Reopening at Wellington – The Hybrid Teaching Model

Hannah Jeffs, Head of Junior School, shares Wellington College’s approach to helping the whole school community stay safe on return to campus.

It has been such a long time coming, but finally, this week, we welcomed the staggered return of our students - with great big smiles behind our masks!

During the Remote Learning period, teachers have been working hard on campus, delivering live lessons, producing engaging video content and carefully preparing for reopening. Along the way, we have all recognised what a lonely place school can be without children to fill its spaces, injecting life, fun, conversation and laughter throughout the campus.

For teachers, having children present to physically teach is fundamental to our profession. And of course, with this social interaction, relationships flourish between students, parents, and teachers which is key to the success of the students in our care. As is the case for all our staff, I chose to become a teacher so that I might inspire and positively influence the lives of young people – and it is this interaction which we all enjoy and gain so much from.

Despite the excitement of reopening our campus, it is essential that we remain cognisant of the uncertain situation we are still in. The threat associated with the ongoing pandemic in Thailand (and the world) continues, and safety must remain at the heart of all that we do and each opportunity that we create.

Therefore, at Wellington, the return to campus has launched the next phase of our response to the pandemic – Hybrid Learning. In its simplest sense, this term refers to the delivery of a mixture of remote and face-to-face learning.

During the Hybrid phase, students who are not yet ready to return to campus can study remotely at home. Investment in the best possible technology means that we can literally bring those who are at home into the classroom, ensuring they don’t miss any of the exciting learning opportunities on offer. Meanwhile, those in School are adhering to the highest possible safety protocols including learning in bubbles to minimise day-to-day personal contact, regular ATK testing for the whole community, and mass vaccination. These measures really do ensure that this School is a very safe place to be!

Our students are gaining fantastic learning experiences within the Hybrid Learning model. This week, they have been engaged in live PE workouts and classroom teaching across the subjects. And for more practical subjects, videos are made for those learning from home, to ensure that they gain the full coverage of the curriculum in the most valuable way. In Early Years, remote learners have been provided with a highly bespoke and individualised programme, specifically designed to support their ongoing development. Technology has enabled our students at home to continue to learn alongside their friends, keeping our whole community connected, wherever they may be.

As we cautiously look forward with a sense of optimism about the future, we will continue with the Hybrid Learning model until the end of the Michaelmas Term, when we will review the situation before the start of the Lent Term.