Click the link to view the full version: WASCZ | Conversation with an Alumna Parent
The environment a child grows up in ultimately shapes the outcomes they achieve.
Following the release of the Pearson Edexcel results, WASCZ was delighted to receive outstanding news from Helen Zhou, a member of the Class of 2025, who achieved the highest mark in China in A Level Fine Art.At the time, Helen had already commenced her studies in Linguistics at University College London (UCL), a member of the UK’s prestigious G5 universities.
“The environment a child grows up in ultimately shapes the outcomes they achieve.” In our in-depth conversation with Helen’s mother, the portrait of a young woman shaped by seven formative years at WASCZ gradually comes into focus. From the initial challenges of settling into a new academic setting, to finding clarity of direction through sustained support and professional guidance, Helen learned to build momentum with confidence–ultimately realising her aspiration of studying at a world-leading university.
This is more than a story of academic success. It is a genuine reflection on how a nurturing environment shapes character, and how families and schools, working in close partnership, can empower young people to step confidently into their future.
Conversation with an Alumna Parent: How the Right Environment Empowers Student to Reach G5 Universities
01 Why Choosing WASCZ
Q1 How has your child adapted to life and study after entering UCL?
We actually have two children, both of whom studied at WASCZ. We first learned about the school through a close friend’s recommendation. Our daughter spent seven years here, and her current life in the UK feels like a natural continuation of her secondary school experience. She has said to me, “Mum, I’m really grateful that you helped me choose WASCZ.”
She often shares how smoothly she has adapted since arriving in the UK, both academically and culturally. She feels comfortable, integrated, and genuinely happy. Listening to her reflections also brings back many memories of her seven years at WASCZ. Looking at both of our children, I would say their greatest gains from their time at WASCZ are broadened horizons, a mature global perspective, and strong self-discipline. The school offered them a vast space to explore who they are and what they can become, and I believe this freedom to explore has been the most valuable gift of all.
Q2 Looking back, why did you ultimately choose WASCZ? What qualities of the school appealed to you most?
WASCZ was recommended to us by a good friend, and it aligned closely with our family’s educational priorities. We value a relaxed yet purposeful learning environment, one that encourages curiosity and exploration rather than rigid instruction. We also place great importance on sport and physical development. Above all, we wanted our children to be nurtured in a happy, positive atmosphere where their potential could be discovered naturally.
As a family, we visited the campus to gain a first-hand understanding. The campus felt clean and well organised, and our interactions with the teachers were warm, calm, and reassuring. Everything we observed resonated strongly with what we were looking for in a school. After returning home, our child told us very clearly that she liked WASCZ. We also sought further advice from friends whose children had studied here and gone on to top universities in the UK. Based on their experiences and recommendations, we felt confident in choosing WASCZ as a pivotal stage in our children’s educational journey.
02 Seven Years of Boarding and Growth
Q3 Is there a particular moment from your child’s time at WASCZ that left a deep impression on you?
When Helen joined, mathematics was relatively challenging for her, which made that period quite stressful. After her results did not meet expectations and she was placed in a lower set, she called me in tears, feeling deeply discouraged.
What followed, however, was a meaningful turning point. After lessons, she actively sought help from both teachers and classmates. Gradually, she began to feel more at ease. Most importantly, she found the right approach by speaking directly with her mathematics teacher, who helped her clearly understand that the difficulty stemmed from a gap of nearly a year and a half in curriculum coverage due to her school transition.
Through this experience, our greatest realisation was that whenever a child seeks support at WASCZ, teachers and peers respond in ways that are both appropriate and emotionally reassuring. This, I believe, is critical. In a very short period, she identified an effective strategy, continued exploring within a supportive environment, and received recognition and encouragement along the way. She successfully navigated what was her most challenging phase, and her mathematics performance steadily improved.
Once again, this reinforced my belief that the environment created by the teachers and students at WASCZ is genuinely nurturing, an environment that provides children with strength when they encounter difficulty and challenge.
Q4 When you first decided to send your child to a boarding school, what were your main concerns? Looking back now, how has your perspective changed?
Helen began boarding in Grade 2. She has always enjoyed communal life. As a family, we are relatively open and democratic, and we encourage our children to explore independently. Therefore, from the moment we considered WASCZ, boarding was a clear priority for us.
During our campus visit, we gained a thorough understanding of the boarding provision and the calibre of staff. The boarding teachers are highly qualified and professional, and the atmosphere created by the international staff are relaxed, caring, and genuinely homelike. With this reassurance, we did not feel significant anxiety or hesitation.
Throughout her boarding years, Helen often shared small but meaningful moments with us: bringing food she had prepared to share with her peers and Housemistress, and in return receiving homemade treats from her Housemistress. She treasured these gestures deeply. Before leaving for the UK, she even returned to visit her Housemistress, expressing heartfelt gratitude for the companionship and support she had received over the years.
Through these stories, I could clearly sense the confidence and inner strength she gained from being seen, affirmed, and valued in this environment.
Q5 In what ways do you feel the boarding environment at WASCZ most clearly supported your child’s development?
