Semper Edition 13

Edition 13

SEMPER FIDELIS

‘The Quiet Rescue’, one of a number of dances performed as part of the Sonder production, which played to capacity audiences in the school’s Wynter Bee Theatre.

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PIPES AND DRUMS

10. PARADES 14. PIPES AND DRUMS 16. AROUND THE HOUSES 38. CCF 40. DOFE 42. CO-CURRICULAR 46. CREATIVE ARTS 54. ACADEMIC 58. CHARITY 60. INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION 62. SIXTH FORM 64. HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL 68. EVENTS 74. SPORTS 82. CAREERS 84. STAFF 86. ACHIEVEMENTS Cover picture – Senior School Musical Amelie Contents page – Lower School Production of School of Rock

CONTENTS

PIPES AND DRUMS

The Band were invited back to play with bagrock band Skerryvore at Islington Assembly Hall in November where students had an amazing experience performing Soraidh Slan and Take My Hand to a capacity audience under strobe lights alongside some really talented musicians.

To round-off the end of the year of 140th celebrations, the Pipes and Drums headed to Central London to The Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks for SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity’s Carol Concert. Harry Gordon and Logan Green opened the Carol Concert in the presence of HRH Prince Michael of Kent. Also in attendance were James Cracknell OBE, Rowan Atkinson and Rob Rinder. Following the concert, the Pipes and Drums welcomed the guests into the Officers’ Mess and it was a memorable moment as Rowan Atkinson walked up the steps to Jingle Bells!

The last venue of our 140th Commemorative Tour was a visit to St Alfege Church, Greenwich where General Gordon was baptised in 1833 and where he is commemorated in a stained-glass window.

Steeped in much history, the church is home to the resting place of Thomas Tallis and General James Wolfe. Inside, the Pipes and Drums performed 4

Amazing Grace in the most amazing acoustics along with a blessing, followed afterwards by playing to appreciative passers-by outside.

One of our pipers, Kate Brazendale, organised the ‘Christmas Countdown Calendar’ which was launched on the school social media. With Santa hats and reindeer ears, the Band took part, performing Jingle Bells. Additionally, the piping scholars put together a medley of Coventry Carol, O Come All Ye Faithful and God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.

Always a highlight of the calendar, the Pipes and Drums proudly led the school along Whitehall for the annual Whitehall Parade, led smartly by Drum Major Ben Shorter. Pipe Major, Rory Green, gave beautiful renditions of Flowers of the Forest in both the memorial garden and the following day at Guildford Cathedral.

For the opening of The Wynter Bee Theatre, by its major benefactors, Peter and Sarah Wynter Bee, in the presence of the Mayor of Surrey Heath Cllr Louise Ashbery, the Pipes and Drums led the group to the theatre before forming an avenue for the ribbon cutting.

As in previous years, some members of the Band headed up to Kilmarnock for the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships. It was a great end to our return journey when we found out we had placed 22/25 – our first time not in last place! What these students have achieved, and continue to achieve, in such a short space of time, is absolutely amazing; especially given that they arrive at Gordon’s never having played the snare, tenor, bass, or bagpipes.

Now onward to the World Pipe Band Championships!

At the end of February, we welcomed Finlay MacDonald, Director of Piping at the National Piping Centre, Paula Monahan, World Champion Drum Major, and Simon Grant, Drum Major of Preston Lodge High School, for our annual Masterclass. It was a really fun day of putting together a concert style piece of music first performed by the 78th Fraser Highlanders in 1987. Not only that, Paula worked her magic and helped us with a new drill routine to put to the music which will be performed at Patron’s Parade! In the evening, we welcomed parents and people from the local piping and drumming community to the Chapel for an informal concert, where there were not only small group performances and solo performances from students, but world-class performances by Finlay and Paula.

Keeping our link with the Army Training Centre Pirbright, the Pipes and Drums performed to delegates attending the Surrey County Council Armed Forces Conference there in March.

Long-awaited, an Honours Board for Pipe Majors and Drum Majors now adorns the wall in the Rec alongside all the other key roles within the school, a mark of recognition for their service to the school. As well as these, we received our new drums, custom made in the school colours, and some much needed new bagpipes from McCallum bagpipes!

In the history of Music A-Level at Gordon’s, piping Scholar, Logan, was the first to use his pipes for the performance which took place in March.

As we look ahead, the Pipes and Drums will march down The Mall at the end of June and take part in the National Armed Forces Day in Aldershot. There has been a great response from Gordonians for a reunion so watch out for pictures of our first get-together; something which we hope will become an annual affair!

Iona Scotson, Senior Pipe Major

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A new addition to the Honours Boards in the Rec, recording the Pipe and Drum Majors of the school since 2016. The Carter family represented well with three members making either Drum or Pipe Major! Students are appointed to these posts by the Senior Pipe Major Mrs Scotson and the Headmaster Mr Moss.

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The Band with bagrock band Skerryvore after their performance together and a special thank you from all the members of Skerryvore!

Logan becomes the first A Level Music student to use the bagpipes. He is pictured here practising before the exam.

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New drums, custom-made in the school colours!

The band after their performance at the Surrey CC Armed Forces Covenant Conference at the Army Training Centre, Pirbright.

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Whitehall Parade Over 200 Gordon’s School students, together with the school’s Pipes and Drums Band led by Drum Major Ben Shorter marched the annual Parade along Whitehall to the statue of General Gordon on the Thames Embankment on Saturday (17th January), for the start of the school’s Memorial Weekend.

The school, which is the National Memorial to General Gordon, is the only one in the country permitted to march along this iconic London venue, an annual event carried out in remembrance of the Victorian war hero in whose honour the school was founded. Annual remembrance events have taken place in some form since his death in 1885. Now the Whitehall Parade is a highlight in the school calendar with Years 9 and 11 taking part every year.

The Parade was inspected in King Charles Street by the Chairman of the Gordon’s School Trustees, Lieutenant General Sir Richard Cripwell KBE CB before the students, dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniform, marched to the Gordon Statue in Victoria Embankment Gardens. There they were joined by parents, staff and many tourists for a short service conducted by the school Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright. Three wreaths were laid at the statue on behalf of governors, trustees, students and staff and for the alumni organisation the Gordonians. Tom Gordon, a Trustee of the Gordon Foundation and a direct descendant of General Gordon, laid a wreath on behalf of the Gordon family.

Bugler Ben Hallett, who has sounded the Last Post and the Reveille for the past six years, performed them for the last time as a student at the school, and The Lament, Flowers of the Forest was played by the Pipe Major Rory Green.

The Whitehall Parade on the Saturday, held in the month of General Gordon’s death, was followed the next day by the Gordon Memorial Service in Guildford Cathedral when the Dean of Guildford Cathedral, the Very Reverend Bob Cooper delivered the Gordon Sermon, in which he likened General Gordon’s courage to David facing Goliath.

Gordon’s Headmaster Andrew Moss said: “We were honoured to be able to uphold our tradition, which is a muchanticipated event for the whole school. As the only school granted permission to march through Whitehall, once again our students represented Gordon’s School to the highest standard.”

