SCHOLARSHIP FOR ALL
Academic pursuit beyond the curriculum.
Academic Pursuit Beyond The Curriculum
At Wellington every student enjoys rich opportunities for academic extension and challenge. Nobody’s potential is fixed; everybody can develop and transform his or her capacity for learning. Each and every member of the Wellington community has the opportunity to develop a genuine and lifelong love of learning.
This webpage provides details of the different ways that you can stretch and challenge yourself academically at Wellington. You can find out about weekly clubs and societies, and one-off talks, lectures and demonstrations. There is information about competitions within and beyond Wellington, as well as links to reading lists, online courses and holiday activities. Where will you take yourself?
Academic-in-Residence Programme
Each term, we host an Academic in Residence, giving pupils opportunities to engage closely with leading thinkers and explore important ideas beyond the curriculum through workshops, seminars and discussion.
Recent residents have included Baroness Susan Greenfield, who explored neuroscience, consciousness, identity and what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, and Professor David Herd from the University of St Andrews, whose work with the Refugee Tales project demonstrated how storytelling can restore voice, deepen empathy and illuminate the human realities of migration.
Lecture Programme
The Fireside Talks
Every Monday evening the Master opens up the sitting room of his house and invites in an outside speaker to share their experiences. The main aim is to make the students think and question their preconceptions, rather than teach them about a particular topic. The Q&A, that is a major element of the talks, is often animated, drawing questions from students from all year groups. Please bring a cushion.
Michaelmas Term
September – November 2026
Mon 7th September, 6-7pm
Innovation or Illusion? How can leaders tell the difference between bold vision and dangerous hype?
David Yarnton – Former Nintendo executive, start-up adviser and author of GameTrap.
Mon 14th September, 6-7pm
Building Belief, Belonging and Behaviour
Jamie Jones Buchanan – CEO of Leeds Rhinos and former Rugby League player
Mon 21st September, 6-7pm
Climate Science and the AI Revolution: How is AI helping us better predict our climate future?
Dr Matthew Patterson* – Research Fellow in Climate Science and Machine Learning, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of St Andrews
Mon 28th September
WEEKEND LEAVE
Mon 5th October, 6-7pm
Choices Under Pressure: How uncertainty and constraint shape thinking, responsibility, and character
Anoosheh Ashoori – British-Iranian former political prisoner
Mon 12th October, 6-7pm
Lonely Economics: How can we reconnect a fractured world?
Noreena Hertz – Economist, bestselling author and Honorary Professor at University College London
Mon 19th October
HALF TERM EXEAT
Mon 26th October
HALF TERM EXEAT
Mon 2nd November, 6-7pm
Can You Run the Economy?
Joe Mayes* – Author and journalist at Bloomberg News
Mon 9th November, 6-7pm
From Margins to the Table: Women Building Peace in the Middle East and Europe Where Traditional Diplomacy Falls Short
Cecily Bayliss – WSF Programme Manager, Forward Thinking
Mon 16th November, 6-7pm
The Big Issue: What happens if we tackle poverty at the source?
Lord John Bird – Social entrepreneur and founder of The Big Issue
Mon 23rd November
WEEKEND LEAVE
Mon 30th November, 6-7pm
The Art of Enough: The Ancient Epicurean Philosophy of Finding and Keeping Happiness
Jonny Thomson – Philosopher, author and founder of Mini Philosophy
Previous Fireside Talks
Click on a poster to view the larger PDF. Use the arrows to navigate to additional PDF files.
