13+ Wellington Admissions: Your Ultimate Guide to Gaining Entry and Excelling in the Process
Wellington College: Making a Wellington Application
Wellington College is a co-ed, boarding school in Berkshire, renowned for its innovative and holistic approach to education, combining academic excellence with personal development. It fosters a dynamic learning environment where students are encouraged to explore their potential through a wide range of co-curricular activities, from sports to the arts. The school's strong values of kindness, courage, and respect create a nurturing community, while its cutting-edge facilities and global outlook prepare students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Wellington admissions focusses on identifying students who will thrive in this vibrant, ambitious setting.
Choosing the right school for your child is a challenge, but if you have your eyes set on Wellington College, this blog will break down the admissions timeline and offer tips for the 13+ exams that simplify the Wellington admissions process.
Wellington Admissions: Key Dates
Each year around 200 new students enter Wellington at year 9. For 13+ entry, here are the key Wellington application dates:
Registration deadline: 30th June in Year 5
While this is the final deadline, we recommend you register as early as possible. Registering earlier gives you a better likelihood of receiving your first choice of house, and keep in mind that students going to Wellington College from Wellington Prep may have registered three years in advance!
ISEB Common Pre-test: October/ November in Year 6
On the basic of the ISEB pre-test results, students will be invited to an assessment day at Wellington. For guidance on the ISEB pre-test, see our dedicated blog post. References will also be requested from headteachers at this point.
Assessment and Interview Day at Wellington: January/ February in Year 6.
This informal assessment day gives students collaborative lessons and problem solving tasks to get a sense of the school and so the school can holistically assess them. See our Assessment Day Tips below for more information.Offers: Offers are sent out in March in Year 6, conditional on a favourable report from the current school.
At this point offer holders can visit houses and attend another open day to help them make a decision on which house to select.
For 14+ and 16+ entries, the Wellington admissions process is similar with some slight variations. For example, the registration for Wellington sixth form application runs from June to September a year before entry, with assessments in October and decisions announced by December. For the full Wellington admissions dates, have a look at the Wellington admissions page.
Looking for support with your Wellington application?
Navigating Wellington admissions can be challenging, especially with the school’s emphasis on personal qualities as well as academic rigour. Our expert tutors, many of whom are Oxbridge graduates and former Wellington students, offer personalised guidance to help your child shine in every stage of the application. From preparing for the ISEB pre-test to excelling in interviews, we provide structured tuition tailored to your child’s unique needs and aspirations.
Our tutors work closely with your child to ensure they’re fully prepared, focusing on boosting their academic level and building confidence for the holistic assessment day. With our support, your child will be well-equipped to make a strong impression at every stage of the Wellington admissions process.
Find out more about the 13+ tutoring services we offer here.
Wellington Admissions: 13+ Assessment Day Tips
Wellington has an unconventional assessment day designed equally to give students a sense of what Wellington is about, as much as to see how they handle and interact with problem solving activities and tasks.
On the assessment day, candidates will complete a series of problem-solving activities and attend collaborative mock lessons where a senior teacher will assess their engagement and performance. They will also have 1:1 interviews with teachers/housemasters.
Wellington are looking for students who reflect the core values of the school and the assessment day is their opportunity to see and test the personality of their candidates. Candidates have already proven their intellectual capabilities, now the emphasis is on how they think, get involved and approach problems. It’s therefore important that candidates:
Show curiosity: Wellington prides itself on having a community of curious and driven students who are inspired by learning. On the assessment day, students should ask intelligent questions and convey an excitement about the school.
Are enthusiastic to get involved: Candidates should approach the assessment day with enthusiasm. It’s meant to be a fun and exciting day for them to experience the school so they should showcase their enthusiasm about getting closer to having a place and get stuck in with all the day’s activities. It’s important candidates avoid sitting in the background. While Wellington has methods to encourage all students to get involved, candidates should aim to be proactive in activities and mock lessons.
Are confident: It’s normal for students to feel some level of nerves but they should work to build their confidence in advance of the assessment day so they can speak confidently about themselves and their interests in the interviews. Mock interviews are a great way to build this confidence. You can practise with our 13 plus interview pack or work with a private tutor.
Listen to others: Respect is an important Wellington value. While students shouldn’t avoid taking the lead and showing their knowledge, they should make sure they listen to others in a group setting and take on their ideas. This is a key way to showcase respect and indicate that candidates will be a contributing member of the school community.
Wellington tuition is a great way to prepare students for Wellington admissions and for the assessment day. A Wellington tutor can work to build their student’s confidence, practise assessment day tasks and likely interview questions. Tutors can feedback on the student’s performance and teach them crucial interview skills that ensure they come across well as a candidate on the day.
U2 also has a 13+ interview guide as well as a bank of 13+ questions which you can use to practise with your child and prepare them for their Wellington assessment day.
Wellington Scholarships and Bursaries
Wellington offers bursaries on a means-tested basis. Wellington also offers some scholarships at year 9 entry. An examination and interview for these academic scholarships takes place in Year 8. The majority of Wellington scholarships are awarded at the end of year 9.
Wellington also offers Music scholarships prior to entry. An audition and interview for these takes place in year 8. Sport, Art, Dance and Drama scholarships are offered at the end of year 9.
For students attempting to gain an academic scholarship, preparation should involve extending beyond the syllabus and National Curriculum for their age level in order to compete with the strongest candidates. U2’s 13+ tutors are well-placed to advance students’ level to support them through this process.
Looking for a Wellington Tutor to help with Wellington Admissions?
Is your child aiming for a place at Wellington College? Our team of highly skilled tutors, many of whom are Oxbridge graduates and former Wellington students, are ready to support your child's journey. With their deep knowledge of the school’s admissions process and culture, our tutors are uniquely positioned to provide expert guidance and personalised advice throughout the application.
Our tailored tuition process ensures a personalised and structured approach to preparation. It begins with an initial consultation to discuss your child’s needs and goals before we match your child with a tutor specialist in Wellington admissions.
We recommend starting working with a tutor earlier rather than later, as the ISEB pre-test is sat while students are in year 6. It’s important that at this age they can already demonstrate the academic calibre and potential that Wellington is looking for, as they won’t take any other written test for Wellington admissions. A tutor will assess your child’s current level and quickly bring them up to the level required by ISEB pre-tests to ensure they excel, providing a tailored study plan and individual feedback.
Working with a Wellington tutor in preparation for the assessment day is a great way to improve your child’s confidence and interview performance. Lots of interview skills are in fact highly learnable, so working with a tutor can really improve how your child comes across, something even more vital with Wellington’s holistic approach to selection.