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PARADES

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WHITEHALL PARADE

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Proud Sponsors of our Pipes and Drums Band

The Pipes and Drums, led by Drum Major Ben Shorter, began the first whole-school Parade of the year in March with plenty to celebrate including England, Scotland and Northern Ireland netball selections for Jasmine, Lily and Emily; a place in the British Shooting U21 development squad for James; the Drama Department shortlisted for the National Music and Drama Education Awards and successes in Model United Nations and for the Pipes and Drums at the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships. Alice, representing the 1st XI Hockey team, was presented with the ISHC Plate from Headmaster Andrew Moss.

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Augusta House: Enthusiasm, Engagement and Enterprise We ended the Autumn Term on a high, with juniors enjoying a festive trip to Wisley Glow, seniors visiting the Christmas lights on Oxford Street, and the whole House coming together for our annual Christmas dinner, quiz and carols in the Dining Hall. That sense of celebration carried into the Spring Term, which has been a busy, successful and a thoroughly enjoyable time for Augusta House. Students have embraced a wide range of academic, co-curricular and community opportunities, showing enthusiasm and strong House spirit throughout.

The term began with a series of engaging weekend activities for our boarders. A trip to Guildford Spectrum for ice skating was particularly popular!

Other weekend trips have included supporting Harlequins rugby on the 3G pitch, as well as visits to Westfield and Bracknell shopping centres.

Students have also enjoyed activities such as ice hockey, pottery painting and escape rooms, alongside relaxed House-based events such as baking, jewellery making, origami and movie nights. From banana bread in the boarding kitchen 16

to Valentine’s cupcake decorating, creativity and community spirit have been very much on display.

A key highlight of the term was Memorial Weekend. Year 9 and Year 11 students proudly represented the school in Whitehall, marching through London to lay wreaths at General Gordon’s statue. Meanwhile, Year 8 and Year 10 attended the Memorial Service at Guildford Cathedral, demonstrating maturity and respect throughout.

These events provided a meaningful opportunity for reflection and remembrance within the school community.

Students have also taken part enthusiastically in Inter-House competitions. Indie and Amelia represented Augusta in the baking competition, producing an impressive batch of cookies, while teams joined forces with Windsor House for the art and Pipes and Drums competition. Sporting achievements have been particularly impressive this term. Alisha and Jasmine secured first place in the KS5 shooting competition, while our hockey players were crowned ISHC champions following

a thrilling 3–2 victory in the final. The netball first team has also enjoyed continued success, reaching the National Cup finals for the third consecutive year after strong performances at regional level.

The performing arts have also flourished.

The senior production of Amélie showcased exceptional talent, with Augusta students playing significant roles and providing memorable performances. In Songs from the Shows, Grey and Indie impressed with their confidence and musical ability, highlighting the depth of talent within the House.

Academically, we are especially proud of two outstanding university offers. Dasha has secured a place to study Law at the University of Oxford, while Seejan has received an offer from the University of Cambridge to study Chemical Engineering. These achievements reflect their dedication and perseverance and serve as an inspiration to younger students.

Wellbeing and House spirit have remained central throughout the term. ‘Bounce Don’t Break Week’ encouraged students to focus on resilience and positive wellbeing through activities such as fitness sessions, appreciation notes and a no-tech day. Weekly Family Nights have also strengthened connections across year groups, particularly as we begin to welcome future Year 7 students into the Augusta community.

Celebration has remained a key theme, from Family Bluebells enjoying their reward for winning last term’s competition to Sixth Form students marking new leadership roles together. We have also held two charity events this term, raising money for our three chosen charities.

Overall, it has been a fantastic start to the year, and we are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, commitment and kindness shown by all Augusta students.

David and Angela Mathews Augusta Houseparents 17

Balmoral House: Trips, Having a Go and Manners The last year has again shown great development and progress in Balmoral House. The students have a sense of belonging and an environment where they feel safe and valued and this was evident in the Point in Time Surveys.

boys have demonstrated a will to win and also the ability to work as a team to encourage and support each other. It is always pleasing that every boy in the House has represented, which we feel is very important for the development of every student

There are two values I ask of every student and every member of staff, to show good manners all of the time to staff and to fellow peers and to try their best in everything they do.

House trips so far this year have been to Camberley Bowling and Laser Tag, Mimosa Restaurant, curry nights at Lightwater, Thorpe Park, Thorpe Lake, TOCA social football, paintballing, London’s Oxford Street and Westfield shopping, Coral Reef, Guildford Flames Ice Hockey, rock climbing, escape rooms and numerous Friday trips to Sainsbury’s!

With these two values being introduced throughout the year, I firmly believe they have contributed to the success of the House not only in terms of sporting and Inter-House success but also to the behaviour and the approach to Balmoral life shown by the boys. This then carries through to their approach to academic studies and has also been highlighted with their effort and behaviour reports. I have also been putting an emphasis on the holistic approach for our students and to have a ‘give it a go’ attitude. As a result Balmoral is proud to have had students representing the Pipes and Drums Band, and in the school play where a Balmoral student played the lead in School of Rock!

Balmoral has won Inter-House competitions, jointly with Sandringham as Woolwich, but also as a Balmoral only for Sixth Form, where all the 18

As a staff we like to lead from the front and this approach means ensuring we are also going above and beyond to create a friendly and safe environment. The Balmoral House staff continue to be fantastic and all the boys respect and appreciate their hard work.

I would also like to thank the students and parents for their contribution to Balmoral and for making it a great place to live and work.

Paul King Balmoral Houseparent

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Buckingham House: Leadership Roles, Charity Fundraising and Bowling Techniques There’s a lot to fit in during December before we break for Christmas. Inter-House Quiz, Carol Services, collections of toys and gifts for the Salvation Army and this year, in a change from previous years, a joint House trip with Gravesend to Coral Reef Waterworld. Sixty four Buckingham boys in Years 7-11 had enormous fun in the slides and waves. A treat for all their hard work in the Autumn Term.

Memorial Weekend was soon upon us in January and Year 9 and Year 11 boys looked very smart at Whitehall. It was Owen’s last official event as House Sergeant, so a particularly poignant moment for him. We are grateful for all he has done in his ceremonial roles for the House.

We are excited that our new Senior Prefects have been announced. Ashwyn, Ollie B, Luke, Henry, Adam and Marco will do a great job leading the House, and we know they will set a fine example to the younger students with their leadership skills, excellent work ethic and ‘can do’ attitudes.

During Bounce Week, some of our Year 7 boys made the most of ‘Tech-Free Friday’ by showing early promise as budding architects and engineers, using Jenga to create a masterpiece. Keep up the great work!

Mr Sinclair discovered that one of our minibus drivers has amazing graffiti art skills and commissioned Mr Wright to decorate one of the walls in the Buckingham Sixth Form common room.

The artwork has been admired by many and is a key attraction upstairs.

The Sixth Form House trip to Spectrum Bowl was well-attended. Mr Sinclair, Mr Matthews and Mrs Bostock tested their skills against some very talented athletes. We couldn’t possibly reveal who has the best technique...but the staff team returned to Spectrum Bowl with the Year 9 and 10 students at the end of term for more practice!

Another busy term in Buckingham!

Jamie Sinclair, Buckingham Head of House

Junior Prefects for this year are Sankeeth, Ethan, Caleb and Lucas M. We are really pleased that they have taken on this important role and are such great characters around the House.

