Boarding at Gordon’s School Gordon’s School is the national monument to General Charles Gordon, a British war hero, philanthropist and martyr. It was built by public subscription more than 100 years ago at the insistence of Queen Victoria, who become the first in an unbroken line of sovereign patrons.
Andrew Moss Headmaster, Gordon’s School
Originally opened as a home for
debating, public speaking, dance, sport
house competitions in sport, the arts,
‘necessitous boys’, today Gordon’s is a
and as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
cooking, debating – even marching
successful non-selective, co-educational,
(DofE) and Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
– are enthusiastically contested with everyone encouraged to ‘have a go’.
day and residential state boarding school. The school is set in 50 acres of
The original Gordon Boys’ Home was
Underpinning any participation is
countryside in Surrey and is listed as
run along military lines. This is continued
that high performance without good
one of the UK’s outstanding schools by
today with marching, parades and
character is not true success. These
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector.
Pipes and Drums. Dressed in their
inter-house competitions, together with
ceremonial Blues uniform, the pupils
competitive sport against other schools
While the school embraces modern
parade around eight times a year. We
and participation in DofE or CCF, take
ideas, General Gordon’s legacy of
are the only school permitted to march
pupils out of their comfort zone. Taking
traditional values remain – improving the
along Whitehall and pupils carry out
part builds pupils’ confidence and allows
lives of others and championing those
this annual tradition in remembrance of
them to develop new skills as well as
less advantaged. As a school we strive
General Gordon with pride.
leadership, perseverance, endurance, teamwork and problem-solving ability –
to be one of the finest in the world, not just for our achievements, but for the calibre of young people we develop – the progress they make, the lives they lead and the difference they make to the lives of others. Our sixth-form pupils achieve three or more A levels, with 95 per cent of entries graded A* to C, putting the school in the top 1 per cent nationally for academic achievement at A levels. But we also have successes in drama, the arts,
PREPARATION FOR LIFE General Gordon’s life as a philanthropist, leader, scholar, adventurer and soldier is at the heart of our traditional character values of courtesy, integrity, diligence, enthusiasm and resilience. We strive for more than the best possible examination results – we also want to give our pupils an amazing preparation for life. The emphasis is on working as a team and putting back. Each pupil is assigned a house and the inter-
all necessary qualities for their adult life. Around half the school’s residential boarders are from Service families, attracted by the location and the school’s understanding of military life. Military families are given priority for places and counsellors and tutors work to plug any gaps in their education. Residential boarders coming into the school aged 11 are housed together in a bespoke boarding house for a year