Semper Edition 12 v4

Edition 12

SEMPER FIDELIS Gordon’s Pipes and Drums receive a Royal invitation to play for His Majesty King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

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140TH ANNIVERSARY

10. PARADES 14. PIPES AND DRUMS 18. AROUND THE HOUSES 40. CCF 42. DOFE 44. CO-CURRICULAR 48. CREATIVE ARTS 54. CHARITY 56. NEWS FROM THE PEWS 58. ACADEMIC 62. EVENTS 70. WINDSOR CASTLE 74. SPORTS 80. INTER-HOUSE 82. CAREERS 84. SIXTH FORM 86. STAFF 88. ACHIEVEMENTS

CONTENTS

140 ANNIVERSARY TH

The 140th Anniversary of Gordon’s was not just a celebration of the school but General Gordon himself and involved an engagement for the Pipes and Drums at Windsor Castle with HM The King and visits to the school by the Bishop of Guildford, the Mayor of Surrey Heath and a chinook helicopter!

In addition, the school community of students, parents, staff, Gordonians and friends contributed over £250,000 towards bursaries and the Steinway Schools appeal.

Since the start of the anniversary year, the Pipes and Drums have been visiting and performing

in places associated with General Gordon, a tour that has taken them to Kent, London, Southampton and of course, Windsor Castle!

They also took part in the 140th walk which saw 140 students apply for a place to recreate the walk made by the original Gordon boys from Brookwood Station to their new home in West End, now the site of the school.

Across the school the 140th anniversary has engaged the students, who not only reflected the momentous milestone in pumpkin carving but formed 140 when on Army camp and during the Annual Parade!

On the eve of the anniversary of the original ‘necessitous’ boys marching to Gordon’s from Brookwood Station, the Bishop of Guildford, The Right Reverend Andrew Watson visited, speaking to all year groups about General Gordon and his beliefs. Bishop Andrew also unveiled a plaque next to the stained glass window donated by St Luke’s Church in Southampton, which features General Gordon receiving his last communion in England before leaving for Sudan.

If the Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums can form 140 to commemorate Gordon’s 140th anniversary then so can the army cadets! The group were assaulting enemy positions on the last day of their thrilling work experience week in Barry Buddon, Scotland. Joining them was a piper from Robert Gordon’s College playing ‘Flower of Scotland’!

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TIME FOR CHANGE The beautiful Victorian clock on the Parade Square, which has kept Gordon’s running on time since the mid-1800s has a new lease of life thanks to the generosity of parents, staff and the Gordonians.

The fundraising campaign for its renovation meant that the clock has now been restored to its former glory. Originally it boasted a hand-wound mechanism, changing to a mains-operated movement around 30 years ago. Now it is fully synchronised with gold leaf hands and Roman numerals and is set to serve generations to come.

The Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Louise Ashbery unveiled plaques recognising the donors to the clock appeal, following the 140th Anniversary walk by students. The plaques will be placed on the pillars close to the new clock. Thank you to all those who donated towards this much-loved Gordon’s time piece.

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BROOKWOOD WALK

What a day! One hundred and forty students made the journey from Brookwood Station to West End, led by the Pipes and Drums as the first Gordon boys had done some 140 years ago.

Dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniforms, as their predecessors had been, the students stopped briefly at Bisley Green before continuing their historic march to West End, where a chinook helicopter greeted them on the Front Field and they were presented with commemorative pin badges for the 140th 8

anniversary of the school. Students and staff applauded their arrival on the Parade Square before the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Cllr Louise Ashbery unveiled the newly renovated clock. The icing on the cake was that, through their efforts, over £26,000 was raised for Gordon’s Giving Day for bursaries and for the Steinway Schools appeal.

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PARADES 10

A whole school celebration of the school’s 140th Anniversary as Gordonians, parents, students and staff joined together for Prize Giving and the Annual Parade. Inspecting the Parade and presenting prizes, was the Guest of Honour Major General Peter Rowell MBE Commandant and Chief Executive of the Defence Academy of the UK. Recent successes were celebrated including national wins for the golf team and the Pipes and Drums visit to Windsor Castle along with individual and House prizes and cups. Gordonians also attended their Memorial Service in the school Chapel and took part in the ‘Big Blaw’ giving them the opportunity to play the bagpipes alongside students in the Pipes and Drums.

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HARVEST FESTIVAL We Will Remember Them Members of the community joined students, parents and staff from Gordon’s for the Remembrance Sunday Parade and Drumhead Service around the Parade Square, taken by the school Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright.

The opportunity to finally join their peers on the Parade Square came to the new Year 7 students for the Harvest Festival Parade in October. The new cohort were applauded by their fellow marchers and their parents and staff before heading to the camel statue for the customary throwing of their Glengarry caps.

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Dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniform and accompanied by the Pipes and Drums, the student body marched and remembered the sacrifices of so many, including the 155 former students killed in action during the First World War; 31 in the Second World War and Gordonians Darryl Gardiner and Michael Gilyeat and affiliated staff member Steve Curley, all killed in Afghanistan.

Poppy wreaths were laid by a school Governor and Trustee Brigadier Jonathan Mullin MBE, on behalf of the Trustees and Governors; Gordonian and teacher Charlotte Winckley for the Gordonians and Gordon’s School Sergeant Major Bayan Muhsen for students and staff and Florence Wareing on behalf of Gordonstoun School.

Staff, students and their families – many of whom are currently serving their country in the Forces observed the two minute silence.

The two minute silence was also held for students and staff on Tuesday 11th November.

Marching on with the Gordon’s Pipes and Drums were those from Gordonstoun School, who this year celebrate their 70th anniversary.

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PIPES AND DRUMS On February 14, 1885, The Times published a letter from Major James Gildea appealing to the public to support the wives, widows, and children of soldiers and sailors killed or wounded in service to Queen and Country, following the death of Major-General Charles Gordon. From that letter, The Soldiers’, Sailors’, Airmen and Families’ Association—now SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity—was born. Both SSAFA and Gordon’s School, founded in the wake of General Gordon’s death, celebrate their 140th anniversaries this year.

To mark the occasion, the Pipes and Drums collaborated with SSAFA, performing at the Royal Albert Hall where SSAFA hosted a VIP Reception before co-hosting with Classic FM the event VE Day 80: The Party, commemorating 80 years since D-Day. This built on a historic connection dating back to 1954 when the Pipes and Drums and Dancers performed for SSAFA at Olympia’s Bertram Mills’ Circus in aid of the Save the Children Fund, in the presence of the Duchess of Kent and Princess Marie Louise.

As part of the anniversary tour, the Band travelled to Southampton to play at General Gordon’s statue in Queen’s Park and visit the Gordon family tomb in the Old Cemetery, which includes a panel dedicated to the General himself. In Kent, the Band performed in several locations associated with 14

him, beginning at Rochester Cathedral beneath the stained-glass window depicting Gordon, where they played Amazing Grace. Pipe Major Rory Green then led a slow march to Flowers of the Forest. They continued to Brompton Barracks, where Gordon once served, performing for the Royal Engineers Association Standard Bearers’ Competition and visiting his statue at their Headquarters.

The Band then visited the Royal Engineers Museum, viewing artefacts relating to General Gordon—many on loan from the school—before performing outside the building. Their final Kent stop was in Gravesend, where they played in Gordon Gardens before concluding the day on the site of Gordon’s former home.

After a March masterclass with the National Piping Centre and Paula Monahan of The Force, the Band performed at London’s ExCel to a soldout audience. Their routine featured a diamond formation and the numbers ‘140’, celebrating the school’s anniversary alongside traditional wheels and countermarches. For many students, this was their first Tattoo performance, modelled after the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and concluded with a Massed Bands finale. The Pipes and Drums performed alongside His Majesty’s Royal Marines Band, Bournemouth Youth Marching Band, and

several American groups. Pipe Sergeant Logan Green led a solo of Auld Lang Syne, while Pipe Major Harry Gordon performed Oft in the Stilly Night to a silent, captivated audience.

The next day, The Band took part in the Palace Parade and Review at Hampton Court Palace, closing London Band Week. Despite the heat, the students performed superbly against the Palace’s stunning backdrop. The drummers also competed in a thrilling drum battle, earning admiration for their skill and precision even without a win.

The Band has also supported the Longmoor Drill Competition, the CCF Biennial Inspection, the Caledonian Club Summer Ball, Brooklands College’s Public Services Pass Off Parade, and the Festival of Education at Wellington College, as well as school events including Summer Arts, Patron’s Parade, and Annual Parade.

In August, the largest group yet travelled to Glasgow for Piping Live! and the World Pipe Band Championships. Drum Major Lucy Carter performed alongside her mentor Paula Monahan and The Force’s elite display team. Students attended the Solas Concert by Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band, toured backstage at Edinburgh Castle before the Tattoo, and performed three times around Glasgow. Though they did not qualify in the Novice Juvenile B

Grade, their progress was clear. Lucy, leading the drummers at the World Championships, fittingly ended her school and band career on a high note.

Adding to an already extraordinary term, a small group played at St James’ Palace for The King’s Foundation Awards, attended by Kate Winslet, David Beckham, and Alan Titchmarsh. Pipe Major Harry Gordon and Mrs Scotson had the honour of piping His Majesty King Charles III into the Awards.

The pinnacle came in June, when the Pipes and Drums were invited to perform at Windsor Castle at the request of the King! The visit fulfilled the Band’s wish to perform there for the 140th anniversary, as Gordon’s Bible is displayed in a casket on a clock within the King’s Drawing Room.

His Majesty personally greeted the students, who were served water by Royal Household butlers in crystal glasses. To commemorate the occasion, the King was presented with Gordon’s Crown, a tune composed by Harry Gordon, Logan Green, and Iona Scotson. The King’s Piper was later asked to learn it, and the piece will be displayed at Balmoral.

The Band was also given a private audience in the King’s Drawing Room to view Gordon’s clock and Bible—an unforgettable experience on a day that will shine as one of the brightest jewels in Gordon’s Crown.

Iona Scotson, Senior Pipe Major

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Meeting His Majesty the King:

The Palace Parade and Review at Hampton Court

Visiting Gordon Gardens and Brompton Barracks in Kent

With our school having His Majesty the King as the patron and it also being the school’s 140th anniversary, the Pipes and Drums band were privileged to play for His Majesty at Windsor Castle. As a band we had spent months preparing, learning new tunes and I (along with a few others) had even composed one! And from the recce beforehand, where the Drum Major Lucy and I had gone to visit Windsor Castle, to the morning of the actual visit, nerves were incredibly high. Across the band people had a mixture of excitement and pride.