With Cassius as House Captain, Ollie B-G as House Sergeant, Henry as Drill Sergeant and Matt as Right Hand Marker, we have a great team leading us for drill practice and are confident that Parades will run as smoothly as ever this year.

Jack H was voted in as Student Governor. Having only joined us part-way through the Autumn Term, he has made a positive impact on the House in a very short time. Well done!

Angad and Zoravar in Year 8 were keen to start charity fundraising early in the year. They organised a fast and furious Krispy Kreme donut sale before January’s exeat weekend, raising £150 in 20 minutes, with over 360 donuts sold! A great effort from the boys and thank you to all who supported their initiative.

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China House: Achievements, Teamwork and House Spirit We ended the Autumn Term with our House trip to the Hampton Court ice rink, and, despite the rain, the girls had a fantastic time. The setting was wonderfully festive and full of Christmas spirit.

The girls also took part in the Inter-House hockey tournament, and we were delighted that our Year 7, Year 11 and Sixth Form teams all won their groups. Several girls were also awarded Player of the Tournament, making it a truly wonderful way to round off the term.

The Spring Term has been equally busy and full of exciting activities, including House events, family challenges, trips and, of course, Memorial Weekend. We celebrated `Galentines` and friendships and spent some mindfulness hours during our Bounce Week.

The girls who took part in Memorial Weekend represented the House superbly. They were professional throughout, looking incredibly smart and marching with great precision. It was also the final Parade for our House Captain, Year 13 Charlotte, and House Sergeant, Year 13 Maya. They have both been outstanding in their roles, and we thank them for their dedication and leadership. We now look forward to seeing the House continue to flourish under the leadership of Year 12 Evie and Year 11 Milly as they take up the baton.

In Inter-House news, we have celebrated several successes. In January, we kicked off with the Art Competition. In a change from previous years, the Houses were given a brief but were only allowed to begin their pieces once the competition started.

Led by Year 11 Emily, our team created a striking deserved first place. This victory secured us Pop Art inspired piece and finished in an impressive valuable points as we continue our bid to hold on to second place. the Arts Cup. We have always done well in Drama and led by Year 13s Susie and Emilia, this year the team performed an impressive piece based around the TV show Come Dine with Me and were awarded first place.

Public Speaking is always a House favourite, and this year we achieved a strong third place.

In March, the Pipes and Drums competition took place. Our group performed a fantastic piece titled Pumpkin Fancy. With talented pipers and drummers, creative costumes and plenty of enthusiasm, the girls delivered a brilliant performance and were rewarded with a well-

We also enjoyed some fantastic House trips this term. Years 7–10 visited Jump In for an energetic afternoon, while Year 12 put their problem-solving skills to the test at Escape Hunt. These outings are always a wonderful opportunity for the girls to strengthen friendships, build teamwork and enjoy some well-earned time together outside the classroom.

Overall, it has been a busy and successful period for the House, filled with achievements, teamwork and plenty of House spirit. We look forward to what the rest of the year will bring.

Heidi Doe, China Head of House

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Gravesend House: Rising to the Challenge in Inter-House Competitions and Go-Karting!

In December, the Gravesend boys delivered a winning performance in the Lower School InterHouse Quiz — a fantastic result that set the tone for a strong run of House achievements across the year. The boys also made a very positive contribution to the wider school community at the Christmas Fair, raising a wonderful £135 for school charities. Congratulations to our Sixth Form students who, together with China House, triumphed in the Sixth Form Dance Off — a thoroughly entertaining occasion and a great showcase of the boys’ confidence and camaraderie. The boys rounded off the Christmas period in style with a fantastic House trip to Coral Reef, with exclusive use of the pool and slides for two hours. A hugely enjoyable evening and a wellearned treat for all involved.

A real highlight of the year was the Whitehall Parade, in which our Year 9 and Year 11 students represented the House and the school with tremendous pride and distinction. The boys conducted themselves impeccably throughout, and it was a truly special occasion. A heartfelt thank you must go to Hamish and Bayan, who have given so much to their ceremonial roles over the past 12 months. Their dedication, commitment and bearing have been a credit to Gravesend House, and we are enormously grateful for everything they have contributed.

The Sixth Form enjoyed a brilliant evening gokarting in Farnborough, and it is fair to say that 24

the competitive instincts of the boys were very much in evidence! The trip was a great success and a well-deserved reward for the hard work and commitment shown throughout what has been a demanding term.

This term has seen a lively programme of Intra-House events, with the boys competing against one another in pool, table tennis and table football. Congratulations to Jason, Adam, Dylan and Willoughby on their victories — they showed great skill and determination throughout and thoroughly deserved their success. It was wonderful to see so many boys getting involved and competing in such good spirit.

The boys have risen to the challenge across the many Inter-House events that have taken place. Gravesend House produced successful entries in Art and Drama, and claimed a highly commendable second place in Senior Debating, Public Speaking, Shooting, and the Pipes and Drums Group Round. These results speak for the remarkable breadth of talent within the House and the willingness of so many boys to give their very best across such a wide range of disciplines.

Finally, we were delighted to see Nathan elected as Student Governor for Gravesend House — a thoroughly well-deserved honour that reflects the respect and trust his peers have in him. We wish him every success in the role.

Gary Knight, Head of Gravesend House 25

Kensington House: Hunting for Duck and Hearts We jumped straight into the Spring Term with an excellent Gordon Memorial Weekend in January and shortly after this our Year 13 House Prefects stood down with the Year 12 students taking over their duties with aplomb, with Aadya and Jasmine leading us in their first Parade as House Captain and Sergeant, Darcey as Student Head of House and Victoria as Kensington Student Governor. Our new Junior Prefects: Isabella, Megan, Amber and Inez attended their first committee meetings representing the House.

As well as excellent student leadership thanks to all the Kensington girls’ continued great efforts and team work we have enjoyed Spring Term success across Inter-House competitions notably in: Shooting, KS3 Baking, Public Speaking, Pipes and Drums, and Drama.

We were also delighted that so many Kensington girls were in the cast of the school production, dance show and music evenings.

Every second Friday in breaktime the girls meet in their Kensington Family Groups. The families are led by our Year 12 girls who have done a great job with their groups and this term have led their families in a series of competitions including: Just Dance, karaoke, netball goals and musical chairs. We also enjoyed the ‘Hunt -The -Heart’ competition in the week before Valentine’s Day and HuntThe-Ducks before the end of term!

Late in the spring we enjoyed a very successful cake sale and look forward to a baking competition for all age groups next term. After a great term we look forward to enjoying even more fun and success in the Summer.

Kate Connery Head of Kensington House 26

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Khartoum House: Valiant Efforts and Heroic Attempts Sometimes, it just isn’t your year in certain competitions and Khartoum House have discovered this the hard way in the Arts Cup. Currently propping up the table, it’s safe to say that drama, art, and cooking have not exactly been our natural habitat. There have been valiant efforts, truly heroic attempts at acting, painting, and not setting fire to the kitchen but results have remained stubbornly elusive. Still, what the boys have never lacked is commitment. They’ve turned up, got stuck in, and represented the House with admirable determination, even when the odds (and occasionally the recipes) were against them.

A missed cue in drama? A burnt cake? A slightly abstract interpretation of a still life? All shrugged off with good humour and a grin, because that’s Khartoum: never defeated, just slightly confused.