This period of boarding played a crucial role in strengthening her self-discipline and organisational skills. She once shared with me how her dormitory regularly held room inspections and evaluations. She told me, “I always want our dorm to do well.” This sense of responsibility significantly enhanced her discipline and ability to manage her personal space.
Time management was another area of remarkable growth. Over her seven years at WASCZ, particularly during her upper school years, her ability to manage time developed rapidly. Despite a demanding schedule, her life remained structured and balanced, and she still made time for regular sport. This, to me, is a clear reflection of effective time management.
These abilities, time management, self-discipline, and organisational skills, were all cultivated during her time at WASCZ. I believe they are skills that will benefit her throughout her life, far beyond school or university.
03 Anchored by Passion
Q6 How did Helen’s choice of major gradually take shape during her time at WASCZ?
The first factor was her aptitude for languages. From an early age, we paid close attention to our children’s natural strengths and interests. When Helen was around three or five years old, we noticed that she could adapt very quickly to new environments and would even pick up local dialects with ease. This was something that stood out to us early on.
Although she had not lived abroad for an extended period, her confidence grew significantly after joining WASCZ. The school provides a genuinely international environment, with classmates and boarding peers from a wide range of countries and cultural backgrounds. This exposure played an important role. She later began learning Italian alongside a close friend, and when the school introduced Spanish, she consistently achieved top results. Her strong affinity for languages became a key reference point when it came time to consider her university subject.
The second anchor was art. She has loved drawing from a very young age, and we never arranged formal training for her; instead, we allowed her the freedom to explore and express herself naturally. When she interviewed for WASCZ, she brought her own artwork, and I still remember how the Headmaster personally conducted the interview and was genuinely moved by one of her pieces, it had a remarkable sense of vitality and expression. Art has always been an integral part of who she is.
As we accompanied her through the subject selection process, Helen worked closely with her university guidance counsellor and eventually arrived at a thoughtful conclusion: to pursue languages as her academic specialism, while keeping art as a lifelong passion. She felt very comfortable with this balance. As she once explained, practising art as a passion allows complete freedom, there are no rigid frameworks, and no pressure when inspiration does not come. Languages, however, are something she feels deeply immersed in and genuinely enjoys. Because of that love, she chose to transform her passion into a discipline she could study.
What this reflects, in my view, is WASCZ’s approach to subject guidance: it is both professional and deeply respectful of individual strengths. Teachers take students’ interests and talents seriously, offer advice that is measured and well-judged, and guide students through exploration rather than prescribing a fixed path. As a result, children develop independent thinking and the ability to evaluate themselves with clarity.
Q7 During the intense pressure of the university application season, what advice would you offer parents in terms of supporting and guiding their children?
For us, there has always been one central principle: emotional presence. We believe that the most effective form of encouragement is to lead by example.
As parents, we each have our own careers, and we openly share with our children the challenges and difficulties we encounter. The purpose is never to add pressure, but to demonstrate optimism, resilience, and the courage to face uncertainty. More importantly, we show them that every challenge can be approached by actively seeking solutions. At home, we often sit together casually, talking, listening, and exchanging thoughts. We discuss how we each deal with moments of loneliness, confusion, or helplessness, and what strategies help us move forward. These conversations create a space where pressure can be released naturally.
During the application stage, Helen experienced an unexpected but profound challenge: loneliness. As parents, we felt deeply for her, yet we also reminded ourselves that this is an experience she will inevitably face again, whether studying abroad, building a career, or even starting a business in the future. She encountered it earlier than most, and she overcame it. I believe this became a valuable lesson in resilience. Throughout that period, her Housemistress and teachers were also by her side, offering consistent support and reassurance.
04 Partnership Between Home and School: Building Growth Together
Q8 Could you share one key piece of advice for maintaining a strong parent–child relationship?
I believe that, whether at home or at school, a child’s psychological development is crucial. When we chose WASCZ, we were drawn not only to its academic strengths but also to the alignment between the school’s culture and our family values, particularly its focus on children’s mental well-being, emotional resilience, and mindset development.
My main advice would be this: once you have chosen WASCZ and entrusted your child to this environment, you can be confident that the school provides exceptional emotional nourishment. Beyond the excellent facilities, the wide range of extracurricular activities and the supportive boarding environment create a positive atmosphere that deeply nurtures the child.
For me, emotional support means ensuring that each day for our children is full of confidence, gratitude, love, and vitality. This daily emotional richness is, in itself, the most valuable sustenance for their growth, and WASCZ truly delivers on this promise.
Q9 If you could sum up WASCZ’s impact on children’s education in a single sentence, what would it be?
I would say that WASCZ plays two vital roles in a child’s educational journey: one is as a professional companion, and the other is as a catalyst.
These roles are extremely important. The school does not impose rigid methods or offer one-size-fits-all instruction. Instead, it provides an environment where students are free to express themselves. When the right moment arises, teachers help students recognise their strengths and provide professional guidance. Together, the child and school align on a clear understanding of their skills and goals. Once these are identified, the school offers additional resources and support, helping the student move towards the future in a more focused and efficient way.
This, in essence, has been the most authentic experience for both of our children at WASCZ.
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