Some of the Confirmation Candidates together with the School Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright in the beautiful grounds of Loseley Park, where they spent time reflecting, Bible study and Holy Communion prior to their Confirmation on Sunday. The Bishop of Dorking, the Right Reverend Paul Davies will Confirm the students in the School Chapel. Sending all the candidates warm wishes for Sunday.
As well as the spectacular scenery of Dartmoor, Team Gordon’s, competing in the Ten Tors challenge, were also treated to a magnificent display of Northern Lights as they camped out under canvas during the two day event. The six students joined over two thousand others in students in teams of six spent two days on Dartmoor competing in the Ten Tors Challenge, walking either 35, 45 or 55 miles depending on their age. The Gordon’s boys completed their 35 miles in just over 19 hours!
A taste of life at Oxford University for Year 10 students, who experienced a day in the life of a student in Brasenose College. A tour of the College, with its cobbled streets and limestone edifices was followed by lunch at High Table. Undergraduates from the college talked about entry requirements, life and study at Oxford and there was an opportunity to enjoy a handling session of various species in the majestic Natural History Museum. The day gave students an insight into what Oxbridge life is about and may have sown the seed for future endeavours.
Delighted that His Majesty King Charles has accepted the Patronage of Gordon’s, continuing the tradition of the reigning Sovereign’s Patronage since Queen Victoria became its first Patron in 1885.
Gordon’s was chosen after an analysis of over 1,000 patronages held by the late Queen and the news comes as Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla mark the first anniversary of their Coronation.
The late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the late Duke of Edinburgh attended the school’s centenary celebrations in 1985 and unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit, and together with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, generously donated to the Centenary Appeal Fund, which raised over £300,000 to modernise school buildings.
While HM King Charles has not visited Gordon’s, his brother the Duke of Edinburgh last came to the school in January 2023 to open the new Sports Hub.
Every year the students, led by the school’s iconic Pipes and Drums Band, honours its Sovereign Patron with its Patron’s Parade in June (pictured below is last year’s Patron’s Parade). This year’s Patron’s Parade on Saturday 8th June promises to be a particularly special occasion.
Gordon’s Headmaster Andrew Moss said: “We are honoured and delighted that His Majesty King Charles has accepted the Patronage of Gordon’s and is continuing this historical tradition. We look forward to welcoming our new Sovereign Patron to the school in the future”.
Winners of the British Schools and Colleges National Nett Competition – for the second year in a row! The Gordon’s team of Zach Mathews, Fraser Brammall, Charlotte Jean and Max MacDonald scored 447 at Belton Woods Golf Club to come out on top with runners-up Itchen in second place on 452. Congratulations all!
Hours of shoe polishing and ironing and days of drill rehearsals in lunch and break times culminated in one of the school's most coveted Inter-House events, the Longmoor Drill Competition. Even the rain failed to dampen the professionalism and precision of those taking part. The judges from Pirbright Army Training Centre, Captain Edmund Peppiatt, WO2 Keiran Cunningham and WO1 Robert Wiseman voted Sandringham House as winners, for the second year running and Kensington House. Congratulations both!
Mental and physical agility needed in Inter-House maths. Four rounds, involving arithmetic skills, Viking coding, Caeser ciphers and teamwork, topped off with a maths team relay. Buckingham romped home with first place followed by Khartoum and China.
Cold, wet and windy but Year 9's resilience shone through as they laboured through their final expedition for their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. The whole year group of over 100 students spent two days and one night on the Surrey Hills negotiating difficult conditions to achieve their goal. Congratulations to all of them.
The doors to the workhouse were opened last night for the first of two performances of Oliver Jnr, by the Lower School. The musical, involving over 70 students was a feast for the ears and eyes and featured a talented cast of young professionals.
The inspirational rapper, broadcaster and author Isaac Borquaye, known as ‘Guvna B’ returned to Gordon’s today to speak to Years 8-11 about his life, faith, and coping with difficulties. The three times MOBO Awards Winner, who began rapping when in his school playground in Year 8, rapped about the death of his father and answered a wide range of questions from his enthusiastic audience. He told them: “You have all got something to give to the world. If you are going through difficulties, find people and faith and have a positive perspective and you will get through it”.
New to the school lunchtime menu today, ‘Gabriel’s paprika and herb chicken’, which proved an absolute hit with staff and students. What wasn’t known as we all devoured the delicious chicken blended with herbs, garlic, chilli and paprika, was that it was the recipe of Sixth Form DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) rugby student Gabriel Kadir. Gabriel entered the dish for the Inter-House cooking challenge, along with coconut rice and so impressed the judges in the catering department that they asked him for the recipe! His chicken meal for one was increased to 800 pieces and declared by all in the dining hall today as a winner, winner chicken dinner!
For her essay entitled ‘Which aspects of physical geography have the strongest effect on the economic growth and output of a country’?, Year 9 student Maisie Ho has been awarded highly commended in the national Aristotelian Essay Competition run by the Perse School, Cambridge. Maisie, an academic scholar, wrote about economic growth and the physical aspects of the environment and geography that helps economic growth such as hydrology and minerals, referring to Botswana and its diamonds; Sierra Leone’s minerals and Norway’s natural gas. She entered the competition because she thought it would be fun, and to help her write essays in the future. Admitting to being surprised at doing so well in the competition, Maisie said “I was proud because it took me ages to write it. I had to go through it, plan and add references.”