Away from the stage and the stove, however, a different story is unfolding. In the Academic Cup, Khartoum are quietly going about their business and currently sit a respectable fourth with threequarters of the season gone. Maths has been a stronghold, with boys puzzling through problems like it’s a game of Inter-House survival. Chess has showcased some genuinely sharp minds plotting moves three steps ahead, and public speaking has seen boys step up with confidence, clarity, and just the right amount of drama. The Inter-House 28

quiz, too, highlighted a breadth of knowledge that suggests there is plenty to be proud of. Academic glory may not glitter as loudly as a trophy, but it’s certainly there.

Of course, Khartoum House is about far more than results. It’s in the Christmas bowling session, where technique was questionable, rules were optional, and enthusiasm reached Olympic levels. It’s in the House sofas, where there remains an inexplicable and constant need for boys to lie on top of each other like a pile of overexcited Labradors. It’s in the laughter that echoes down the corridors, the occasional tears when frustration or comedy overwhelms, and the countless smiles along the way.

Above all, it’s in the unwavering dedication to House in all things burgundy. League tables may fluctuate, trophies may come and go, but the spirit of Khartoum loud, loyal, slightly chaotic, occasionally lying in a heap on a sofa remains very much intact. Through highs and lows, arts and academics, laughter and chaos, the boys have shown that being part of Khartoum is about far more than winning; it’s about showing up, sticking together, and making sure the burgundy is always represented with pride.

Jonathan Griffiths, Head of Khartoum House 29

Sandringham House: Family Meals and Escape Rooms The Spring Term has been an exciting and varied one in Sandringham House! Particular highlights include the incredible Whitehall Parade, the wonderful Amelie production, the Inter-House Pipes and Drums competition and many, many sporting and musical endeavours!

House activities have included family meals, touch rugby games, Mothers’ Day origami, Friday night hot dogs and many baking activities!

We have also enjoyed several trips including Bracknell shopping, escape rooms, laser tag and a trip to the Twickenham Stoop to watch the Harlequins U19 team.

Individual members of the House have also achieved some incredible things this term.

Charlie T in Year 12 travelled to Westminster

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to speak in Parliament about the charity that supported his younger brother and also appeared on This Morning to share the incredible work they do. Elnathan and Samarth in Year 9 did a fantastic job as ball boys at the Harlequins U19s vs Japan game. Rickzin in Year 8 represented Gordon’s at a Mock Trial competition at Guildford Crown Court, and Nathanial (Year 11) and Sulav (Year 10) took part in the Gordon’s MUN conference. The Year 9s also took part in their practice DofE and all managed to make it back in one piece!

We are looking forward to the Summer Term sunshine and outdoor fun it will bring!

Andrew and Lauran Pring, Sandringham Houseparents

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Victoria House: Celebrations and Inter-House Successes As always, the end of the Autumn Term was filled with celebrations. To mark the start of the festive season, we took 84 Victoria girls to Hampton Court Palace for a magical evening of ice skating under the Christmas lights. The festivities continued in House with the girls showcasing their creativity with Gingerbread House building and decorating.

After a well-deserved Christmas break, the girls returned energised for a fun-packed and exciting Spring Term! InterHouse competitions, mock exams, and House trips have kept us busy, ensuring a dynamic start to the new year.

In House, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with friendship activities, embraced the Easter spirit with a chocolate egg quiz and marked Mental Health Week with a series of daily activities promoting well-being. With our IntraHouse families, the girls continue to earn points through volunteering hours, Inter-House participation, classroom commendations, and engaging in our family challenges.

This term, some of our Year 11 and Year 12 girls have stepped into new leadership roles within the House, doing a fantastic job supporting the staff while earning hours towards their voluntary service. With each Parade, we see our Year 7 and Year 8 girls grow in confidence with their marching skills, and we are incredibly proud of our new House Captain Emilia, House Sergeant Josie and Drill Sergeants Olivia and Francesca, for ensuring the girls look impeccable on Parade days. Additionally, our newly appointed Student Governor Florence, along with Junior Prefects Betty, Elena, Olivia and Isabel and Senior House Prefects Holly, Isabelle, Amelia, Chanara, Ella and Rachel have embraced their responsibilities with enthusiasm.

The girls never cease to impress us with their commitment, enthusiasm, and diligence. Their Sporting, Academic, and Creative Arts achievements continue to shine, with first-place finishes in Inter-House Cross Country, Art and Debating as well as a strong second-place finish in Pipes and Drums and Shooting.

With the hope of sunshine, exam success, and joyful endof-year celebrations ahead, we are ready to embrace the rest of the Summer Term!

Marie Jones, Head of Victoria House 32

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Windsor House: Warriors Baking and Performing The frosty mornings started bright and early at the start of the year, so we were thankful for any sunshine that broke through the clouds.... especially when out on the netball courts on Saturday mornings! We try and grab any opportunity we can to go and support the girls at the side of the courts!

Party.

At the end of January our Year 10 Junior Prefects were announced. How fortunate we are in Windsor to have so many students that wanted to apply for the role, and of course, there is always disappointment, but congratulations to Nana, Grace, Racchya and Noureen. Keep up the great work! Thank you to our KS5 Inter-House Debating Team of Suhana, Chloe and Holly, who did a sterling job getting through to the semi-finals and we can’t forget the fantastic school musical ‘Amelie’ with Addy, Bess and Racchya performing on stage, and our brilliant violinist Meaghan Year 13, in the orchestra. Twenty six Windsor students headed off to support the girls in the new school theatre, and we loved every moment!

Our first weekend was a busy one in boarding, with ice skating, baking, arts and crafts and Just Dance in House before all the academic challenges hit home! We are so proud of how our students just crack on with the revision together, and we thank those in the Senior years who help some of our younger students by mentoring them in subjects some find a little trickier....it’s just another bonus of boarding to have those around you that can help when you get stuck on something! A huge Congratulations to all of our students who received We kicked off February with ‘Bounce Week’ to coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week, letters of praise from Mr Moss for top 20% average effort grades - keep up the excellent work! the first day was all about being active at break and lunch and our girls didn’t disappoint, and Whitehall was the all-important date in the diary fortunately the weather stayed kind to us outside! for January. It’s always such a special event, and They all said how much they enjoyed it..... so, girls, a moment that staff and students will remember get out more!!! for the rest of their lives....and it was a joy to watch our Year 11s Flo, Busola and Sharisa as the Colour Some serious baking went into our House

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contribution for the Charity Cake Sale, with the cakes that we had made along with Balmoral and Woolwich, all for the school charities. Huge thanks to everyone that came along to support!!! We think Ingle the dog stole the show though!!! But we don’t mind!!! He’s adorable, and we received the news that Ingle has now become an Ambassador Dog for the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf charity, after doing so much work here in school, therefore raising awareness of the charity and now finding a secure home placement! Fantastic news! At the end of February, I enjoyed a brilliant afternoon/ evening watching Adekunbi, Lottie and Roxanne and the rest of the U18 Girls Rugby 7’s….. a very proud Houseparent seeing them go through to the final! We cheered loud and are proud!! Huge congratulations also to Leonie for placing second in the KS3 Inter-House Public Speaking…. Such a tough job to speak in front of your peers in Chapel, but she won the judges over with her speech about why her cat is more like a dog!

place! Another celebration was the big win for the Girls’ Hockey 1st Xl for their Nottingham match as Freya, Charlotte and Sabi reached the U19 ISHC National Finals, but to top it all off was their return with winning medals!!! Another Sixth Form student who is going that extra mile (literally!) is Anna in Year 12, who spends her weekends travelling and playing for the Premiere Netball league, and we were thrilled when she was chosen as the England Captain for the Europe Netball U17 Championships in Aberdeen, coming home with the winning trophy!!!! Both Anna and Freya then hot-footed it up to Sheffield for the National Schools Final, where we were able to watch them on the live stream over the Exeat weekend!

