Wellington Festival of Education full line-up revealed

Join us to explore, celebrate, learn, debate, and connect.

- Early Years, which explores the various options on offer for Early Years development strategies, including inquiry into the value of play, the importance of balance, and the need to develop the ‘whole child’ while at the same time appreciating the need to encourage an early ability to focus on assigned tasks. 

- Wellbeing, which tackles the tough questions facing modern education, such as how a child can remain healthy and mentally balanced in environments where academic achievement is often measured in an unforgiving manner.  Also, what can schools do to ensure that success in examinations is not achieved at the expense of a child’s wellbeing, self-worth, and happiness? 

- A Developing Romance, which looks at the complex and ever-evolving relationship between British and     Chinese models of education. This involves an exploration of the many ways in which the two countries can come together, learn from each other, and perhaps create a ‘third-way’. 

- Exploring Education, which assesses current educational issues that are not specifically covered by the festival’s other strands, including topics such as psychology, the built-environment of learning, the value of assessments, and the effects of technology.

- Multilingualism, which considers the benefits and disadvantages of bi- and multilingual schooling and seeks to understand their effects on children.

Sarah Bilodeau – Drama therapist, ELG

Dr Eveline Goodman - PhD. psychologist & PhD. neuroscience, EforP International Consulting GmbH

Dr George Hu - Clinical psychologist, Section chief of mental health, Shanghai United Family Hospital

Debra Kidd – Associate, Royal Society of Arts

Prof. Ferre Laevers – Director, Research Centre for Experiential Education

Debbie Lee - Occupational therapist, ELG 

Hywel Roberts - Travelling teacher and author 

Dr Shari D Rosen - Founder and speech-language pathologist, ELG 

Ruby Wax - Writer, performer and mental health campaigner

Dr Helen Wright - International education advisor 

Jim French – Director, DLR Group's Global K-12 Studio

Dr Stephen Jacobi - Director of Culture, Wellington College International Shanghai

Biman Najika Liyanage – Technology researcher, innovator and entrepreneur, Yi-Qi data lab

Prof. Jian-Wei Pan - Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences and Vice President, University of Science and Technology of China

Colin Wray - EAL teacher, Wellington College International Shanghai 

Patricia Zayan – Old Wellingtonian 

Xiaoli Zhao - Chinese teacher, Wellington College International Shanghai

Dr Emmanuel Bonin - Deputy Head of School, Shanghai American School

Chithra Kathiresan - Speech-language therapist 

Tia Luker – Year 5 teacher and IPC coordinator, Wellington College International Shanghai

Ian Marchant - English writer, broadcaster and performer

Jeremy Newton - Vice principal and director of advancement, Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Alice Stott - Director of learning and development, Voice 21 

Dr Terry Qian - Independent scholar / consultant

Ian Warwick - Senior director, London Gifted & Talented 

Prof. Sir Jonathan Bate - British academic, biographer, critic, broadcaster, novelist and scholar 

Lenora Chu - American writer and journalist 

Bee Gilbert - Charity director, Anno's Africa

Prof. Anwei Feng - Professor of language education, director of research and director of doctorate programmes, School of Education University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC)