Laevers. The broad range of speakers from diverse backgrounds provided opportunities for festival participants to explore the festival strands from a range of perspectives.

Paul Rogers, Executive Master of Wellington College Hangzhou, said, "As part of the Wellington College family of schools, Wellington College International Hangzhou follows the tradition, providing a world-class international education in Hangzhou. Although this is the very first full-scale Festival of Education in Hangzhou, the fact that this is the first time we've done this does not mean that we are prepared to settle for second best. We hope that participating educators in Hangzhou, whether they be teachers or parents, learnt something new or affirmed something they already thought they needed to know during the two-day event."

Wellington College International Hangzhou offers a world-class international education for children of expatriate families from the ages of 5 to 18 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang and beyond. As with all Wellington College schools, the Wellington Values and Identities form the core of the holistic education provided by Wellington College International Hangzhou. In Pre-Prep and Prep-School, the College follows the British education system, which is enhanced through the cross-curricula International Primary Curriculum. In Senior School, pupils will complete the IGCSE and then choose to follow either the A Levels or IB Diploma, depending on their needs.

As a college providing British education in Hangzhou, Wellington College International Hangzhou not only offers high-quality curriculum and assessment framework, but also the high-quality teaching. Pupils who obtain a British education leave their schools full of confidence and self-belief, but without arrogance. Independence, integrity, empathy, respect and tolerance, together with good morals and understanding are all encouraged in a British education, as is an acceptance of individuality and eccentricity. The College also aspires to create a caring, international community that develops well-rounded individuals with strong values and the skills and identity to thrive within an ever-changing world.