It was an incredibly hot day when we got there, with the temperature being predicted at 30°. The horses inside their stables were clearly quite hot and bothered and we tried our best not to disturb them with our bagpipes and drums. We formed up outside the quadrangle and proceeded to give a performance, of which I’m sure all of us are proud.

After we had finished playing and had formed up in a semicircle the King came round and spoke to

every single student there and shook everyone’s hand. I remember mentioning and talking to him about an event I had done at St James’s Palace for the King’s Foundation Awards, and I believe he had a unique question for every student. Once he finished making his way round, we presented the tune that we had composed which he said he would get the King’s Piper to learn and is now hung up in Balmoral Castle.

After we had performed, we were taken to see General Charles Gordon’s Bible. We were given an in-depth explanation on all of the parts of the display and even got to hear the tune composed

by Handel played by the organ clock which the bible rests on.

Overall, it was such a special experience for everyone involved and I’m sure all of us will remember it for the rest of our lives.

Harry Gordon, Pipe Major

General Gordon’s statue in Queen’s Park and the Gordon family tomb in the Old Cemetery, Southampton

Performing at the Royal Albert Hall 16

The King’s Foundation Awards 17

AROUND THE HOUSES

Augusta House: Vibrant, Creative and Athletic

with many of our students shining brightly. This inspiring event reflected the dedication of both students and staff in the creative arts.

As we move from the vibrant end of the Summer Term into the fresh energy of this term, Augusta House has enjoyed a packed schedule of activities and successes that highlight our spirit, talent, and togetherness.

The new term kicked off with high spirits as the Front Field transformed into a lively It’s a Knockout arena, bringing boarders together for inflatable obstacle challenges and water fun.

New boarders quickly bonded, strengthening our sense of family.

Our annual Sports Day, held just before summer half term, was a thrilling display of athleticism and teamwork. Year 11 continued their unbeaten streak since Year 7 by clinching first place overall, a truly remarkable achievement. Across all year groups, students demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and determination, making the day memorable for all involved.

The Inter-House cricket competition has been equally exciting. Our Year 10 team dominated their matches, securing victories and earning a well-deserved pizza party, with Miley standing out as player of the tournament. The final weekend saw Year 7 take first place, and Year 9 finishing strong in second, contributing to Augusta House’s top overall position in the competition. Well done to all players for their energy and commitment!

As summer drew to a close, our Year 11 students celebrated the end of exams with a lively shirt signing event, marking a milestone with joy and creativity. The Year 11s and 13s gathered for a heartfelt leavers’ meal at Prezzo, where we celebrated their achievements and wished them well for the future. We will miss them dearly but look forward to hearing about their next adventures.

Sadly, we also said goodbye to Miss Garner, our pastoral assistant, who left at the end of term.

She will be greatly missed by all.

Our end-of-term summer BBQ and rounders event was a fantastic community occasion, filled with laughter, a golden ticket prize draw, and a refreshing water fight under glorious weather, perfect for celebrating the strong bonds within Augusta House.

Sunday’s arts and crafts, baking, and board games offered creative relaxation, culminating in a cozy joint firepit evening with Windsor House, complete with toasted marshmallows and s’mores, perfect for building friendships across Houses.

We also hosted a Sixth Form social event, which was a huge success, fostering new friendships and setting a positive tone for the term ahead.

Zorb football has also been a hit and brought endless smiles and laughter as students bounce and bump in inflatable suits, enjoying the lighter side of competition.

Congratulations to Miley, Junyi, Tia, Eliza, and the entire cast and crew of the 24-Hour Musical.

Their energy and talent, from Saturday rehearsals to Sunday’s packed performance, left us all inspired.

Family Evenings have brought a lovely mix of cookie decorating and quizzes, encouraging students to learn more about their House family members. The creativity on display, especially in the personalised cookies, was impressive, and delicious!

From sporting triumphs to creative brilliance and heartfelt community moments, Augusta House has started the year strong. Here’s to more success, friendship, and fun in the months ahead!

David and Angela Mathews Augusta Houseparents

The Summer Arts Evening showcased incredible talent across art, music, dance, and drama, 19

Balmoral House: Celebrations and Goodbyes The summer was extremely busy with lots of Inter-House activities, celebrations for the end of term, but also filled with sadness when you have to say goodbye to some students who have played such a massive part in Balmoral life. We wish them all well as they continue on their life journey and hope they remember all the good times and memories from Balmoral.

The House had numerous InterHouse successes across tug of war, cricket and athletics, as well as the eagerly awaited House Song every year, where yet again the boys gave it their all.

There were lots of exciting residential House trips too, including Thorpe Park, Thorpe Lakes and some year groups went kayaking on the River Wey. The boys also had great success in winning the good comments award for the Summer Term.

The summer is always a fun time of the year for boarding houses, where the boys enjoy playing outside and being active. Another great term to go alongside another great year for Balmoral.

Paul King Balmoral Houseparent

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Buckingham House: New Arrivals (including a baby tortoise!)

The Longmoor Cup Parade keeps us on our toes and involves a lot of boot polishing. Sadly, we didn’t win, but our keen participation was rewarded by the distribution of donuts to all boys the next day, so that made all the hard work worthwhile!

Public exams start early in the Summer Term, and this year we held our Sixth Form Y13 leavers’ meal with House staff in May, before exams began.

A lovely way to mark the end of the boys’ time with us at school, and everyone enjoyed a tasty curry that evening, before being presented with a reminder of their time in Buckingham House.

Our lovely Y11 students had their Prom Night on a glorious summer’s evening, and we were thrilled to celebrate with them and wish them well in their next adventures.

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The Summer Term is full of hotly-contested Inter-House events including Football and Athletics. Our Sixth Form team were victorious in Inter-House Football, and rightly proud of their achievement. Pentathlon and other pre-sports day events kept lots of our students active on the Front Field with javelin, discus, high jump, triple jump and other events to suit the varied abilities of all our boys. By the time Sports Day itself arrived, we were in good shape and won the Y7-11 Athletics Cup. All members of the House were rewarded with ice lollies.

The Summer Term treat as we headed towards the end of another busy school year was our whole House trip to Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park. Two coaches left school with boys and staff who were looking forward to cooling off in the lake after a very hot spell of summer weather. A fun evening was enjoyed by all, under blue skies and in warm sunshine. Plenty of hot dogs and cooling drinks were consumed after the Aqua Park contests.

Sixteen eager Y7s, one Y9 and 27 Y12 students

were not our only new joiners in the Autumn Term…..a baby tortoise hatched from one of the eggs in Mr Sinclair’s incubator in late August and has come to join his friends in Buckingham.

We start them young in this House! The baby is being looked after by two other tortoises, each of which also hatched from eggs last summer and the year before and have been thriving in our vivarium ever since.

We encourage the Y8 boys to act as buddies to our new Y7 students, and had fun building Lego ducks, whilst finding out about each other’s interests and favourite animals. The common room was filled with chatter, and the start of new friendships across the year groups.

We followed this up with a trampolining trip for the Y7-8 boys. Excitement levels built as we arrived at the trampoline park, and plenty of energy was needed whilst bouncing and having fun.

With jigsaw puzzles and dozens of board games in the House, table tennis and pool, console games and plenty of footballs and rugby balls available, there’s never a dull moment in Buckingham House.

The Inter-House Tug of War was brought forward in the calendar this new academic year and was held at the start of the Autumn Term. A great way for our new teams of athletes to bond. The new friendships and teamwork showed great promise. Our 7-11 team were placed second, and the Sixth Form team won their event. Results for Inter-House Cycling were equally impressive: Years 7-11 won their competition, and the Sixth Form came second in theirs. Great work, everyone!

Jamie Sinclair, Head of Buckingham House

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China House: Cups, Competitions and Family Challenges The Summer Term was packed with exciting activities, including House events, family challenges, a trip to Thorpe Lakes, and, of course, the ever-popular Inter-House competitions. It was truly inspiring to see how much all our girls had grown and flourished over the year. At the Annual Prizegiving, we were proud to receive the Creative Arts Cup, now proudly displayed in the House, as well as the Bunbury Cup for the House with the most Academic Commendations.

While we were sad to say goodbye to our Year 13s and our Year 11s, we sent them off in style. Their prom and leavers’ meals were fitting celebrations of their time with us. Our Year 11s also enjoyed a lovely meal at the Eastern Oriental restaurant with the House staff, and I had the pleasure of taking our Year 13s for a glass of fizz and dinner at The Surrey Cricketers.

September brought a buzz of excitement as we welcomed 14 enthusiastic Year 7s into the China family, alongside Mrs Fouche, who joined us as one of the House tutors. Our Year 8s have embraced their buddy roles with great dedication, helping our newcomers settle in smoothly. We also welcomed two new Sixth Form students and one new Year 9, all of whom have enthusiastically embraced the challenges ahead.

Already this term, we have participated in the Inter-House tug of war, cycling, and the music solo and group rounds with our girls winning the group round. Our Sixth Form girls secured second place in both of their events, placing us joint top of the leaderboard. Every girl who has taken part has demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm and resilience.

Each year group enjoyed a pizza and movie night, while our Sixth Form students were challenged with a quiz, set by the House staff. It was the perfect way to kick off the year and build lasting friendships.

Our House families underwent a reshuffle, welcoming new students and family names. They have begun to get to know each other while competing to earn points for rewards.

Our Year 7s proudly took part in the traditional hat-throwing ceremony at the Harvest Parade, marching past the whole school for the first time, which was an incredibly proud moment for us all. They particularly looked forward to the Remembrance Parade, when they finally joined the entire House.

There are many more competitions we are looking forward to!

Heidi Doe Head of China House 24

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Gravesend House: Outstanding Performances in Drill, Sport and Music The Summer Term started with an outstanding performance from the boys in the annual drill competition. Gravesend came away winning the Talbot Cup, judged as the best overall boys’ House. There were many Inter-House Competitions during the term. Here are some of the highlights: In Athletics, the Year 10 team won their event overall and the Year 7 and 8 teams came second in their competitions. In Football, Year 8 won their 26

tournament and the Year 7 and 10 teams pushed their opponents very hard but eventually finished second in their year groups. The boys have shown that Cricket is one of our best sports in the House. They won the Year 9 competition and were second in the Year 7, 8 and 10 events, which was excellent. The boys put in a sterling performance at the Inter-House Music event at the end of the Summer Term. Gravesend were judged to be the top boys’ House, which is a fantastic achievement, with our rendition of the song ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls.