Year 9 headed off on their practice DofE in the Surrey Hills in March and lots of our Windsor Warriors took part in the fantastic Spring Concert and Dance Showcase showing off such a huge amount of talent on stage! The term finished with a brilliant win in the KS3 Inter-House Maths!!!

Huge thanks to Alina, Gabby, Naomi and Riyana for putting on their fantastic thinking caps and making the sums work!!!! We look forward to more sun, fun and outdoor activities soon!!!

Inter-House Drama 2026 was a great success for Windsor (along with Augusta, competing as Woolwich), well done to our cast and crew of Year 7-11 students, performing a six-minute piece of theatre based on the theme ‘Speak from the Heart, Danielle Heathcote, Windsor Houseparent Act with Courage’. Great commitment from all involved and a very respectful and deserved third

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Woolwich: Gastronomic Friday Nights “What have Woolwich been up to this term?” with multi-flipped pancakes, made with Max’s own our faculties fail us. Words cannot capture the eggs (from his chickens at home, just to be clear). students’ energy and accomplishments in a manner that does them all justice. But, here goes. The eats branched out into our charity initiative with bespoke, branded Gordon’s cupcakes for In a Spring Term where some students go into our House charity (pictured), to which everyone their shells to hibernate, others dig in and excel. contributed.

Students have tried and succeeded in many areas across the school: Chesa has been outstanding in For balance and to offset the consumption, the winning not one but two school art competitions; students took part in a physical challenge on our ‘active’ day of mental health week. Saina, Shawn, Nolah and Gen have excelled as tenors in the Matilda and Louis showed superhuman effort pipes and drums band and have been involved with our endurance challenges, either squatting in Friday marching rehearsals; Aden and Reuel have won awards in weightlifting; Seb, Will, Chesa or doing sit-ups for a solid 30 minutes. Credit also goes to Benjamin, Carlu, Seb and Hamish for their and Riyana have impressed in the Inter-House commitment to early morning fitness sessions to maths challenge; Seb, Carlu and Hamish have all competed in two Rugby 7s tournaments and Adi, get the blood pumping early.

Gen and Mia have all succeeded in the netball A Finally, the biggest ‘hats-off’ moment goes to team. those students who are - sometimes - quietly brilliant and get the job done in the classroom and Gastronomically, Woolwich prides itself in in prep; Sebastian, Migina, Aaron, Gen and Chesa creating multicultural, eclectic mezes for for getting average effort grades under level 2. sampling on Friday nights. Louis whipped up Huge praise to them all.

Chinese chicken with black bean sauce; Anisha and Chesa created a tasty cold noodle salad; We strap ourselves in for arguably the most Hamish rustled up some bangers and mash enjoyable part of the whirlwind Summer Term. (always popular); Aaron, Reuel, Shawn and Aden created some eggcellent egg fried rice and Archie Sam and Daisy Cooper, Woolwich Houseparents teamed up with Max to spoil everyone’s senses

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An unforgettable day at the Longmoor Military Firing Ranges for the CCF Army Cadets, sharpening their skills ahead of their Army camp.

As well as honing their precision shooting skills and building confidence under pressure, the day was filled with challenge, focus and achievement.

At Gordon’s, every Year 10 student is part of the tri-service Combined Cadet Force (Army, Navy and RAF), taking part in real field days each term at military bases.

CCF

No teddy bears picnic for the CCF in the Army’s woodland near Deepcut. The group took part in an ambush as part of their Army Cadet training.

First to apply camouflage paint to their faces and then head to Deepcut. With just the moon to light their way, one group went on ahead, lying in wait in the undergrowth for the signal to fire.

Then it was the turn of the other group to carry out the ambush. Hot chocolate and hot dogs to round off the adventure back at base.

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Over 100 students camping out in the Surrey Hills for both their practise and final Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award expedition. The Year 9 students are required to carry their tents, food and water for around 15 miles during the expedition part of the award.

They’ve trained three times a week since January, before dawn in bleak, wintry conditions (sometimes making it even harder by wearing 20kg combat body armour). In April they put their practise to the next level, taking part in a Ten Tors training walk in Okehampton.

In May Team Gordon’s joined 400 teams of six for the Army navigation event involving walking 35 miles on Dartmoor.

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DOFE 41

CO-CURRICULAR Deep in the woods surrounding the playing fields at Gordon’s there’s a hive of activity. Fires burning, den building, wood splitting, knot tying, wood carving and making simple meals over open fires. Bushcraft, one of over 128 co-curricular activities to choose from at Gordon’s, is fast-becoming one of the most popular for both boys and girls! There’s a lot to learn – they might be building a den but it’s not just piling wood to make a shelter, it’s whittling a branch to produce a peg, generating fire with a flint and kindling and fuelling it with logs safely split using an axe. Students also make their own bread (cooking it on sticks over the fire) and learn to identify plants growing around their ‘forest school’.

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A place in the Regional Finals of the Springboard Future Chef Competition for Nayraa Chawla who won over the judges at the local competition in Basingstoke with her salmon stuffed tortellini with a pea and dill sauce. Nayraa will now be mentored by a professional chef as she works towards the regionals when she will be producing two courses, a main and dessert!

The Gordon’s MUN (Model United Nations) Conference was opened by Surrey Heath MP Dr Al Pinkerton, who spoke to delegates about the “extraordinary times” we are living in, the breakdown of the tradition world order, disinformation, challenges such as climate and technological changes, and the potential for AI leading to human unemployment. “These are the challenges my generation is thinking about, my generation has often caused and the one that has 44

gone before, so it is absolutely vital you think of yourselves as stakeholders in these challenges” he told the delegates.

The two day conference in February was attended by some 150 students from Reading Blue Coat School, Blenheim High School, Beaconsfield High School, Prior’s Field School, Ibstock Place, The Marist and Hurstpierpoint College. Among the

topics debated were the American intervention in Venezuela, the conflict in Thailand and Cambodia, energy requirements of AI and piracy prevention in international water. Gordon’s delegates were presented with their MUN files the day before the conference opened during drill practise, and were wished good luck for the conference and applauded by their peers.

No mistaking the Gordon’s tree in Holy Trinity Church, West End, filled with home-made decorations by Woolwich students. The camel-themed tree formed part of the Christmas Tree Festival held there in the lead up to Christmas.

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CREATIVE ARTS 46

What a show! Not only performing the musical Amélie to capacity audiences, but doing so in Gordon’s School’s new theatre, complete with orchestra in the pit, and officially opened on the last night of the three-night run by generous benefactors Peter and Sarah Wynter Bee in the presence of the Mayor of Surrey Heath Councillor Louise Ashbery. The icing on the cake was learning that the play had been shortlisted for five National School Theatre Awards. The Creative Arts department have also made the shortlist for the ‘MTI Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Provision’ at the National Music and Drama Education Awards 2026.

