The Wellington School

We have three children at The Wellington School, two in middle, one in lower school. We have experienced both Wellington and the UA public schools, and are very pleased with our choice to be at Wellington. Our kids experience things they otherwise would not have in a bigger school. We've found the faculty and staff very attentive, and an extremely engaged parent community. As parents, we strongly align with the schools focus on life skills, leadership, independent thinking, and risk taking in a safe environment. We feel at home at Wellington. Our children are thriving.
—Submitted by a parent

I've been a Wellington parent for almost six years. After having left for a year to try the local schools, I can honestly say that Wellington challenges and supports our kids like nowhere else. Now in middle school, my somewhat timid oldest daughter has the confidence to perform on stage, join sports teams, and program robots. It's a joy to see her flourish. My independent-minded middle child is thrilled with the additional responsibilities offered in fifth grade. My youngest child is in third grade and has discovered a wonderful connection with his humorous, talented teacher. We love the authentic learning experiences at every level! Especially as compared to our homogenous public school, Wellington's environment is diverse and creative. Our children's classmates are more open-minded and less inclined to use peer pressure. Although not a small commitment, we believe Wellington is the best choice for our family for many years to come.
—Submitted by a parent

To everyone saying there is bullying at this school, that is a pure lie. I've been going to this school my entire life, and as a freshman now, there is little to now bullying. At all. Wellington puts a very strong hand against bullying and takes many efforts to remind students of the terrible things bullying can create. I love the teachers and people here with all my heart. I don't think I could've been put into a better environment. The teachers really care about helping students reach their full potential, and the aura of the school itself is very... "homey." I think this school is incredibly fantastic. The heads of each level of school are very good at handling problems and creating a great environment for students to learn. I love it here, and never want to leave.

To the grandparent who posted about her granddaughter coming home crying every day: It's really not worth it to finish out the school year under those circumstances. Just leave now. I am really sorry to hear about your situation and have experienced the same as a Wellington parent. You may want to reach out to St Agatha's to see if they can take your granddaughter now since they do have open enrollment. I don't think your son/daughter will be able to get out of the financial contract with Wellington but given your situation, the circumstances are extreme so maybe they won't have to pay the rest of the tuition. Good luck to you. We are not returning either because the bullying also extends beyond the Board and involves kids with 2-3 siblings and large donation families. Bringing in national experts to talk about bullying doesn't stop it. Expelling problem students stops it. While the Wellington philosophy of inclusiveness, respect, tolerance is wonderful, they really could have a tremendous school if only they would raise the bar for behavior and hold students accountable, regardless of social status or donation history. It's sad because there are otherwise so many positives here.
—Submitted by a parent

We have tried to address the bullying going on at Wellington and have been met with stiff resistance because of the politics at this school. Children are not coming first... fear and politics are stopping anyone at this institution from doing anything about it. The Board of Trustees should address the fact that one of their members and his daughter are keeping good people from attending and donating to the school. It's a heart wrenching and ugly scene when no one stands up for children who are being bullied. Shame on you Wellington.
—Submitted by a parent

Bullying is running rampart, totally unchecked and the staff refuses to deal with the situation. My granddaughter has been the target of an older child in her class and simply comes home crying every day. She is frightened to go to school....it just so happens that the girl doing the bullying is the daughter of a member of the Board of Trustees. It is a bad situation that needs to addressed. My granddaughter will be going to St Agatha's next year. We have now heard of several other children who have had similar problems in the past and have left the school.

I Have Been going to Wellington since Kindergarten. I have excelled to the fullest. I talk to my other friends who are a grade ahead of me and are taking math classes a grade below me and it just amazes me. I am able to play any sport I want no cuts. And also being able to be a part of some great clubs. Great school really is like a family I could name 95% of the students and teachers in the whole school.

Our son entered Wellington Kindergarten this year (Aug. '12) and the school so far has more than lived up to our expectations. 1. They are effective at differentiation: Our son came from a Montessori preschool and was reading at a 1st grade level. He is already on a different reading track from students who are not reading at that level. There are 18 kids in his class and essentially two teachers, so they are able to differentiate proficiently 2. They are teaching the "whole child" not just academics. So they are taught to help each other, be leaders and not allow any bullying. They eat family-style at lunch: each table has a teacher and 12 students of mixed grades. The older kids help make sure the younger kids have a "colorful plate" to encourage thinking about what you are eating. Parents are invited to join a table on Thursdays. 3. There is an extremely diverse curriculum with French, music, art, PE all taught by specialist teachers. And each quarter they do an additional off-campus activity, this quarter it's gymnastics, next swimming and finally horse back riding. 4. Sports are inclusive - anyone who wants to play can join the team. We're very satisfied!
—Submitted by a parent

My child came to Wellington from a suburban public school which is supposedly one of the best in the state. Wellington has exceeded our expectations. I can honestly say there is no busywork. The teachers are excellent, caring, and have high expectations. Also, after a year at Wellington, her test scores on the Ohio proficiency test were all advanced.--I cannot say enough about this incredible school.
—Submitted by a parent