The Summer Term saw us say goodbye to our Year 13 students and some in Year 11. The Year 11 Prom and Year 13 Leavers’ Dinner were both enjoyable evenings and gave the students an

opportunity to celebrate their time at Gordon’s School. We rounded off the academic year with two special events. Firstly, there was a wholehouse trip to Thorpe Lakes. The weather was perfect, and the hour spent at the Aqua Park was enjoyed by everyone from Year 7 to Year 13. Secondly, staff shared a lovely evening with the Year 13 students at the Cinnamon Palace restaurant in Lightwater as a farewell to this year group.

The Autumn Term kicked off with the Year 7 Trip to High Ashurst. This was a great way for the boys to work as a team and get to know each other. The first Inter-House event of the year was the tug-of-war competition and our boys in Years 7 to 11 came out victorious. They won all

their pulls dominating the contest against the other Houses. The other main event this halfterm was the Inter-House Music Competition.

Our band of Ben, Harry, Lyan, Alex, George, Ruben, Joe and James performed the song Shut Up and Dance. They were a favourite amongst the audience and were placed fourth on the night by the adjudicator.

Finally, we have run two House trips so far this term. The Year 11s played Top Golf with Daniel coming out victorious overall and the Year 7 and 8 boys finished the half-term off with a fun trip bowling in Camberley.

Gary Knight Gravesend Head of House

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Kensington House: Parties, Swimming and New Faces As always the Summer Term was packed with activities and achievements including House parties and, on one very hot day, swimming in Guildford Lido! The long summer days led to Inter-House competitions in the sun, including the Inter-House Athletics Competition, cricket and the House song. The Prom and Leavers’ Dinner were a great chance for us all to see the older girls arrive and celebrate their big milestone with them. As expected, our Year 11 and 13 girls excelled in their public examinations and we were pleased to welcome many back into the House in September for their Sixth Form experience. We are proud that, although missed in the House, our Year 13 girls are all now enjoying university or apprenticeship life, with Nottingham and Exeter Universities proving the most popular places this year!

It was great to welcome back everyone at the start of term, especially our new Year 12 and 7 girls. To help everyone settle in quickly we were able to enjoy a series of pizza evenings with games and Just Dance, as well as family get togethers to meet girls across all age groups.

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All of which led us to the first Parade of the year which was a great success for all our students, especially our Year 7 girls marching for the first time. They were led by Year 10 girls who gave up their own time to do lots of extra practices to get the girls Parade-ready.

Early in the term we enjoyed the start to InterHouse competitions with lots of energy in the first two sporting events. We were delighted to win first place in Cycling and the Sixth Form Tug of War, with second place in Years 7-11 Tug of War, putting us currently first place in the InterHouse sports events table! A great start to the year. We look forward to the challenges and fun that the run up to Christmas always brings in this Autumn Term alongside hard work and academic aspirations, including a trip to Hampton Court ice-skating, the House stall at the Christmas Fayre, Sixth Form Dance Off with Sandringham, parent drinks in House and a visit from Santa to our House party.

Kate Connery Head of Kensington House

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Khartoum House: Trademark Spirit Khartoum, as ever, have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into every challenge and opportunity this year — meeting each one with enthusiasm, determination, and trademark Khartoum spirit. The boys once again rose magnificently to the occasion, culminating in both the Senior and Junior Headmaster’s Cups for Sport returning to their rightful home. A phenomenal effort from every single boy — we couldn’t be prouder!

The Summer Term is always a special time in Khartoum, filled with energy and excitement as Inter-House events come thick and fast. Our now-Year 12s and outgoing Year 13s approached their GCSEs and A Levels with admirable focus 30

and resilience, and it’s been brilliant to see so many Year 11s choosing to stay on for Sixth Form. Prom, as ever, was a night to remember — the boys looked the part, and from all reports, the after-party didn’t disappoint!

Sports Day was another defining moment, with our senior boys putting in superb performances that secured the overall Headmaster’s Cup in the senior category. The unity, spirit, and sheer determination on display summed up everything Khartoum stands for — and of course, the Tug of War remains an annual highlight!

Our new Year 7s began their Gordon’s journey with an action-packed trip to High Ashurst, tackling climbing walls, high ropes, and team challenges. It was fantastic to see their courage, teamwork, and the first sparks of friendships that will grow throughout their years in Khartoum.

The new academic year began in perfect fashion with our first trophy — Inter-House Cycling. The boys gave it everything, retaining the overall title with victories in the senior category and a close second in juniors. A brilliant start and the perfect excuse to get the pizza bill rolling! Special mention to Dan Gunner and Marcus Hibbins for their outstanding performances.

Inter-House Music saw an exciting new format this year, with two categories. Our Year 13 drumming maestro and Drum Major, Ben Shorter, represented Khartoum in the solo competition, dazzling the judges with his talent and composure.

The Group Music competition was another highlight — a vibrant showcase of Khartoum creativity, teamwork, and flair. The performance was electric (and, dare we say, we were robbed!).

Huge credit to every performer, especially Elliot, whose leadership and talent shone through.

It was heartwarming to see boys from every year group come together — seniors guiding, mentoring, and inspiring the younger years to step up and shine.

As we headed into half term, the boys enjoyed a well-earned rest before the next round of competitions — including Debating, Shooting, and Rugby — followed by our Christmas wholeHouse trip to Woking Superbowl.

Finally, a heartfelt farewell to our incredible Year 13s. You have been the backbone of Khartoum — leading with humour, hard work, and unwavering spirit. You will be sorely missed, but your legacy will continue through the younger boys you’ve inspired.

Here’s to another unforgettable year in Khartoum — full of pride, energy, and passion. Bring on the fun times ahead!

Jonathan Griffiths, Head of Khartoum House 31

Sandringham House: Fond Farewells and New Beginnings The Summer Term at Sandringham was a busy and memorable one, filled with milestones and celebrations. We began with the end of the exam season for both Year 11 and Year 13 students—a significant moment marking the culmination of their hard work. A highlight for Year 11 was the traditional shirt signing on the Front Field, where creativity was on full display as students decorated each other’s shirts in imaginative and colourful ways.

Both Year 11 and Year 13 enjoyed their prom and Leavers’ Dinner, and it was fantastic to see everyone dressed to impress—the boys looked especially smart on the night!

As the term drew to a close, Sports Day brought the whole school together in a spirited display of athleticism and teamwork. All year groups took part, and it was clear we have some truly talented athletes among us.

Finally, we said heartfelt goodbyes to our Year 13 students. It’s always a bittersweet moment as we wish them well on their next journey while feeling the loss of their presence in our community. We also bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Webb, who have been valued members of the Sandringham family for the past six years. Their contributions will be deeply missed.

September brought fresh starts and excited students, as well as new Houseparents Mr and Mrs Pring. The boys were extremely welcoming and helped to establish a great beginning to the year.

So far this half term, food has been a main source of activities and enjoyment, with the boys honing their culinary skills through both House activities and weekend cooking sessions. Particular triumphs include baking rocky road, making bubble tea, BBQs and outdoor pizza making!

House Family competitions have also been a great source of entertainment, with the boys so far taking part in a basketball free throw contest and competitive pumpkin carving, and the friendly competition is helping to build bonds between the different year groups. The next event we are involved in is a highly competitive FIFA tournament.

There have also been some great activities and trips to keep the boys entertained – from the It’s a Knockout inflatable games to the Thorpe Park Fright Night, the students have had great fun and made some great memories.

As we approach half term, the boys should be so proud of what has been accomplished so far, and as we move into the next phase of the year, we hope their positive momentum keeps going!

Andrew and Lauren Pring, Sandringham Houseparents 32

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Victoria House: Shining in Sport, Creative Arts and Academics What a fantastic year we’ve had. Our girls have truly shone across Sports, Creative Arts and Academics. At the annual Parade, our House Captain, Skye, accepted an impressive number of awards on behalf of Victoria: the Academic Cup, the Honours Programme Trophy, the Y7–Y11 Headmaster’s Sports Cup and the Sixth Form Sports Cup. The girls’ dedication and success have kept us busy and we’ve had so much fun along the way! A huge thank you to our 97 Victoria girls who got involved in Inter-House events and brought such brilliant energy and enthusiasm to every competition.

Seeing the girls all looking fabulous at Prom and the Leavers’ Ball was such an emotional and proud moment. It was a special farewell for many as they head off on their next adventure.

In June, we made the most of the sunshine with a trip to Thorpe Lakes Aqua Park for Years 7–10.

The girls loved the challenge of the inflatable obstacle course and it was so lovely to see them socialising and having fun outside school.

Inter-House competitions are off to a strong start with our Y7–Y11 girls winning the Tug of War and our Sixth Form girls winning the Cycling event. We also kicked off our social calendar with our annual Sixth Form Quiz Night and a few relaxed movie and pizza evenings. There’s lots more in store for what’s shaping up to be another exciting and memorable year!

Our older students celebrated the end of year in style with our Year 11 heading to ‘Eastern and Oriental’ after their last GCSEs, Year 12 had a relaxed pizza picnic and rounders tournament and our Year 13s marked the end of their A-Levels with a celebratory meal and a glass of bubbly at ‘Cinnamon Palace.’

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In House, our family structure continues, and it’s been great to see the girls earning points for their families through fun activities like Mario Kart, Connect 4, Just Dance, and Scavenger Hunts.

This academic year, we have welcomed 33 new girls to the House. They have settled in beautifully and are already getting stuck into our House events.

Marie Jones, Head of Victoria House

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Windsor House: Effort Everywhere, Kindness Always Windsor House was thrilled to win another Super House Challenge, this time as the House with the lowest average behaviour points, winning us another £500! We put the total winnings of £1,000 together, (from winning the previous super House challenge as least amount of lates) and we treated every year to a delicious meal out together at a restaurant of their year group choice! A wonderful way to celebrate the end of the academic year.

The next challenge was Longmoor, and we were thrilled to hear that we came a very close second in the competition, only losing out to Augusta House….so we go again next year!

The next Inter-House was Netball, and Windsor won player of the tournament with Mair Price in Year 13. These were fantastic games to watch fast and furious and fantastic skill all round. We were so proud also of the effort that our students put in during Sports Day, and the pre-Sports Day events, with quite a few of our girls winning first places and gold medals. We are moving in the right direction, so onwards and upwards! First places to name a few were, javelin Year 8 and 9; discus Year 9; Year 8 100m and Year 8 4 x 100m; Year 11 4 x 100 which our Y11s have won every year at Sports Day, since Year 7 – a fantastic achievement.