The senior production featured students from Key Stage 4 and 5 not just in the cast, but involved in the lighting, sound, performing in the orchestra, co-directing, making props, stage managing and painting scenery.

Set in a little French square with the Café des 2 Moulins in Montmartre, flanked with ivy and window baskets and little tables with chequered tablecloths dotting the stage, the romantic comedy, Amélie follows a shy, quirky only child, whose best friend is a goldfish and who is homeschooled after her father wrongly diagnoses her overwhelming hope for love and connection for a heart defect. She becomes a waitress in a Parisien Café where her life revolves around helping others and in doing so, finds happiness and love.

Adding the comedic element to the musical, Nathanial (Lucien), remembered for his leading role as Fagin in the musical Oliver, brings laughs as he engages with the figs he is selling, even singing ‘The Three Fig’ song!

For pure spectacle and drama, the scene featuring Junyi as Elton John, flanked by a gospel choir in gold lame gowns exuded enjoyment and fun and was in sharp contrast to the muted colours of the visitors to the Café des 2 Moulins.

With two roles in the production, that of the blind beggar and Adrien, for Ben, performing in his last school production, it was also very much a family affair as father Richard was involved, with a ringside seat in the orchestra pit, playing trombone! Ben declared he had adored the entire process towards opening night and the memories made along the way.

Director of the show, Robbie Olden said: “As always, I have loved every minute of working with the students involved in the production. From the outset, they have wholeheartedly trusted the vision and have worked tirelessly to meet high expectations. I am so proud of what we have all achieved together and cannot thank the students enough for throwing themselves into the process and putting their heart and soul into the performances this week. I genuinely am so lucky to work with students with such talent, empathy and commitment”.

Kate playing Amélie, was on stage for the most part of the evening, giving everything to some big songs and playing the part of the shy French waitress to perfection.

Veteran performer Elliot has taken part in productions since he first arrived in Year 7, the musical in which he plays Nino Quincampoix he described as both “exciting” and “bittersweet” as it will be his last. The former head boy of Gordon’s proved his singing talent as well as acting.

Last year she was Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In this year’s senior production, Jessica as Gina, is still haunted by the death of her husband. A friend of Amelie’s, she also works alongside her as a waitress.

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Drama Round-Up This Spring Term has been fantastic for Cocurricular Drama at Gordon’s. We began the term with our Senior Production of ‘Amèlie’ which entertained three sold-out audiences in the Wynter Bee Theatre. The musical was the first production to officially perform in the new space, which was opened on the closing night by the Wynter Bees. The Mayor of Surrey Heath was also in attendance. The musical was particularly well received and has been nominated for five awards at the National School Theatre Awards - for ‘Best Musical’, ‘Best Ensemble’, Kate Brazendale as ‘Best Actress’, Elliot Watson as ‘Best Actor in a Supporting role’ and James West for ‘Best Lighting Design’. We hope that we come away from the awards evening with some success!

Seventy of our junior students in Years 8 and 9 have been hard at work in rehearsals for our KS3 production of the ‘School of Rock’ which took place in the Wynter Bee Theatre in April 2026. Part of the production team involves two of our Drama scholars as Assistant Directors.

In February, the Drama and Music department attended the ‘Music and Drama Education Awards’ in London as we were shortlisted in the top eight schools in the country for ‘Excellence in Musical Theatre Provision’. Unfortunately, we did not come away as winners, but we are really proud to have been recognised nationally.

Several of our Year 13 scholars have been busy auditioning for some of the UK’s top drama schools and performing arts conservatoires as well as two of our Year 11 students who have received a place at the BRIT school for technical theatre. Ten students auditioned for a place in the prestigious National Youth Theatre following last year’s recordbreaking success of seven successful entries.

Four students have entered the National Theatre’s ‘New Views’ playwriting competition in which they have had to write and submit a fully drafted original play for moderation.

Drama continues to thrive at Gordon’s and I could not be prouder of the constant enthusiasm, passion and determination consistently demonstrated by our students.

Robbie Olden, Head of Co-curricular Drama

n and LAMDA (Londo The results are in t) ic and Dramatic Ar Academy of Mus 86 celled again, with students have ex one om their Grades, fr per cent passing her 13 inction and a furt to eight, with Dist ents it. A record 85 stud er M ith w nt ce r pe r internationally took the exams fo cations, shown to recognised qualifi and , build confidence nurture creativity don’s ication skills. Gor improve commun ps ons to all year grou offers LAMDA less verse drama, speaking in acting, devising and g for performance and prose, readin vel 3 , as well as the Le speaking in public ns bus. Congratulatio Shakespeare Sylla to all of them.

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Where the Wind Blows Written and directed by Charlotte Newing, ‘Where the Wind Blows’ premiered at the Wynter Bee Theatre in the Spring Term. The Sixth Form student studying English, History and Drama is the first at the school to be awarded a playwriting scholarship and her play, performed by senior students, is her first.

Set in a family kitchen, the production centres around the conflicts of a dysfunctional family’s day to day life and the sacrifices made for the people we love. The idea came to her from reading about a conspiracy theory involving Government bunkers and led to her thinking about who she would be trapped with, in a metaphorical sense.

A committed member of the creative arts community at Gordon’s since she arrived in Year 7, this is the first time Charlotte hasn’t been on the stage for a production. Writing and directing the play, she admits, while very exciting, is very much a “I’ve done shows since the age of 11 with many of those involved in this project, it feels like working step out of her comfort zone. with friends. Even the teachers, I feel I know them As well as writing, studying for her A Levels and so well.” attending three one to one lessons a week as Charlotte’s gratitude to all involved is abundant, part of her scholarship, Charlotte is a keen rugby player, turning out for both the Gordon’s 1st XV and particularly her scholarship leads, “Their dedication and vulnerability have breathed life into the Chobham Rugby Club. She holds down a part time characters and the story we set out to tell… I knew job and also co-directed the senior production of I could trust every single one of them to learn their Amélie! Oh, and she also enjoys entering writing competitions, compiles daily written observations lines and do what they had to do to make the show a success.” and works on a portfolio of ideas for scripts and plays! Somehow, she manages to juggle her commitments (and a social life!) - “Writing feels like While there promises to be a large contingent of family and friends supporting Charlotte on the a break for me”, she says. night and looking forward to seeing her creativity reach fruition, Charlotte is philosophical about her The play is currently taking up much of her spare opening night: “I will just have to sit there and let it time as she edits her work continually after each all happen”. rehearsal, responding to new interpretations Where the Wind Blows promises to be “relatable of her characters. The strength of Charlotte’s in unexpected and meaningful ways” Charlotte relationships with the talented and supportive cast and the environment created in rehearsal has emphasises. enabled the process to be one of collaboration and genuine fun, working with a community she has grown up with for the past six years.

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The Steinway Piano Recital evening was both a celebration of talented pianists at Gordon’s and a celebration of the arrival of the fleet of Steinways that have earned Gordon’s the description of an AllSteinway School. During the Evening, Adam Stanworth, Director of Music at Gordon’s, was presented with a plaque by Keith Glazebrook from Steinway, on which was written – Celebrating a tradition of excellence Steinway and Sons proudly honours Gordon’s School as an All-Steinway School.