The Pre-K curriculum is antiquated. They do the same activities year after year. It is truly lacking of any ingenuity, and it is not driven by student interest. The curriculum focuses on the Letter of the Week. Since I have worked in early education, I will tell you this is a dated practice. When our son entered the program, he could identify all of his letters and related sounds, but the Pre-K staff did nothing to foster higher level reading skills such as blending of sounds. Despite Wellington s claims, there is absolutely no differentiated instruction. It is a one-size fits all approach to education. The Pre-K staffs repeatedly assert that much is learned through play. They use this notion to justify the exorbitant amount of free time afforded to the students. By the latter part of the school year, our son s teachers were not busily preparing him for kindergarten. His instruction was limited to basically extended recess and videos.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former Wellington student, I often look back and regret attending this school. I'm currently in high school enrolled in one of the best public school systems in the country. However, I struggled through mathematics in my initial high school years. This was due to the lack of preparation on Wellington's part; I had to independently re-learn Algebra and the general math fundamentals. I also currently have a private tutor for English comprehension; again, Wellington's poor preparation. If Wellington costs around 20k to attend, and is known as a "college-prep" school, why in the world was I struggling in my initial high school years? Honestly, If you're looking to enroll your child to this school, think twice, because there's better options, including: Dublin, Bexley, and UA-all three are the best public school systems in Ohio. There are also prestigious boarding/private, including: Phillips Academy, Deerfield, Columbus Academy, and the Columbus School for Girls.

I came to Wellington in the middle of the year in 4th grade and I felt like i had been there since kindergarten. The teachers were all really nice and caring.

Best school in the city.Fabulous, caring teachers, wonderful community feel, great facilities, creating a well rounded child with progressive learning preparing my child to be a risk taker and lifelong learner.
—Submitted by a parent

I am surprised to read that a student or two have negative comments regarding the Math and Science. My family has no affiliation with this school. We do have friends (both with PhD in a Math/Science field) who sent their child to Wellington for middle school from one of the top rated public schools in the area. Their reason was the Math/Science program! I agree with the writer who says it sounds like someone has an axe to grind.

I'm a Junior at Wellington (a lifer) and I've experienced nothing but the best from Wellington. The two negative reviews I see here both appear to be from eighth grade students, one who isn't interested in an independent education and the other who just has incorrect information. When I was in 7th grade at Wellington, I took Algebra I and I successfully completed Algebra II in 8th grade. This has all prepared me for the AP BC Calculus class I take today. Wellington offers AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP AB and BC Calculus, not to mention the robotics programs offered in all three divisions. While Wellington's arts are second to none, one simply cannot say that we do not value Math and Science. And finally, to comment on the college matriculation results, that too is incorrect. Three of my friends in the Senior class have already been accepted to Cornell and I am already meeting individually with the College Counsellor who is locally acclaimed. Wellington may not have been right for you, but I've enjoyed every minute of the twelve years I've spent here.

Our child started at Wellington in Pre-K several years ago. We have been extremely happy with the school. I was surprised to read some of the negative reviews here and I have to wonder if someone has an axe to grind. Our experience has been that the school is very responsive to the concerns of students and parents. We are not wealthy and live in a working class neighborhood in Columbus, and we have never felt that our child was treated unfairly compared to children from wealthy "big donor" families. Wellington's approach to education is very different from other local schools (public and private) and it's probably not right for every student or every family, but so far it has been right for us. If you are considering Wellington, you will probably be better off actually visiting the school instead of reading anonymous reviews on the internet.
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student at wellington for 3 years, and I was very disappointed. The academics are not at all impressive when compared with similar schools such as CSG, The Columbus Academy and the local Upper Arlington school system. Myself included there were 11 students leaving the 8th grade out of a mere 45. There is a massive emphasis on the arts (especially theater), while their theater director was just arrested this year. Students who excel at math and science suffer from the poor education in these departments, and many courses that are available at other schools are not offered so students have to take courses over the summer. Until this year, Algebra 1 was not even an option for the eighth grade while it is at comparable schools. The college matriculation is very poor when compared to The Columbus Academy or CSG.
—Submitted by a parent

As a freshman at the Wellington School i found the curriculum very advanced and well taught, socially i feel that when thinking about sending your child to wellington get them in at a young age it is extremely hard to find your place socially, especially your first year
—Submitted by a student

This school was a massive disappointment. I've spent 9 horrible years here, and I can tell you. If you are possibly looking at this school. Forget it. If you are interested in your child getting a complete and full education, you can go to many of the close by high schools for free, and get a better education. Dublin, UA, Bexley, you name it. It's better. I am currently in 8th grade. So far, my friends and I have tallied up 9 people who are leaving this school. That's out of a grade of 45 kids. The administration is horrendous. I've had a different head of my school division every year except for once. Another thing to watch out about this school is the donors; a small group of rich families who donate to the school, and therefore get treated better and have advantages in class.
—Submitted by a student

At Wellington, staffs or teachers should really keep a eye on bullying, and teasing!
—Submitted by person