The summer activities came thick and fast, this time including a fantastic full boarders’ community event, our very own, ‘International Food Festival’.

There was so much food on offer, all prepared in the Houses, and the day finished off with an enormous (much needed!) water fight on the Front Field.

Creative summer time kept us busy in House also finishing off the really popular homemade wheat bags and House artwork which is now proudly on display in House. Our Year 10s headed off for their Silver DofE (with Flo’s birthday cake in hand).

They coped admirably, and that extra slice of cake helped them soldier on! And then of course, came the exams for our Year 11s and Year 13s.

We were so proud of how all the students coped and also how well they looked after themselves - the memo on self-care and sleep was definitely taken on-board, and what a wonderful end of year celebration we all enjoyed, and the glorious sunshine helped too!

Our End of Year Awards event was lots of fun, handing out some well-deserved (and some tongue in cheek prizes!). The students looked incredible at all the formal events organised for them, and it was fantastic to see them being able to relax and look forward to a summer to remember…..and the results speak volumes. We were so incredibly proud of all our students, and it has been so lovely to see so many Year 11s return to Sixth Form and to also give a warm Windsor welcome to our new students.

The inflatable It’s a Knockout event for all the Boarders on the first weekend in school was a great success, and since then we’ve enjoyed Inter-House Tug of War, Cycling (a very close race!), firepit and s’mores night, and some lovely family events here in the boarding house, ensuring that Windsor House continues to have a ‘steady ship’ and to live by our new House motto ‘Effort Everywhere, Kindness Always’.

Ben and Danielle Heathcoate, Windsor Houseparents

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Woolwich: A Unique Vintage The Woolwich class of 24-25 were a unique vintage with layer upon layer of complexity, rounding off with a flourish.

their spare time to give a polished performance of Nepalese dancing (complete with costumes!) for the Summer Arts event.

Chess was big in Woolwich this year, with Woolwich students fortifying the backbone of Mr Lloyd’s young grand master team, competing across the South. The core enthusiasm, deeply rooted in the common rooms of Woolwich, which ran down every branch of their tactical play as the students leafed through the chess strategy books to prepare for their competitions.

Then there was peace.

By the end of the year, this vivacious bunch finished with a flourish by running laps of the field for charity. An enormous tip of the cap goes to Tristan Li, who, despite early injury, lapped before breakfast, at every possible breaktime, until the last minutes roll call, for the whole week.

He earned substantial sponsorship and a large contribution to the school’s charity. What an inspiration! There were also the girls who gave up

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Then September came and we welcomed our new sprouting shoots into Woolwich. Like Tristan before them, the enthusiasm and energy is unbound. They have conquered climbing walls, marched their first march and, on occasion, been able to find their gum-shields for themselves.

No less than 12 walked the historical walk from Brookwood station, but all applied and volunteered for the event. We are proud of those that made the walk, and even happier to have a group of students who will put their hands up for almost anything.

Watch this space...

Sam and Daisy Cooper Woolwich Houseparents

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The three times a week early morning training in the cold and dark paid off! Team Gordon’s crossed the Ten Tors finish line at Okehampton Camp in 17 hours and 44 minutes after a 35 mile hike over Dartmoor’s inhospitable terrain.

The Biennial Inspection of the school’s Combined Cadet Corps (CCF) by Lieutenant Colonel Nick Moffat from the Royal Regiment of Scotland. As well as watching the students’ Parade, Lt Col Moffat met Army, Navy and Air Force Cadets and saw them in action. Gordon’s offers a tri-service CCF for all students in Year 10, which can be continued in Years 11, 12 and 13.

Over 100 students took up the Bronze DofE challenge, trekking across the Surrey Hills in pursuit of their residential section of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The Year 9 group, split into 16 teams, walked 16 kilometres per day carrying their tents and sustenance.

Multi-activities for the CCF Army cadets visiting the Royal Engineers at Gibraltar Barracks in Minley. As well as building an infantry foot bridge and using a Vallon metal detector they learned how to make knots and lashings, using their knowledge to build water crafts (that actually floated!).

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Would-be engineers and aviators enjoyed a spectacular day of flying displays and static aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. The CCF RAF students visited during the ‘Futures Day’, aimed at showcasing careers in aviation. They were also given a private tour of a Boeing Poseidon MRA1 (P-8A).

Two tri-Service CCF teams, two field guns and a lot of grit as students competed in the Gordon’s gun run competition. The contest involves dismantling and assembling the field gun at every obstacle before running 150 metres with the gun to the finish line. The exercise was reminiscent of the Royal Navy’s annual competition at the Royal Tournament and the first time it has been held at Gordon’s. A great team building exercise and a lot of fun!

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Back on the trail for the 68 students on their silver DofE expedition. The expedition was held over three days and two nights on the stunning Jurassic Coast and required students to plan (and carry!) their meals and water, together with their tents as well as decide on their route. One of the priorities was celebrating the birthday of one of their number!

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Baking temperatures, rain and boot blow-outs! Sixth Form students on the the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award in the Black Mountains, Wales experienced it all on their four day/three night practice expedition. Better weather later on in the month when all 18 of them embarked on their final expedition in Snowdonia.

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CO-CURRICULAR A new addition to Gordon’s which has recently been awarded an Eco-Schools Green Flag, an eco-loop garden in a piece of land tucked away behind the maths block. Students transformed the disused area as part of Make a Difference Day, raiding skips to make upcycled planters and seating and adding wood chips, water butts and a pathway. The Balmoral House boys will tend the garden and add in herbs, wild flowers and vegetables. Peter Wynter Bee, a former Foundation Governor and benefactor of the Wynter Bee Sustainability Prize, won by Balmoral House, was invited in to see the transformation.

A popular Saturday morning activity, visiting the numerous Parkruns in the area. On Mrs Jones’ 401st Parkrun, the Gordon’s crew running at Frimley Lodge, came across Paula Fudge, chair of the Old Gordonian Runners club!

Two new developments for co-curricular – a new forest school and a mountain bike track! The forest school provides the perfect place in which to connect with nature and learn essential survival skills while the mountain bike track, built by students during Make a Difference Day, provides a high-octane experience for mountain bikers!

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MUN Unlucky for some but for the 13 students from Gordon’s School attending the Reigate Junior Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, it was anything but! They returned with a haul of awards for their diplomacy, public speaking, and teamwork.

The inaugural Gordon’s Model United Nations Junior (GMUN) involved 25 students from Years 7 and 8 debating the topics of the Chinese attitudes towards Taiwan, the historical conflict between India and Pakistan and the impact of rising seawaters on Pacific Nations. Early days for these MUN delegates but they are proving to be rising stars in this academic simulation of diplomatic decision making. While all were put forward by the chairs for ‘Most Improved Delegate’, the Best Delegate Awards went to Florence (USA) and Samuel (Canada).

For many of the students, it was their first time attending an external MUN conference, yet they showed remarkable confidence and capability. Of the five committees at the conference of around 70 students, Gordon’s delegates earned awards in four, taking the coveted Best Delegate title in two of them.

Among the standout performances were Ella Mathews, who received a Highly Commended Delegate award in the Human Rights Committee, and William Allinson, who earned the same accolade in the International Disputes Committee.

Top honours went to Matthew Bell, who was named Best Delegate in the Disarmament Committee—a notable achievement as it was his very first MUN conference!

Zara Hafis also took home a Best Delegate award for her commanding performance in the Environment Committee.

Model United Nations (MUN) is an academic simulation activity in which participants assume the role of national ambassadors to debate and seek to solve global issues as part of one of the United Nations many committees. To be successful, delegates must have a precise attention to detail when constructing and analysing resolutions, a secure grasp of rhetoric to ensure their country’s views are heard and an ability to work collaboratively.

Gordon’s hosts its own MUN Conference every year, which sees around 150 students from around the country descend on the Surrey Heath School for scintillating debate. Guests of Honour this year were Surrey Heath MP Alistair Pinkerton, bringing his experiences in international relations as an MP and Associate Professor in Geopolitics at Royal Holloway University to the event, and Major Ali Bexton, whose extensive experience in Ukraine provided a unique perspective on life there.

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CREATIVE

ARTS

Over the summer, we held our Summer Arts Exhibition, inviting students to submit artwork and photography based on the theme of summer.

The exhibition highlighted the imagination and skill of our students and provided a platform for their creative expression. Students also participated in a range of national and international competitions, including the Explorers Against Extinction ‘Sketch for Survival’ Competition, the Royal Academy Competition, and the My Wild Life Photography Competition.

We were especially proud that Roselyn Tamang, Ben, and Adam Mitchley reached the finals of the My Wild Life competition, reflecting their dedication and talent.

SIXTH FORM DANCE SCHOLARS Returning in September, we launched the Carol Service Cover Competition, inviting students to design artwork for one of the school’s most cherished annual events. This was followed by the Winter Arts and Poetry Competition, encouraging students to explore visual and literary creativity which will be exhibited at our Winter Arts Scholar Evening in collaboration with drama and music.

A particularly exciting development has been the launch of a new initiative to showcase more of our scholars’ talents across the wider school community through taking commissions from other departments. This project ensures that students’ achievements are celebrated beyond Co-Curricular programmes and inspires the wider school to engage in creative activities.

Gabriella Croci, Acting Head of Art

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It has been a particularly busy and exciting time for dance at Gordon’s School, with a flurry of activity and a host of performances highlighting the talent, diversity, and dedication of our students.

The recent Summer Arts Evening was a true celebration of creativity, bringing together a wide range of performances that captivated audiences and showcased the incredible standard of dance and musical theatre being developed within the school.

One of the most significant and heartwarming moments of the evening was the debut performance of our Nepalese dancers—a first in the history of Gordon’s School. Their vibrant, culturally rich performance added a unique and inspiring dimension to the showcase, and was warmly received by the audience, marking a

meaningful step in the celebration of global dance traditions within our community.

In addition to the stellar performances, we are immensely proud of our dance scholar, Ella Richardson, who has made an excellent start to her professional training at the prestigious Wilkes Academy. Her hard work, discipline, and passion for dance have been evident throughout her time at Gordon’s, and we are delighted to see her taking the next step toward a promising career in the performing arts. As we celebrate her success, we are also thrilled to welcome two new dance scholars into our program. Their talent and enthusiasm have already begun to shine through, and we look forward to supporting them on their own exciting journeys in dance.