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Dance Round-Up

production. This collective effort contributed to a polished and professional performance that captivated the audience throughout. The audience The school’s recent dance production, Sonder, response was overwhelmingly positive. The show was nothing short of extraordinary. Playing to a was, without doubt, a triumph, and a proud moment completely sold-out audience, the show brought for the entire school community. Sonder will together nearly 70 students from every year group, undoubtedly be remembered as a highlight of the showcasing not only the depth of talent within school year. the school but also the strength of its creative community. From start to finish, Sonder was a In addition to celebrating the success of the vibrant and ambitious celebration of dance that production, special congratulations must go to left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate Amelia E, who has achieved remarkable success in enough to attend. securing places for further professional training.

One of the most striking aspects of the evening was the diversity of performances. The programme featured a wide range of styles, ensuring there was something for everyone. Particularly impressive were the pieces choreographed by students themselves. These works demonstrated remarkable originality, confidence, and artistic maturity, highlighting the students’ ability not only to perform but also to create and communicate powerful ideas through movement.

The sense of unity among the cast was evident, reflecting the many hours of rehearsal and dedication that had clearly gone into the 52

Her offers included prestigious institutions such as the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, Bird College, and the London School of Contemporary Dance. She has chosen to continue her training at the renowned Laine Theatre Arts, where she will begin in September. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to her talent, dedication, and hard work.

We wish Amelia every success as she takes this exciting next step in her dance journey, and we look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future.

Martha Banks Thompson, Head of Dance

Artwork submitted by students for the Winter Arts Competition and for a design for the Carol Service.

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ACADEMIC A poignant moment for all the Year 9 students, particularly Jamie, during the year group history trip to the Belgium battlefields in March. As well as remembering the 155 Gordonians killed in the First World War, Jamie found his GreatGrandfather’s name on the Commonwealth

Congratulations to Jesse, Seejan, Dasha and Elliot on their Oxbridge offers – three from the University of Cambridge (to read geography, chemical engineering and mathematics) and one from the University of Oxford (reading law). A delighted Head of Sixth Form Will Jones 54

Memorial at the Tyne Cot Cemetery. His GreatGrandfather Rifleman Walter Charles Tobutt died on 19th September 1917 and Jamie was able to lay a wreath in his memory and for the Gordonians killed in action.

said: “This is an outstanding achievement, testament to the hard work, commitment and passion shown for the subjects by all four students and we wish them every success with their A Level examinations this summer”.

Embracing all things German – the language, the culture and even a few Christmas markets for 27 students on the German exchange to KoenigsbachStein. As well as attending a German school, students enjoyed the now traditional day trip to Heidelberg, a pizza evening for 70 people and quality time with their exchange families.

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A double thrill for physics students, who visited CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research), one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research, and had the opportunity to meet Kumar lyer, the British Ambassador to the United Nations and Permanent Representative to CERN! The students toured the Large Hadron Collider as part of their behind-the-scenes trip with a CERN particle physicist and saw live data from particle collisions being generated and analysed. They were also able to see the ALICE detector, which works with the large hadron collider to recreate the measure the conditions existing after the big bang. After the tour, they were invited to meet Mr lyer and discuss world politics, science and society as well as careers. They heard about the work of the International Telecommunication Union which governs satellite orbits and regulates spectrum and looked at the work of the International Organisation for Standardisation, that acts as a design standards bible for engineers.

CERN CONTROL CENTRE 56

For their presentation and social action on behalf of Art Against Knives, Class 9D were awarded a £1,000 cheque for their chosen charity by First Give, after presenting to the panel of judges, the Mayor of Surrey Heath and her Consort, Cllrs Louise and Alan Ashbery; the Deputy Mayor of Surrey Heath Cllr Cliff Betton and Gordon’s Head of KS3 James Greggor.

Daniella received a commendation.

All Year 9 students were given the opportunity to choose, research, plan and deliver social

action activities to raise funds, awareness and volunteers for a local charity. Those picked were Seb’s Foundation, the York Road Project, Charlie’s Promise and the Hope Hub. As well as masterminding exhibition stands and activities for students in Years 8 and 9 about their charities, many wrote to Members of Parliament and met the charities representatives. Those raising awareness of Art Against Knives, a charity working to prevent youth violence through creativity, produced a video and held a cake sale, raising £250 for the charity.

CHARITY Congratulations to the students who were confirmed by the Bishop of Dorking, The Right Reverend Paul Davies, in the school Chapel of St Edward the Confessor. The candidates were joined by their families for the Service of Confirmation, in which Bishop Paul spoke of the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Afterwards, Bishop Paul and the school Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright joined the candidates and their families for celebratory cake and tea in the Library.

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Cakes and a canine at breaktimes as bakers in Balmoral, Woolwich and Windsor Houses whipped up delicious cupcakes over the weekend to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Frimley Park Hospital Children’s Ward and the Gurkha Welfare Trust. Popping in to help and say hello to the students, was Ingle who has been trained as a hearing dog for deaf people.

Christmas jumper day – a festive celebration while raising money for the school’s charities, The Gurkha Welfare Trust; Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Frimley Park Hospital’s Children’s Ward and Kids for Kids.

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INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION Two minutes on a subject of their choice with points for planning, oracy and physicality for the InterHouse Public Speaking competition. One student from each Key Stage representing their House.

Congratulations to Buckingham House, winners of the KS3 event, with their talk on Donald Trump: is he the world’s police or does he end world peace?

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A Kensington House win with the ‘Art of Saying No’ in the KS4 Inter-House Public Speaking competition!

Students in Years 10-11 had just two minutes to speak on their subject. Sandringham were in second place and China third.

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SIXTH FORM Dance Off High energy, colourful and even a cameo role for Mr Fox! The Sixth Form Dance Off, the most hotly-contested of the Inter-House competitions, didn’t disappoint. In the end, the combination of China and Gravesend Houses proved unbeatable, winning them first place.

Study Skills The sun’s out and it’s the perfect day to be installing a flat screen TV on a wall! Sixth Form students in Year 12 are also learning the life skills of cooking, sewing, sign language, first aid, finance, presentations and car maintenance as part of their weekly Open Study activities.

A burst tyre after hitting a pothole in the road, proved the perfect opportunity to try out one of the practical life skills learned during his Year 12 Study Skills programme for one Sixth Form student. As well as learning to sew, cook and install a flat-screen TV, Year 12s are versed in the 62

art of changing a tyre by the school’s Facilities Team. So the student knew exactly what to do! His grateful mother, in an email to Head of Sixth Form Will Jones said: ‘Our son (now in Year 13) had a flat tyre after hitting a pothole on the way home from school last week. He ended up having to change it by the side of the road and put the spare tyre on.

Thanks to the lesson he had in Year 12 Open Study, ‘changing a tyre’ he knew exactly what to do! Such a useful lesson! ‘My husband also taught him what to do, but somehow forgot that, but very clearly remembered doing it at school! I thought we would let you know, as it’s proved to be very valuable for him!’

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Adam Cohen – Head Boy Describe yourself – character, hobbies etc?

