Western Daily Press (Saturday)
School where princesses and refugees are united
WITH kings, princesses, actors and leading lawyers and writers among its alumni, there is a lot a little-known college overlooking the Bristol Channel can boast about.
Many of the students at UWC Atlantic College, at St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales, pay £33,500 a year for the privilege of being there and brushing shoulders with royalty.
But half are there on scholarships and come from far humbler backgrounds. Applications for a place are anonymous, even those from royalty like Princess Leonor, the crown princess of Spain.
“Princess Leonor went through the same process – the first two rounds are completely anonymous,” said Peter Howe, the school’s head teacher. “For Spain, there are 500 applicants for 14 spaces around the world, and she was offered one of two to study in Wales. No one knew it was her until the final stage.”
Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, will join the school this autumn. Starting at the same time will be the second successful applicant from Spain – a refugee who was granted a place through a scholarship. Meanwhile, another European royal will be gracing the college’s halls this autumn – Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, who is 15.
The teenagers will be following in the footsteps of other famous alumni, such as Eluned Morgan, Member of the Senedd and Minister of Mental Health, Well-being and the Welsh language; Princess Elisabeth of Belgium; and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands – Princess Alexia’s father.
But what is it about this college that attracts such prestigious names?
“The original idea of the school was to bring people from opposite sides together,” said Mr Howe, who has taught at UWC schools across the world for 16 years. “Following World War Two, Kurt Hahn, the founder of Atlantic College here in Wales, believed that bringing people together from opposite sides, showing them they could work together, would create this bond of friendship.”
Atlantic College in South Wales was the first United World College in 1962. There are now 17 schools across the world on four continents.
“The educational experience is not about the exams, it’s the people that they become,” added Mr Howe. “Every year, half our students are feepaying and half are here on a scholarship; half our students most years are refugees. We pride ourselves on collaboration.”
A typical day for a student starts at 8am. They are on a seven-day cycle, which means they are never stuck with the same subject on a Friday. They study a range of traditional subjects and work towards achieving an International Baccalaureate qualification. Classroom time finishes at 2pm and the afternoons are free for student activities.
“We believe what takes place outside the classroom is more important than inside,” said Mr Howe.
It means students are very attractive to universities because they have already experienced independent living and learning.
“They really do have to manage their own lives,” added Mr Howe.
A student at the college can expect to move on to great things, with many universities offering scholarships to UWC students.
“There’s an American philanthropist who spends £40 million a year for students from UWC to attend over 100 universities in America, including the likes of MIT and Harvard,” said Mr Howe.
But he added that the school was more about what the students gained from their experience.
“I was speaking with one of our pupils this week, an Afghan refugee who is an exceptional individual. He runs 10 kilometres every day just to keep fit. I am so blessed as an educator to have a person like this. Another of our students is a boy from Yemen who has lived through the country’s civil war, and these two boys are best friends.
“It becomes normal but you take a step back and think it is so extraordinary.
“You have this collaboration with people from countries all over the world and it makes our students care much more deeply about one another.”
The school’s position in Wales is not well known to many people.
“It is often described as the bestkept secret in education,” said Mr Howe. “We are not even known that well locally… We definitely need to change that.”
The school has been open and operating since September, thanks to lateral flow tests. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit last March it was a huge job to repatriate the students to more than 90 countries.
“We repatriated 380 students – one had to walk across a footbridge into their country because the borders were closed. It was incredible,” said Mr Howe.
THE number of motor insurance claims settled by insurers fell by nearly a fifth annually in 2020 because fewer cars were on the roads during the coronavirus lockdowns.
The number of claims settled last year stood at 2.1 million, marking a 19 per cent decrease compared with 2019, the Association of British Insurers said.
Total payouts, at £8.3 billion, were reduced by six per cent compared with the previous year.
The ABI said the declines reflected the impact of the national lockdowns, with reduced road usage.
The overall average value of a claim paid was £4,000, up from £3,400 in 2019. The 17 per cent increase on 2019 reflected rises in average personal injury and vehicle repair cost claims, the ABI said.
During 2020, the average personal injury payout increased by 13 per cent on the previous year to £12,100.
The average price paid for private comprehensive motor insurance was £465 in 2020, remaining at a four-year low.
The ABI said support for motorists during the coronavirus pandemic had included extending until April 30 a pledge that if someone had to drive to and from their workplace because of the impact of Covid-19, their insurance policy would not be affected.
There is also a pledge until April 30 that if someone uses their own car for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, their cover will not be affected.
This applies to all categories of NHS volunteer responders, including those transporting patients, equipment, or other essential supplies, as well as volunteers assisting with the vaccine rollout.
Insurers have been discussing with customers any options for adjusting policies and premiums to reflect fewer miles being driven during the lockdowns, as well as options for those concerned about being able to continue paying their premiums by instalments due to the pandemic.
The ABI said one insurer has refunded £110 million to its car and van insurance customers, reflecting fewer journeys made during the lockdowns.
Laura Hughes, the ABI’s manager, general insurance, said: “Predictably, lockdowns have led to far fewer vehicles on the roads, reflected in the fall in the number of motor claims.
“During the pandemic, insurers have given additional support to their customers, including options for reduced mileage and help for those struggling to pay their premiums by instalments. It is good to see that throughout an uncertain year, motorists continued to get the best deals from a competitive motor insurance market.
“As we edge back to some form of normality, cost pressures remain, such as increasing vehicle repair costs, reflecting ever more complex vehicle technology.”