Martha Banks Thompson, Head of Dance 49

Friday night drill provided the chance to celebrate the success of these students – the magnificent seven, who passed their audition for the National Youth Theatre (of the 5000 auditions nationally only eight per cent were awarded a place!). They are: Emma (Year 13); Poppy (Year 10); Ava (Year 13); Phoebe (Year 10); Emilia (Year 12); Naima (Year 12) and Adekunbi (Year 12).

Drama Roundup The academic year ended with a flourish for CoCurricular Drama with our presentations of two musical theatre pieces at our annual Summer Arts Evening. Our senior students performed a medley of contemporary numbers with a short preview of a number from this year’s production of Amélie which is currently in rehearsal. Year 12 Musical Theatre Scholar, Kate Brazendale and Acting Scholar, Elliot Watson, feature in the leading roles.

Our junior students demonstrated the talent at the lower end of the school by showcasing a medley of contemporary musical numbers based on the theme of growing up. Our junior piece was assistant directed and choreographed by three of our senior scholars, Jessica Murphy, Adekunbi Adebiyi and Emilia Wilkins.

In May, Tara Udassi reached the regional final of the National ESU (English Speaking Union) performing Shakespeare competition in which she presented her interpretation of Shylock from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.

In June, five students from the cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, together with Mr Stanworth and myself, attended the red-carpet event of the ‘National School Theatre Awards’ where our production was nominated for four awards. Unfortunately, we came away empty handed, but that didn’t take anything away from a fantastic experience.

The new academic year has started with three productions underway. Our Senior Writing Scholar, Charlotte Newing, has written a debut play which will be brought to life by an ensemble of KS4 and KS5 students. The production is currently in the early stages of the workshopping process which is enabling Charlotte to review and refine the piece as a writer as well as a director. On top of this, Charlotte is also supporting me in the role of Assistant Director for our production of Amélie.

There are particularly exciting times ahead as this academic year will see the first full use of our new purpose built ‘Wynter Bee Theatre’ space, with the grand opening taking place on the closing night of Amélie on Wednesday 28th January 2025.

Robbie Olden, Head of Drama

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Three of the four Woking Young Musicians Trust awards were made to Gordon’s students this year. The awards aim to encourage aspiring young musicians in the area and are made after an audition and interview with the panel of trustees. Kate Brazendale (voice); Daria Hudson (piano) and Audrey Man (harp) performed at a celebration concert in the presence of the Mayor of Woking, Councillor Amanda Boote.

Great to hear that Owen, who has been a member of our senior choir, the Semper Fidelis Singers, since he was in Year 9 has received an offer of a choral scholarship to Oxford University.

A testament to his dedication and to the choral experiences we now offer our singers.

Well done Owen - now to get those A level grades!

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Music Roundup The music department has enjoyed one of its busiest and most rewarding periods yet, filled with competitions, concerts, and inspiring opportunities for our young musicians.

The Summer Term began on a high note with the Arete Music Competition, where Gordon’s School competed against Woking High School and Robert Mary’s School.

Our students’ dedication and talent shone through, as we proudly won half of all the categories; a remarkable achievement that set the tone for the months to follow.

The Summer String Soirée showcased the depth of musical talent within the school. The evening featured a wide range of soloists and ensembles, including the String Orchestra, Crescendo Strings, and several chamber groups. Many of these performers were also recognised for their success at the UK Schools Music Festival, bringing home one gold, one silver, and two bronze awards.

It was an especially exciting term for our pianists.

Students participated in masterclasses at Steinway Hall in London and represented Gordon’s at the UK Schools Piano Festival at the Royal Academy of Music — experiences that strengthened both their technical skill and musical confidence. The term concluded with the annual Summer Arts Performance, a vibrant celebration featuring three jazz bands, the junior choirs, the concert band, and our senior choir, the Semper Fidelis Singers.

The new academic year began just as energetically.

In September, five students travelled to Hamburg to visit the Steinway factory, part of Gordon’s journey to becoming a Steinway School. The group learned how to assess and select a grand piano, even choosing the very instrument destined for our theatre!

October has continued the momentum with a host of masterclasses and trips, including a visit to the Music from Animation concert and inspiring rehearsals led by Katherine Dienes-Williams, choirmaster of Guildford Cathedral. The half term ended with the opening rounds of our ever-popular Inter-House Music Competition, setting the stage for yet more musical excitement in the months to come.

The dream of becoming a Steinway School was realised in November with the delivery of a fleet of pianos from the factory in Germany. The pianos, two grand and five uprights, were selected by students and staff, who flew out to Hamburg in September after generous donations from parents, staff and friends of the school made the dream possible. Gordon’s now joins an illustrious list of institutions from around the UK to have formed a partnership with Steinway & Sons, the world’s best known and most respected manufacturer of pianos. Students will now be able to practise, rehearse and be accompanied on these high quality instruments as well as participating in Steinway-sponsored masterclasses and events.

For a few of the students the arrival was the end of a journey that has seen them visit Steinway & Sons in London, New York and Germany.

Adam Stanworth, Director of Music 52

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CHARITY

Making a Difference What a difference a day made! Gordon’s School’s Make a Difference Day saw over 600 students working for others and producing some fantastic results.

Gordon’s has one long term school charity and three further ones chosen annually by students and staff. The long term charity, for which the school will be raising money for the next few years, is Kids for Kids, a charity that works in Darfur, Sudan. The school is hoping to raise enough money to build a kindergarten in Sudan.

Closer to home, the three other charities are the West End Scout Group for a new headquarters, Treloar’s School and College and Charlie’s Promise which is dedicated to helping the fight against knife crime in Surrey and the UK. Martin Cosser, who set up Charlie’s Promise in memory of his 17 year old son Charlie who was stabbed multiple times at a house party, visited Gordon’s to talk to students about his charity. In this, the school’s 140th anniversary year, students have also been raising money for bursaries and to become a Steinway School. Gordon’s catering department held their own special charity event, that of a Macmillan Coffee afternoon, raising hundreds of pounds.

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, which has led to displaced families and death from starvation and disease, was movingly outlined

by Patricia Parker OBE, Kids for Kids Chairman of Trustees and Founder, together with Deputy CEO Davina Patel. The two met Charity Prefects and

They cleared graves, gardened, painted, set up a new 400 metre mountain bike track at school and delighted elderly residents in local care homes as well as one near neighbour whose wooden fence they replaced, along with transforming his garden.

They sifted through donations for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice (around 50 bin bags of items and 200kg of books), helped at the Woking Foodbank, produced toys for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, played balloon volleyball with residents of the Greenview Hall Care Home and litter-picked in the Surrey Hills and West Wittering Beach.

The Pipes and Drums took their music to Horsell Lodge Care Home where as well as explaining the history of the school and its music, they shared recent highlights such as playing at Windsor Castle and St James’s Palace for His Majesty the King and in the London Tattoo and Tartan Parade in New York. The group also helped prepare lunch for the residents. the school Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright.

Gordon’s has supported the charity Kids for Kids for many years, however this year students chose it as the whole school charity for the next three years with the aim of raising enough money to build a kindergarten.

For the green-fingered among them, they put their gardening skills to the test at Holy Trinity School; Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot Town Football Club and for the school’s new Eco Loop garden.

At the Bagshot Gardens Care Home, as well as tidying up the garden, students spent time talking to the residents. A spokesman for the home said afterwards: “It was a truly special day filled with smiles, conversations, and connection. Our residents haven’t stopped talking about how much they enjoyed the visit and appreciated the kindness and enthusiasm of your students.”

Make a Difference Day is an annual event where students aim to put back into the community and beyond.

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NEWS FROM THE PEWS

The tranquil setting of Loseley House was where nine recently-confirmed students spent the day on a retreat, with the school Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright. The students were confirmed in May by the Bishop of Dorking, the Right Reverend Paul Davies, in the school Chapel of St Edward the Confessor.

The plaque for a stained glass window, donated to the school Chapel some 40 years ago and depicting General Gordon receiving his last communion, was unveiled by the Bishop of Guildford, The Right Reverend Andrew Watson. In this, the school’s 140th anniversary year, it was decided to put an explanatory plaque next to the stained glass window, from St Luke’s Church, Southampton, where General Gordon’s sister Augusta regularly worshipped and where he received his last Communion in England in January 1884 before leaving for Sudan. Bishop Andrew spoke to all year groups about General Gordon, on the eve of the anniversary of the original ’necessitous’ boys marching to the school from Brookwood Station to become the first residents of what was then Gordon Boys’ Home, the National Memorial to General Gordon.

Harvest Festival donations making their way into the community. School Chaplain, The Reverend Graham Wright, delivered food and toiletries to Woking Foodbank and Simon Moore, a Trustee of the Bisley & West End Food Bank, came to the Chapel to collect their items. Thank you to the charity Prefects for their help with this and all those who generously donated towards the Harvest Festival appeal.

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His passion for words and energetic presentation to Years 7, 8 and 9 was infectious as Kimba shared his love of poetry and simple concepts in the writing of it. The poet and musician was visiting the school as part of National Poetry Day in October.

ACADEMIC Memorable biology lessons for Year 7 students studying life cycles who enjoyed watching butterflies emerge from chrysalises as well as chicks from eggs.

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Ten out of ten for our teachers at Gordon’s as they have achieved all the possible PTI Marks for 2025-6, making the school the only one in the country to hold all ten. The PTI Mark celebrates the school’s commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge to improve outcomes for all students in Art, D&T, English, Geography, History, Maths, Modern Foreign Languages, Music PE and Science. Gordon’s Senior Leadership Team has also been awarded the PTI Leadership Mark for 2025.

Lessons in becoming a bodyguard for Year 8 students from award-winning author Chris Bradford. Mr Bradford, who is also a black belt martial artist, is the writer behind the exciting children’s fiction series Bodyguard. As well as learning anti-surveillance skills and protecting VIPs, students were also trained in secret defence techniques!

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THE RESULTS ARE IN...

Smiles, hugs and pure joy as GCSE students at Gordon’s learned of their results, with over 90 per cent achieving five passes including English and Maths.

Among those celebrating with their peers, parents and teachers at the school were students Adam Cohen and Marco Ferdinando, who both recorded a clean sweep in their GCSE exams, with grade 9 in all their ten subjects!

Gordon’s boys bucked the national trend, mostly scoring half a grade higher than their female peers and all those studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects enjoyed particularly high grades this year. The average grade, across the board was a grade 8 with almost half of the candidates achieving 9-7 grades and 93.10% 9-4 grades.

The hard work paid off for A Level students where almost 90 per cent achieved A* to C Grades, with the majority heading for their firstchoice universities and 22 bound for Exeter University!

