Character development is an essential part of the education we provide. The Global Citizenship programme helps pupils to understand their role in the world, to aid their transition to empowered engaged social change-makers who will have a positive impact in society.
There are two key foundations to the Global Citizenship programme, the college values linked to the duty to serve, and the UNESCO framework, specifically linked to Sustainable development Goal 4.7.1 and the eight competencies of UN Education Report (2017). Global Citizenship Education (GCED) aims to build a respect for all, to empower pupils to become proactive contributors to society, developing core competencies to ensure that they are able to actively engage with the world and so make positive social change.
Collaboration
The programme could not run without collaboration, both within and outside of college. Many projects are built in partnership with local, national or international community groups. “The Big Gold Box” is an example of both, seeing the Global Education, Chaplaincy and Global Citizenship areas of college come together to deliver an immersive programme for pupils to link with communities around the world, so better understanding global issues and their interconnectedness, empathy and encourage intercultural understanding.
Arts Award
Launched in 2005, Arts Award is a national qualification that aims to help young people deepen their engagement with the arts and build their creative and leadership skills through project based learning.
Offered at a Bronze level to all 3rd Form pupils, this qualification should develop pupils interests, knowledge and skills through actively participating in an art form of their choice, passing on an arts skill, experiencing an arts event as an audience member and researching an inspiring artist or craftsperson.
5th and Sixth Forms pupils can choose to undertake the Silver Arts Award, with its defined leadership and project skills, creation of their own arts challenge in addition to becoming a reviewer and researching future opportunities and careers in the arts
Open to Fifth and Sixth Form pupils, this strand sees pupils undertake a structured programme to gain various skills and qualifications, culminating in an Institute of Outdoor Leadership accredited award.
Pupils then use the skills they have learnt to pass on the joy of outdoor adventure to local state primary school pupils who visit the Wellington College site to try out paddling on Swan Lake, climbing and low rope team tasks. Wellington College pupils supervise the sessions under the watchful eye of the qualified staff involved and the noisy sounds of enjoyment from the visiting pupils.
This strand brings many of the Global Citizenship competencies to the fore, giving pupils the chance to develop communication skills in a differing team environment, think about the interconnectedness of the world, and use critical thinking skills to problem solve to name a few.
Community Action involves experiential learning working directly with a community partner, usually in the area local to college. Projects are created with the community partners need in mind, giving pupils the chance to engage with others outside the Wellington community, explore and follow their passions, whilst developing Global Citizenship competencies and their own personal growth.
The programme aims to show pupils the impact they can have on society, both now and into the future, inspiring them to help and serve others at all life stages. Wellbeing benefits of helping others sit alongside the knowledge gained through these direct interactions with communities beyond college, understanding of our world and the difference pupils can make.
Projects are wide and varied but focus on a number of key areas; working with the young; working with the elderly and vulnerable; working with animals; and working for the environment. There are many long-term partnerships in this area, including the local Crowthorne Foodbank, many local state primary schools, SEND schools, and various settings for the elderly.
Connected Curriculum
Connected Curriculum is Wellington College’s version of service learning. An integrated approach which invites students to engage with and learn academic subject content in the context of social change and social action.
Service Learning is a rigorous and well-evidenced educational pedagogy which brings life to learning by incorporating meaningful community engagement, academic inquiry and critical reflection into each experience. Projects generally come from the student’s own passions and interests as they develop their projects and engage with the wider world. Each team has a student leader and is supported by a staff mentor to help guide the learning aims and outcomes.
Focus is still given to linking with the world beyond Wellington College and interaction with other communities, whether that be linking with a state partner teaching school pupil for content for the latest edition of BaCoN (science magazine), building a new website and social media campaign for a charity or building links with and offering support to local refugee families.
Enrichment
Of the eight Global Citizenship competencies, Enrichment allows pupils to explore the sense and security of identity most readily, which applies equally to the identity of other people as much as to themselves.
The Enrichment strand of the Global Citizenship programme is about turning a selfish interest into a selfless contribution; or as Picasso is credited with having said; “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Offered to Third, Fifth and Sixth Form pupils the enrichment strand has pursuits from origami, escape rooms, mountain biking to green power racing and MUN, offering an unrivalled diversity of activities that allows pupils to truly discover more about themselves and the world around them.
Social justice is a programme open to 5th and Sixth Form pupils, focussed on access, equity, rights and participation, so making society function better for all. Pupils concentrate on one of four key areas, Gender & Identity, LGBTQ+, Poverty & Inequality, and Race & Identity, to learn more about the issues involved before moving to a social justice action phase.
With emphasis on creating positive social change, pupils devise their own action programmes, deciding on aspects to focus on, from links to their own personal stories, or taking inspiration from what they have learnt in the first past of the programme.
Sustainability
The sustainability programme looks at the world’s biggest challenges – climate change, food security, economic security, natural resource use, political stability, human health, etc. that affect us globally and locally. Pupils discover more about these topics with guest experts, scientists, NGO leaders, politicians, company leaders, youth activists. This introduction to current thinking about the sources of and solutions to these kinds of complex, systems-based challenges concludes with pupils looking at roles and responsibilities so being able to make positive changes.
Pupils develop initiatives using Wellington College as their laboratory and identify global issues to work on and interact with national and international actors. Reflection and discussion sessions are an important part of shaping initiative in the initial phase with staff mentor help where needed.
The final phase of the annual programme is hands-on action. This sees pupils empowered to find creative ways to solve real GLOCAL challenges at the interface of the pillars of sustainability. The course is accredited by SEEd, UNESCO key global partner.
Open to Sixth Form pupils, Wellington College Peace and Conflict Institute offers a Peacebuilders programme, learning about conflicts, wars and genocides of the last century, the human causes of genocidal conflict and how the media tap into normal human feelings to whip up fear and hatred.
Inspiration comes from Role Models for Peace, those people who are brave and stand up for peace and justice to make a difference in conflict situations. Pupils also learn how to take practical action to be an upstander, not a bystander, when seeing everyday conflicts.
WCPCI also has practical outreach projects for community building and social justice across lines of conflict to put the learning into action. Projects include Refugee outreach, Inclusivity advocates and an Islamophobia action group.
Welly Leaders
Pupils in the Fifth and Sixth forms can join the “WellyLeaders” on Wednesday afternoons and learn more about the evidence base behind great leadership, help run a Festival of Leadership for other schools, start their own social action project and work towards a certificate in leadership.
Pupils also have the opportunity to join our global leadership programme – Global Social Leaders – and to work on the many courses and conferences we put on for other schools and organisations. To find out more about this, please visit the Global Social Leaders website.
