Schedule
Wellington’s New Upper School Schedule
At Wellington, we’re always striving to enhance the student experience, balancing academic excellence with well-being. Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, our Upper School will transition to the innovative 5/4 Schedule — a thoughtfully designed structure that reflects the unique needs and aspirations of our community.
Dive deeper into the changes by reading our blog postWhy the 5/4 Schedule?
This schedule reflects years of pedagogical research and extensive community feedback. It builds on the strengths of our existing approach, ensuring students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. By balancing increased instructional time with thoughtful flexibility, the 5/4 Schedule represents Wellington’s commitment to innovation and excellence. The 5/4 Schedule introduces several key enhancements:
Increased Learning Time
Students will meet for classes three times per week, totaling 185 minutes — a boost in engagement and instructional quality.
Enhanced Flexibility
LEAP Days remain central, providing opportunities for exploration, projects, and community connection.
Well-Being Prioritized
Late starts on certain days, protected Task Time for collaboration, and a reimagined workload distribution support student success and mental health.
Preserving Tradition
Core elements like Morning Meeting and Advisory gain consistency while new features enrich the Wellington experience.
Check out the new schedule
Curious about the design process and what the 5/4 Schedule means for our students? Dive deeper into the changes by reading our blog post to learn how this transformation will shape the future of learning at Wellington.
FAQs
The 5/4 Schedule is the result of a three-year process involving extensive research and feedback from students, parents, faculty, and alumni. It ensures our schedule aligns with best practices in education, offering more instructional time, greater flexibility, and enhanced well-being for students.
Yes! Students will continue to enjoy nearly 150 course offerings, including honors, advanced, and elective options in every academic department. This schedule also maintains flexibility for students to choose free periods or additional courses based on their needs.
The 5/4 Schedule maintains Wellington’s rigorous academic standards by offering frequent and meaningful interactions with teachers, nearly 150 diverse course options, and the flexibility to enroll in up to seven courses per trimester. The schedule is designed to ensure students are challenged while having the time and resources to excel.
LEAP Days (Learning, Exploration, and Projects) remain a cornerstone of our approach, offering students time for innovative projects, collaborative work, and personal growth. In the 5/4 Schedule, elements of LEAP Days are also distributed across the week to maintain their benefits even during shorter weeks.
The 5/4 Schedule includes earlier dismissal times and strategic adjustments to minimize disruptions caused by early athletic dismissals. Students will also have more consistent opportunities for clubs, leadership programs, and collaborative work.
No. The 5/4 Schedule prioritizes balance by maintaining our current approach of not having homework due the day after class. Additionally, workload distribution across Blue and White Weeks helps prevent overlapping deadlines for major assignments.
By integrating late starts, structured Task Time, and reduced conflicts during shorter weeks, the 5/4 Schedule fosters a balanced approach to academics and personal development. We aim to ensure students feel supported and thrive in all aspects of their Wellington journey.