Five students were successful in their Oxbridge applications and three were accepted to study medicine.

BTEC results were also celebrated with 41% graded D* to D and 87% graded D* to M. Stand-out performances included success at Oxbridge for Adam Mills (Engineering), WeiYee Zhou (Engineering), Katherine Macfarlane (Engineering), Michael Mills (Biomedical Sciences) and Oluwatosin Osinibi, whose painting 60

was selected by the Royal Academy of Arts for their Young Artists Summer Exhibition, to read Architecture. Aimee Millington, Aster Lam and Mikaeel Bajwa secured medical school places.

Former Head Girl Adaora Ambrose’s A* performance means she will read law at a Russell Group University and four rugby players studying at Gordon’s on the Harlequins/Gordon’s Partnership Programme learned that not only have they been awarded contracts by Harlequins but they also achieved great results.

Overall, 39% of entries were graded A* - A; 69% of entries graded A* - B and 87% graded A* - C. The Average performance per student was BBB. In the BTECs, 41% of entries were graded D*-D. 61

TV chef Jamie Oliver joined Year 8 students (over Zoom!) for a Guinness World Record attempt at giving the largest cookery lesson. Students from Gordon’s and across the country made fresh pasta in a tomato sauce. Afterwards they heard that their joint pasta venture had been successful in breaking a world record.

EVENTS While Gordon’s was commemorating its 140th anniversary year, tucked away off the Front Field, Kensington was holding its own birthday celebrations of a quarter of a century! The girls’ Day Boarding House, which was opened by His Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex (now HRH the Duke of Edinburgh) 25 years ago, celebrated by welcoming Gordonians and current 62

As well as gruesome offerings of this year’s Inter-House pumpkin carving competition, there were also a range of General Gordon depicted in squash and nods to this year’s 140th anniversary. Thanks to Boz Fruit and Veg who donated two pumpkins to every House – both used by Windsor House for their stunning Fairy Garden that romped away in first place, followed by Khartoum’s General Gordon and Augusta’s spiced latte.

Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and nine Year 8 students attended! The students, dressed in their Blues uniforms, were chosen for their marching skills for this annual event, with HRH the Duke of Edinburgh reviewing the Parade of the Chelsea Pensioners. The Parade remembers King Charles II who issued a Royal Warrant for the foundation of the hospital and commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to design it. It is also known as Oak Apple Day, the oak leaves symbolising King Charles’ escape after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 when he hid in an oak tree.

students and their families for a birthday tea and cake. It also provided the visitors with an opportunity for a tour of the House and School.

Among those enjoying the celebrations were the current Head of House, Kate Connery, the original Head of House, Jenny Wilson, Paralympian gold medallist, Hannah Russell OBE, and her sister Alice.

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YEAR 11 ANNUAL PROM It started with a double decker red bus carrying a host of students dressed in suits, and ended with younger years pushing a Rolls Royce onto the Parade Square at Gordon’s! The annual Prom for Year 11 students was a glamorous, fun finish to the end of the school year.

Their GCSEs finally behind them, the Year 11 64

students set to work on making an entrance for their big night. High performance cars jostled alongside vintage and open-topped, spilling their elegant passengers dressed in colourful, sparkling dresses or smart suits.

Lining their journey into school were parents, staff and younger years at the school, cheering

and applauding each arrival. Master of Ceremonies, Paul Curley, himself making an entrance in one of the school’s electric vehicles, was there to meet them and open their car doors.

After their colourful entrances, the students made their way to the Front Field for drinks

with their parents and staff. Dinner was served in the marquee followed by speeches.

For some, the Prom and formal dinner marked the end of their journey at Gordon’s, for others it was the finale to their time in the Lower School and a prelude to joining the Sixth Form in September.

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SHIRT SIGNING As soon as the last pen had been put down for their GCSE exams it was out onto the Front Field to sign each other’s shirts. Some truly creative, colourful and humorous designs.

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Summer Arts Evening

YEAR 13 LEAVERS 2025

For once, the Gordon’s umbrellas were up to shield from the sun! The perfect balmy summer’s evening, recording temperatures of over 30 degrees, saw this popular event attract a host of families armed with picnic rugs, food and of course sun shades!

Kicking off a packed programme was the Pipes and Drums. Holy Trinity School Choir also entertained, as well as the Gordon’s Singers and every conceivable music band from the school as well as dancers and musical theatre performers.

New to the line up was Nepalese dancing, complete with traditional costumes after Nepalese dancing was introduced to Period 7 activities! And a special exhibition of art showed it’s not just the students with artistic talents but teachers too!

In a class of their own - the Year 13 leavers of 2025. The year group joined staff over dinner in a marquee on the Front Field to celebrate the end of their A Levels and school!

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GORDON’S SCHOOL PIPES AND DRUMS AT WINDSOR CASTLE 70

Students in Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums

After the performance, The King spoke to all

had a once in a lifetime opportunity as they

52 members of the Pipes and Drums and joined

performed at Windsor Castle for His Majesty

them for a photograph. His Majesty also greeted

The King, the school Patron. The school is the

many of the parents and staff.

National Memorial to General Charles Gordon and in this, its 140th anniversary year, the Pipes and Drums are commemorating the event by performing in places associated with General Charles Gordon. Windsor Castle holds General Gordon’s Bible, which was given to Queen Victoria by his sister Augusta in March 1885.

The Bible, now on display in the castle, was given to General Gordon on the day of his birth by a relative of his mother and on the flyleaf are the names and dates of each of his postings.

Two of the students, Harry Gordon and Logan Green, together with the Senior Pipe Major Iona Scotson, composed music for the bagpipes to mark the occasion, called Gordon’s Crown, a copy of which was presented to His Majesty.

Afterwards, The King’s Piper, Pipe Major Paul Burns told the student band: “The King thoroughly enjoyed it. The sound of it inside the quadrangle was absolutely fantastic, so well done everybody, keep up the hard work!”

Students were able to see the Bible in the King’s

Headmaster, Andrew Moss, spoke of his pride

Drawing Room in the State Apartments.

at seeing their performance, adding: “This is

For the special performance, Drum Major Lucy Carter led the Pipes and Drums through the George IV Gateway and into the Quadrangle of the Castle, watched by hundreds of

probably the most unique thing you have done, so keep it, treasure it and look after it. The King said ‘I do hope the Pipes and Drums keeps going forever’.

tourists. There the students played a number of traditional Scottish melodies, including tunes that are said to be among His Majesty’s favourites! The drummers performed Drummers’ Beating.

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SPORTS The Badminton Club at Gordon’s has experienced significant growth since last season. We now have established squads of ten players for each key stage, for both boys and girls.

At Key Stage 5, Gordon’s is represented in a mixed college league, with both a first and second team entered and competing regularly. In addition, the teams have been entered into the National and Regional Competitions for this age group.

At Key Stages 3 and 4, both boys’ and girls’ squads have been entered into the National Schools Magazine National Competition and the Badminton England National Competition. These teams have a programme of friendly fixtures scheduled throughout the academic year, designed to support their preparation for the District Badminton Competition in the new year.

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After narrowly finishing second in both the KS3 and KS4 boys’ and girls’ competitions last year, the squads are highly motivated to achieve success this season. The teams will also benefit from home advantage, as Gordon’s will be hosting and organising the 2026 District Badminton Competition for the first time. The event will welcome over 12 schools from across the district.

Matt Gullick, Head of Badminton

A slow start to the season by the 1st XI Girls but they ended it on a high note by winning the inaugural Kitcherside T20 Cup at the Dunnottar School. This was well lead by captain Amy Webster, as she was able to steer the innings in the final and contribute well with the ball to keep the hosts at bay. There is a very young and energised feel to the group and they will continue to develop for the 2026 season.

A highlight for the boys 1st XI was the defence of the Crosbie Cup in the Dunnottar T20 Cup with Captain Fraser Bates leading the way. Fraser also scored an unbeaten 48 runs against St Benedict’s School, Ealing to beat them by six wickets.

Joshua Dodd, Head of Cricket

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Watching UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 with a particularly keen eye, Hannah Self, who at just 13 years old is proving herself to be a talented footballer.

Recently selected to represent Surrey County next season, she has also been signed by Reading Football Club on their player pathway academy.

And when she’s not playing for Gordon’s as Team Captain, the winger, mid, forward is tackling opponents for Heartland and Windlesham FC.

Leaderboards continuing to be turned green by Gordon’s golfers with a win at Brampton Park GC in the ISGA National Plate Final. Gordon’s B team lost in the first round against Gordon’s A in the cup but went on to beat four teams before qualifying for the finals at Brampton Park GC. In the National Schools Fulwell Invitational Tournament, the individual stableford was won by Louis Tan and Gordon’s B team clinched team stableford. Gordon’s A Team finished in 4th place.

Tennis scholar Harry Wright with his trophy after winning the Grade 3 LTA U18 Sutton Tennis Academy Autumn Tournament.

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Dynamic duo Zach Mathews and Jake Platt put on super-hero performances, scoring nine birdies and two eagles, in the first match against Epsom College U18 at Worplesdon Golf Club . With a scratch better ball score of 58, the 16 year old pair notched up -13 under par through 18 holes. Their remarkable play, together with that of the rest of the team, saw a Gordon’s victory of 2-1.

Head of Golf David Mathews commented afterwards: In all my 18 years as Head of Golf, I have never witnessed such an outstanding score as a pair.”

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Two days of mountain bike adventure, with a liberal dose of raft building and camp fires. In this, the third annual MTB Tour, the students experienced the stunning Cotswolds countryside.

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Netball highlights have included the Inter-House competition in May, which saw Victoria House crowned as overall winners. A further win for the Sixth Form girls was recorded against the ACE Rugby boys!

In October, competing against some of the best schools in the country in the Independent Schools’ League in Nottingham, Gordon’s finished fifth on day one with all to play for in round 2 in Worcester.

The U13 and U15 squads returned to Loughborough for the World School Games and at home we welcomed 12 teams for the Gordon’s U19 Invitation Tournament.

And finally, a hat-trick for the first team, regional finalists for the third year in a row!

Nicole Humphrys, Head of Netball

The 16s and the first team are through to the county finals in March 2026 after winning every match in the preliminaries – both were voted team of the week!

