Gordon’s School has always had an international flavour due to our many and varied overseas students. We also have a fascinating international history to draw on in the career and travels of General Gordon himself.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Gordon’s has embraced the international spirit and embarked upon an 'International Programme' to help our students learn and understand the wider world and to embrace the cultural differences that make it so fascinating. In support of this, we encourage our subject departments to undertake internationally themed activities and study across all year groups, many of them centred on environmental activities as we wish to put these things at the heart of our International Relations Programme. 

Gordon's holds the British Council’s International School Award, which recognises and celebrates our commitment to participate effectively in a multicultural world, serving others locally, nationally and internationally. We also have a number of schools around the world who we work closely with on a variety of educational endeavours.

Our partnership schools include (see map at the base):

Shandong Basic Education Group (China)

Robert Gordon College (Aberdeen)

Lise-Meitner Gymnasium (Germany)

Collège André Malraux (France)

St Patrick's English School  (San Sebastian – Spain)

For more information about the International Programme contact James Butler (International Coordinator): jbutler@gordons.school

For more information on the International School Award please click here. 

Gordon’s Teachers take their skills globally

Teachers at Gordon’s School are mentoring teachers across the world in lower income countries to support them and improve learning outcomes for the children in their schools. According to the World Bank, learning poverty affects over 250 million children around the world, limiting their life chances. It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of children in low income countries remain unable to read and understand simple text by the age of ten. To date the Commonwealth Education Trust, which covers the Commonwealth’s 54 member countries, has reached 25,000 teachers in over 40 countries, benefitting a million students.

The partnership with the Commonwealth Education Trust, established in April 2022, links six Gordon’s teachers with 12 teachers from partner schools in Zambia; Cameroon and Kenya. They meet virtually, using the Trust’s Teach2030 course as a basis for their own areas of focus as their partnerships develop.

Gordon’s Assistant Head (Staff Development) Kelly Hurley said: “We are really excited about developing learning opportunities with the CET and our partner schools to help in reducing learning poverty. We hope to create meaningful relationships between our schools and teachers as well as developing our own teaching practice within this partnership.”

Pictured are Gordon's teachers (left to right) with Betty Abeng, CEO of the Commonwealth Education Trust during a recent INSET day when Ms Abeng addressed all staff on the importance of the partnership.

International visits and trips

 

Foreign Exchange Programme

French

In French we do a Year 9 exchange with the Collège André Malraux, which is in Cagnes-sur-Mer; a suburb of Nice.  The exchange started  four years ago. 

German

The German exchange started in June 2014 and has been going from strength to strength. We run it with the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium in Königsbach-Stein in Baden-Württemberg after a former student contacted Mr Depoix about starting the programme after they completed a year as a Language Assistant in 2012-13. It is primarily for KS4 students but Sixth Form students are also welcome to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities the exchange programme provides.

Click here to see more photos from our German Exchange.