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Interesting and thoughtful points of view, eloquently put across in the Inter-House debating. Years 7 and 8 debated: ‘This House Supports the Use of AI in Secondary Education’. The semi-finals saw Khartoum take on China, and Victoria go head to head with Windsor. Those on the proposition teams felt AI to be beneficial to teaching staff as it leads to saved time, better lesson plans, more

Sunglasses were the order of the day, whether pink, green or the more usual black. Every student in every House joining for the InterHouse Song competition. Varied, energetic and a lot of fun had by all! Victoria House clinched top 80

effective learning, improved digital literacy and rather than replacing imagination, unlocks it. However, in opposition, it was felt that AI presents significant risk to students, making them lazy and leading to a decline in their skills for retaining information and cognitive abilities and could never replace the profound impact of teachers on students.

spot with their take on ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ but Kensington House were announced as overall winners of Inter-House Music combining solo, group and House performances.

INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION An afternoon of pure sport as the Houses battled it out in athletics on the Front Field with running, high jump, long jump and discus events. Some great performances from every Year group with

winners’ medals after every race and cups for the winning Houses - Main School, Victoria and Buckingham and for the Seniors, Sandringham and China.

A show of strength and might (and in the case of Buckingham and Woolwich, deciding which way to face in the sudden death play-off for second place, skills in rock, paper, scissors!) as Inter-House tug of war was battled on the Front Field. House-coloured headwear and face paints adding to the vibrant scene.

Kensington were looking to keep the crown they have held since 2022 and Khartoum to add to their streak of three wins. In the end, Victoria and Gravesend triumphed in the Main School competition and Kensington and Buckingham clinched the Sixth Form titles.

Great fun had by all!

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CAREERS The Summer Term was as busy as ever for student careers exploration. Year 12 were especially fortunate to join Ash Garrett, former elite sportsman and now adventurer, mentor and coach, for a Dine and Discuss event. Ash shared his wisdom and experience, helping students explore their “A game” while also building cultural capital and practising conversational skills in the setting of formal dining etiquette – a unique platform that Gordon’s is proud to offer.

Thirty six hours on exercise in the Barry Buddon Training Area for our Army cadets doing their work experience at an Army camp in Scotland.

The exercise took in section attacks, patrolling, harbour drills and advance to contact. They also slept under the stars in ‘bashers’!

Water filtration systems from plastic bottles, wind turbines from ice lolly sticks and spaghetti buildings made to withstand an earthquake.

These were some of the activities that made up the STEM day with AtkinsRealis. Each of the Year

10 designs was tested, with winners for each interactive workshop. The event, part of Careers Week, proved a fantastic and stimulating introduction to engineering principles.

Interview skills practise for all Year 9 students, each one being interviewed by volunteers, for a job in their future chosen career. Over the past academic year they have also been

learning about career sectors and labour market information as well as career pathways. Thank you to all our volunteer interviewers.

Year 9 honed their communication skills through the Interview Skills programme. Over several sessions, students researched and applied for roles before being interviewed by external professionals. A dedicated panel of parents and stakeholders put them through their paces and were left universally impressed by the calibre of the top candidates. In today’s rapidly changing labour market, where adaptability is key, it is essential that young people learn early on to recognise and articulate their skills with confidence.

All Year 10 and 12 students participate in a three-day work experience programme, and more than 300 students stepped into the world of work this summer. Students were encouraged to take ownership of the project, researching and applying for placements just as they would for a real job. The programme was further enriched by local businesses including Golfbreaks and Air Products, who devised exciting, hands-on projects to showcase the value of work experience for both students and employers.

At Gordon’s, we recognise that workplace experiences are vital in bridging the gap between education and employment. This year, the Careers Programme significantly expanded visits with a view to ensuring every student in Years 8, 10 and 12 accessed opportunities linked to their curriculum learning. Year 8 spent time at the Hawk Conservancy near Andover and celebrated 200 years of steam at the Bluebell Railway. Year 10 students were welcomed by organisations as varied as RHS Wisley, Foxhill’s Country Club, Lakeview Care Home, Powerhouse Music Studio, Chobham Adventure Farm, Activate Learning, and The Globe, London. Meanwhile, Year 12 enjoyed multiple visits including a return trip behind the scenes at Wentworth for the Open in September. This followed interactive workshops for PE and Business students delivered by DP World Tour and showcasing the diverse career pathways within the sporting industry.

Augusta Kennedy, Careers Lead

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SIXTH FORM Two of the schools most successful sporting teams came head to head in a clash of the Titans as the boys 1st XV rugby team took on the 1st VII netball team in a game of netball! In this, their last school game, the stakes were high. Captaining the boys’ side, England U19 back row Elliot Williams, who led the school’s ACE Team to victory in the ACE League and played his debut game for Harlequins just days before.

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Team building on the Front Field for Sixth Form students who faced a range of activities designed to tax both body and minds. Open fires provided an opportunity to toast some

marshmallows for sustenance! The senior sports teams of rugby, football, hockey and netball cemented their friendships over ‘It’s a knockout’.

Summer, a member of London Pulse U19, who are consecutive national champions, led the girls, three of whom finished sixth in the country at the national schools’ finals last year. The rugby boys made valiant attempts at understanding the rules (and showed great promise with their terrifying passing!) but failed to counter the deftness and agility of the girls!

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Silver service with a smile as these three celebrate a combined total of 76 years of working at Gordon’s! Steph Knight (far left) a catering assistant, only came to the school for a few weeks, joining commis chef Dawn Weston (centre) and catering manager Lorraine Pullen. Thank you all for providing us with such delicious meals!

STAFF Eight lucky members of staff, both teaching and support, attended the King’s Garden Party for Education and Skills at Buckingham Palace. The event, supported by the Department of Education, is the first of two themed Garden Parties recognising and celebrating those working in education with around 7,000 representatives expected to attend. Last May His Royal Highness accepted the Patronage of Gordon’s, continuing the tradition of the reigning Sovereign’s Patronage since its first Patron, Queen Victoria in 1885.

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Head of Maths, Mark Eaden, was Quizmaster for the Gordon’s Quiz Night then off to Portsmouth for the Great South Run, which he smashed in a time of 1:30:08. The run was a prelude to the 2026 London Marathon, which he is running to raise funds for Battersea Cats and Dogs charity.

They sprinted, ran, walked, hobbled or just cheered….and raised over £6,000 for Cancer Research UK! No obstacle was too muddy or wet for Gordon’s staff, who took on the Pretty Muddy 5k at Windsor Racecourse. The group decided on the fundraiser to support Gordonian Officer Harriet Turk, who was undergoing

Director of Music, Adam Stanworth, was presented with a Distinguished Music Teacher award certificate from the UK Schools Music Festival 2024-5 in recognition of his ‘exceptional dedication as a music teacher’ and for his ‘outstanding efforts in guiding and inspiring students’.

chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

Great fun had by all for a fantastic cause (and they’ve vowed to do it again next year!). Harriet, who is now free of cancer and looking forward to coming back to work aims to join them in the next one!

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ACHIEVEMENTS

ACADEMIC O Knight - Special Commendation for St Edmund’s Oxford Big Think Competition, 2025 I Sales - Global Winner Poesiae Poetry Recital Competition, 2025 N Chawla - Highly Commended in the Perse Research Competition, 2025 S Gurung - Highly Commended in the Minds Underground Engineering Competition, 2025 M Mills - Oxbridge place for Engineering, 2025 O Osinibi - Oxbridge place for Architecture, 2025 W Zhou - Oxbridge place for Engineering, 2025 K Macfarlane - Oxbridge place for Engineering, 2025 M Mills - Oxbridge place for Biomedical Sciences, 2025 J Robinson - Oxbridge place for Law, 2025 A Millington - Medical School place, 2025 M Bajwa - Medical School place, 2025 A Balashanker - Medical School place, 2025 J Binu Jacob - Scholarship to the Medical School of Malta (Medicine), 2024 ART T Osinibi - A Level artwork accepted on to the Academy of Arts Young Artists Exhibition, 2024 R Parsons - A Level artwork selected for the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Collection, 2023 ATHLETICS C Kuwana - Competed in the English Schools’ Athletic Association’s National Championships, 2025 L Grice - Hampshire Athletics (heptathlon and high hump) 2024 N Tullett - County 400m Hurdles Champion, 2024 N Tullett - Selected to represent Surrey in the English Schools Athletics Championships, 2024 E Gannon - 2nd place: U20 discus international athletics meeting in Vaxjo, representing England, 2024 L Grice - Hampshire Athletics (heptathlon and high hump) 2023 E Gannon - 2nd place: U20 discus English Schools’ Athletic Association Track and Field Championships, 2023 E Gannon - 1st place: U20 discus competition in the South East Athletics Association track and field competition, 2023 E Gannon - First place at an international athletics meeting in Vaxjo, Sweden in 2023, representing England M Eastman - Selected for British Athletics Youth Talent Programme 202224 for ranking in the top 20 for high jump BADMINTON S Devapragasam - Surrey County and Swifts Junior Badminton Club, 2025 A Shobin - Selected for U16 Surrey County Team, 2022 COMBINED CADET FORCE L Nunes - Appointed one of His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadets, 2022 L Nunes - Awarded the ACPS (Air Cadets Pilot Scholarship) by the RAF, 2022 COOKERY M Spink - Winner of the Regional Final of the Springboard Future Chef competition, 2025 CREATIVE WRITING C Newing - Longlisted in top 100 nationally for the New Views National Theatre playwriting programme, 2024 Z Legge - Winner of the Massolit Video Essay Competition in association with Brasenose College, Oxford, 2023 CRICKET A Shaw-Hales - Captained the Guildford Hub, the winning side, in the MCC National Hub T20 Competition at Lord’s, 2024 I Moors - Played for the Guildford Hub, the winning side, in the MCC National Hub T20 Competition at Lord’s, 2024 A Webster - Selected for the U16 Surrey Cricket Invitational Programme 2023 and 2024 R Doyle - Selected for Surrey County Cricket L Thabrew - Selected for Surrey County Cricket’s U18s Girls County Cricket Programme, 2023 A Shaw-Hales - Captained the Guildford Hub, the winning side, in the MCC National Hub T20 Competition at Lord’s, 2023 I Moors - Played for the Guildford Hub, the winning side, in the MCC National Hub T20 Competition at Lord’s, 2023 H Kohli - Awarded Surrey Cricket’s Bedser Scholarship, 2023

CROSS COUNTRY K Webb - Ranking of 41 in the UK (Under 20 Women) following InterCounties Cross Country Championship, 2023 K Webb - Surrey Schools Cross Country Champion Senior Girls, 2023 DANCE A England - Selected for Dance World Cup Contemporary Company, 2025 A England - Won a Scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, 2025 L Prince - Accepted a place at Performers College (BA Hons in Professional Musical Theatre and Dance, 2025 E Richardson - Offered places at Laine Theatre Arts, Performers College and Accepted an Offer from Wilkes Academy Performers College (BA Hons in Professional Musical Theatre and Dance, 2025 B Walden - Selected to represent England in the Dance World Cup, 2023 DRAMA E Harrison - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 P Williams - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 A Murray - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 P Schollick - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 E Wilkins - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 N Ben-Gashir - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 A Adebiyi - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 K Brazendale - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 J Murphy - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2025 A Kermeen - Offered at place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School on the Actor’s Workshop Foundation Course, 2024 G Fowler - Offered at place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School on the Actor’s Workshop Foundation Course, 2024 K Smith - Offered at place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School on the Actor’s Workshop Foundation Course, 2024 K Smith - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 S Early - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 C Pun - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 E Harrison - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 A Adebiyi - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 A Murray - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2024 A Kermeen - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2023 N Mensah Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2023 V Arinze-Agwu - Selected for the National Youth Theatre, 2023 E Stone - Offered a place at RADA Drama School, 2023 N Mensah - Offered a place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, 2023 EQUESTRIAN M Barnard - NSEA Southern Eventing Champion, 2022 M Barnard - NSEA Championships Finalist, 2022 FOOTBALL F Fenton - Awarded a Scholarship to Pratt College, Kansas USA, 2024 H Mayhew - Awarded a Scholarship to Northwest College, Wyoming, USA, 2024 S Whitehead - Invited to trial for U18 England Schoolboys Football, 2023 GOLF J Summerfield - U18 Daily Mail World Junior Champion, 2025 J Summerfield - Winner of the National ISGA Schools Cup Individual Gross/ Scratch Competition, 2024 Gordon’s Golf Team - Winners of the ISGA British Schools and Colleges National Nett Competition, 2024 Gordon’s Golf Team - Winners of the ISGA British Schools and Colleges National Nett Competition, 2023 M Cottrell - Winner of the HMC National Strokeplay Girls’ Individual, 2023 GYMNASTICS O Gill - Selected for the Great Britain team for the European Championships in Luxembourg, 2022 HOCKEY C Falconer – Represented Scotland at U21 World Cup P Schollick - England Hockey Talent Academy, 2024 A Clark - England Hockey Talent Academy, 2024 M Ferdinando - England Hockey Talent Academy, 2024 S Mathur - England Hockey Talent Academy, 2024 L Grice - Surrey Hockey 2023 and 2024/5 C Keigher - Surrey Hockey 2024/5 B Pio - England School Games XI 2024 C Falconer - Selected for Scotland Hockey U21s, 2024 C Morgan - Selected for Hampshire County Hockey U17 2022 and 2023 S Mathur - Selected for the Surrey U15 Hockey, 2023 B Pio - Selected for England Hockey Talent Academy 2022-3 and 2023-4 B Pio - Selected for England Hockey DiSE Programme, 2023 C Falconer - Selected for Scotland in the U18 European Championship, 2023

HURDLES N Tullett - Winner of the Surrey County 400 metre hurdles, 2024 ICE HOCKEY T Flannery - Silver Medal at the U12 National Ice Hockey Finals as part of the Basingstoke team, 2022 KARTING K Rao - Ranked 9th in the country for Karting following the British Kart Championships, 2022 KAYAKING S Edwards - Selected for the GB Freestyle Kayaking Team, 2023 S Edwards - Selected for GB in the Freestyle Kayaking World Championships, 2023 MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN) B Bailey - Distinguished Delegate, Royal Russell MUN Conference, 2025 H Donaldson-Sinclair - Distinguished Delegate, Royal Russell MUN Conference, 2025 J Taplin - Distinguished Delegate, Royal Russell MUN Conference, 2025 N Teeton - Distinguished Delegate, Royal Russell MUN Conference, 2025 B Bailey, H Donaldson-Sinclair, J Taplin, N Teeton, W Allinson, T Udassi, G Gerrish and L McCormick - Highly Commended Delegation, Royal Russell MUN Conference, 2025 H Gordon - Distinguished Delegate - Reigate Grammar MUN Conference 2023 J Goate - Highly Commended at Reigate Grammar MUN Conference 2023 H Donaldson-Sinclair - Highly Commended at Reigate Grammar MUN Conference 2023 E Bailey - Highly Commended at Reigate Grammar MUN Conference 2023 MUSIC A Lee - National Finalist in the Pro Corda Competition, 2024 M Scannell - National Finalist in the Pro Corda Competition, 2024 W Zhou - National Finalist in the Pro Corda Competition, 2024 E Hallett - Offered a place at the ACM Music College and Academy for a Vocals Degree, 2024 E Hallett - Awarded ‘Most Promising Young Singer’, for the second year running by the Woking Music Festival 2024 Semper Fidelis Choir - Awarded the Grace Wright Rose Bowl for the best choral performance of the Woking Music Festival 2024 J Robinson - Awarded ‘Outstanding’ in the Grade 8 Piano Category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 Semper Fidelis Choir - Winner of the Ford North Cup for U19 Schools and College Choirs, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E and L Flynn - Winners of the Instrumental Duo Category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 K Brazendale and J Murphy - First place in the U19 Vocal Duet category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 A Lee - First place in the Senior String category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 A Lee - Winner of the Readings Cup, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - First place in the Pop category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - First place in the Folk category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - First place in the Vocal Solo category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - First place in the Composition category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - Winner of the Hilliger Memorial Cup (U19 Solo), Woking Music Festival, 2023 E Hallett - Winner of the Ryde Cup (Musical - U19 years), Woking Music Festival, 2023 K Brazendale - First place in the Christmas Carol category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 MUSICAL THEATRE L Prince - Offered a place at the Performers Musical Theatre School to study Musical Theatre (BA Hons), 2024 F Kurzberg - Offered a place at the LIPA Musical Theatre School to study Actor/Musician Course (BA Hons), 2024 K Brazendale - First place in the Music Theatre U16 category, Woking Music Festival, 2023 NETBALL J Akrasi - U19 England Roses and London Pulse NXT Gen, 2025 A Dale-Smith - U17 England Roses Academy and London Mavericks U17 Academy, 2025 L Boden – Scotland U19 and London Pulse Power U19 Academy, 2025 F Morrison – London Pulse Power U19 Academy, 2025 J Robson – London Pulse Power U17 Academy, 2025 S Redding – London Mavericks U17 Academy 2025 E Cameron – London Mavericks PDP (Player Development Programme), 2025

E Garner – London Mavericks PDP (Player Development Programme), 2025 E Brownleader – re(selected) for Norther Ireland Academy, 2025 E Brownleader - Selected for the Northern Ireland National Academy, 2025 S Chapman - Selected for London Pulse U19, 2024 E Price - Selected for Surrey Storm Development Pathway U19, 2024 J Robson - Selected for Surrey Storm U15 Training Partner, 2024 J Butler - Selected for Berkshire U15 County Academy, 2024 A Griffiths - Selected for Berkshire U15 County Academy, 2024 M Rollason - Selected for Berkshire County Academy, 2024 C Lill - Selected for Scotland Netball U19 Squad, 2023 C Lill - Selected for Surrey Storm U21 Squad, 2023 A Griffiths - Awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the U13 Category in the World Schools Netball Cup, 2023 J Robson - Selected for U13 Berkshire County Netball, 2023 J Butler - Selected for U13 Berkshire County Netball, 2023 A Griffiths - Selected for U13 Berkshire County Netball, 2023 PUBLIC SERVICE R Roberts - Awarded a Girdlers’ Medallion, 2022 PUBLIC SPEAKING S Phipps and P Schollick - Regional Finalists in the English Speaking Union (ESU) Shakespeare Competition, 2024 C Falconer, C Franklin and N Schollick - National Semi-Finalists of the English Speaking Union (ESU) Public Speaking Competition.

ROWING S Bannister - Team GB bronze medal winner in the Rowing World Cup, 2024 J Clarke - Winner of the single scull in the Ball Cup at Dorney’s Olympic Lake, 2023 RUGBY F Clifford - Selected for Surrey Girls’ U18 Rugby O Streeter - Represented England in the U18 Six Nations, 2024 E Williams - Represented England in the U18 Six Nations, 2024 T Golder - Represented Wales in the U20 Six Nations, 2024 T Currie - Represented Scotland in the U20 Six Nations, 2024 L Pedreschi - Awarded a Scholarship to Queen’s University of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, 2024 D Roden - Selected for the Welsh Exiles, 2023 B Webb - Selected for England U18 Training Squad, 2023 Z Robb - Selection for England U18 Tour to South Africa, 2023 E Addai - Selected for the England U17s Development Training Camp, 2023 C Newing - Selection for Surrey U16 Rugby Team, 2023 SAILING K Wyatt - Selected for the ILCA6 British Youth Sailing Performance Squad, 2023-4 SHOOTING L Mallek - National Schools Champion (Senior Category) 6yrds rifle shooting, 2024 SWIMMING A Platt - Won silver in the 50 metre freestyle in the Swim England National Summer Meet, 2023 TAE KWON-DO J Mostert - Silver medal winner in the Boys’ Light Weight Division in the TAGB Welsh International Open Tae Kwon-Do Championships, 2022 TENNIS H Wright - Grade 3 LTA U18 Sutton Tennis Academy Autumn Tournament, 2025 H Wright - Byfleet Lawn Tennis Club Junior Champion, 2024 WAKEBOARDING M O’Toole - Silver in Boat European Championships, 2024 M O’Toole - Sixth in Cable World Championships, 2024 M O’Toole - selected for both the IWWF Boat European and Cable World Championships, 2024 M O’Toole - Gold winner in the UK Boat and Cable National Competitions, 2024 M O’Toole - Winner of the Nautique Wake Open, 2024 M O’Toole - Winner of both the U14 Boat and Cable Wakeboarding National Finals, 2023 M O’Toole - selected for both the GB Boat and Cable Wakeboarding GB teams for 2023 for the World and European Championships, 2023 WRITING O Knight - Senior winner of the local heats of the Rotary Young Writer Competition, 2023 J Sherpa - Intermediate winner of the local heats of the Rotary Young Writer Competition, 2023

His Majesty King Charles III speaks to one of the student members of the Pipes and Drums during their visit to Windsor Castle. His Majesty watched a performance by the Band and spoke to every single member!

GORDON’S SCHOOL

BAGSHOT ROAD, WEST END, SURREY GU24 9PT Tel: 01276 858084 WWW.GORDONS.SCHOOL