I am a friendly, approachable and hardworking individual, always happy to meet new people and make new friends. I love all sports - anything with a ball does the job - having played senior football and rugby during my time at Gordon’s so far. At the same time curricular success has always been very important to me, and I am currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics.

Having said that, Bunsen burners and I don’t have the best of track records –far too many things have been melted that definitely shouldn’t have been!

When did you start at Gordon’s and what you like about the school, favourite memory?

I started at Gordon’s in Year 7, and I always remember people telling me, I could survive those long days. At first, I thought the same, but these long days turned into one of my favourite parts of Gordon’s. When at Gordon’s, you’re with your friends all day, not just studying together, but also training together, eating great dinners together and all the other extras that make Gordon’s feel like a family, more than just a school.

My favourite memory has to be when I was in Year 9, playing for the school’s rugby sevens team at Rosslyn Park. In the final game to get into the second day, we went into the second half 24-0 down. After a motivational team talk from our coach and Mr Moss, we came out victorious, winning 26-24 with a heart stopping conversion in the last play of the game.

Why did you apply for the role and what you hope to bring to the role?

Giving back to the school is very important in my eyes for all it has done for me and my peers.

I applied for the role of Head Boy with the hopes to act as an inspirational role model to younger students and bring strong leadership to help push for positive change and ensure that every student feels heard, supported and inspired to reach their greatest potential. From Year 7 I have always looked up to the head Boys and Girls as role models 64

and I hope to have the same effect on the next generation of students.

debating which one to eat like a philosopher, I’ll just get on with it and eat both.

Who is your inspiration? The person you aspire to Rom com or action movie? be like?

I don’t really watch movies that often, but when I I do not have one individual inspiration; I am inspired do, I’d have to go for an action movie. Whilst a rom by many people every single day. I am inspired by com can be the move when the vibe is right, nine kindness, I am inspired by truly good people, not times of out ten if I’m going to watch one of the just those who are kind when its easy, but who stay two I’d want it to be eventful. I like films that are helpful, grounded and sympathetic, even when tense, fast, and unpredictable — the kind of plot things get tough. The kind of people who do not where nobody in the film knows what’s coming seek praise or attention, but just do the right thing next, including me. Watching people fight about because that matters to them. The kind of people being in love in a coffee shop can get boring, 007 who speak up to misdoings, even with the fear of never does. judgement or repercussion.

One of the best movies I’ve seen must be Knives Mr Moss once told me a quote ‘tyranny flourishes Out. Not only was it tense and completely when good men stay silent’. This is a great example unpredictable, but it had also great acting and the of how important being truly kind is, and the perfect amount of humour. Any film with Daniel impact that doing what is right, even when its Craig is always unreal. inconvenient. That shows a real level of strength What are your plans for the future? and character.

Early morning training or late night prep person?

Definitely late night prep. I remember my sister used to be an EMT and got up at hours where no one should have to be awake to get ready to train - and for a while I convinced myself I’d follow in her footsteps. But when it came to my turn, the idea of getting out of bed an hour early to run laps around the Parade Square was not high up on my to-do list. On the other hand, I find that I work far better at night anyway; once the day is already done and there’s no stresses for the day left to worry about, I can actually focus. Early mornings are the opposite, not only are all the day’s worries still ahead of me but having to deal with them sweaty and tired – I think I’ll do without.

Pizza or hamburger?

Burger all day. Not just as it is a great protein source, unlike pizza, but the great variety helps a burger never get old. Five guys stacked high with all the trimmings, she burger, even a cheeky McDonald’s - you can never go wrong with a burger.

Obviously, all the practical stuff – higher education, a solid career, earning enough to fund my adult life. I wish to study Chemistry or Chemical Engineering at Cambridge. I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and still hope to have a business of my own one day – I still have no clue what it will be.

But beyond that, whilst I’m young and I don’t have the responsibilities that will come as I get older, I want to take advantage of the time and experience the world, of course whilst still building myself a good foundation for the future. I want to travel, see places which I’ve only ever seen online, meet new people with completely different life stories to my own, learn about different cultures, and collect experiences along the way which change the way I think about life, and what I find important. I don’t want to spend my 20s and 30s solely building my career, waiting for that perfect breakthrough for my business. I want to live those years, and hopefully my experiences bring new opportunities and teach me lessons along the way – maybe I’ll even start a travel company!

That said I’m not exactly picky. If you put a burger and a pizza in front of me, you won’t catch me 65

Oliwia Kania – Head Girl Describe yourself – character, hobbies etc?

I am a lively, confident and dedicated person who is always enthusiastic about taking on extra opportunities to meet new people and make connections. I always try to push through challenges with determination and focus, remaining calm and collected (although this sometimes doesn’t work!) whether this be in academic workload or with my football academy.

Playing football semi-professionally has helped me to develop a sense of accountability and resilience, continuously showing up, developing mental toughness; and a strong work ethic through teamwork and communication. I am currently studying Economics, History and Business, with my Polish A Level (which I am completing in Year 12), alongside an EPQ and I aim to pursue a degree in Law to hopefully go on to become a Corporate Barrister in the future.

I am still thinking about whether I want to be self-employed or work within a legal team for a business, but the idea of working on my own terms has always adhered to me- I love the freedom of it! This may be slightly unusual, but I would say my inspiration is my mum. I admire her courageousness, kindness and gratitude, she never fails to put a smile on the faces of those around her. I aspire to be like her as she helps people to the best of her ability and genuinely “practices what she preaches”.

One quote I live by is: “There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living”- Nelson Mandela; this truly embodies the kind of person I am striving to be.

When I started at Gordon’s and what I like about the school, my favourite memory so far.

I joined Gordon’s in September 2025, and ever since I have made so many memories; whether it be from Inter-House competitions, to participating in school football matches, to simply talking and laughing with the people in my House. One thing I particularly like about Gordon’s is the involvement 66

of students in sport and academic competitionsthis really emphasises the level of support (which is endless) to help students succeed. I don’t think I could solely pick one favourite memory; I have many already in this short span of time. If I were to try to narrow it down it would probably be the school football trainings/matches, the Dine and Discuss evenings with some brilliant individuals and going to support the rugby or football matches with my best friends.

Why I applied for the role and what I hope to bring to the role.

I applied for the role of Head Girl because I want to take on responsibilities and make a positive difference within Gordon’s community. As someone who is dedicated and hardworking, I am willing to lead by example and show others what commitment and positivity look like. I am outgoing and easy to talk to, which makes me approachable and supportive, and I would love to listen to the ideas of others to help them feel included. Being Head Girl gives me the opportunity to represent students’ voices, bring people together, and contribute to the school environment where everyone feels valued and motivated.

I also want to encourage students at Gordon’s to fully utilise the many opportunities for development provided here as we often take for granted how privileged we are to be surrounded my such an amazing support-system at this school, with a variety of career pathways and enrichment to help us achieve our own, unique goals.

Additionally, I want to make my parents proud, they do so much for me as it is and so, I think in a way, this is a thank you to them. They have supported me through everything, and I couldn’t thank them enough. I am truly honoured to be in this role, and I hope that students here at Gordon’s know that they are welcome to come and speak to me when they see me around school, regarding concerns or just to catch up.

to the gym in the evenings to clear my mind after a long day of schoolwork. During the school week, I prefer to do work in the mornings as my mind is fresh and then I have football trainings/matches in school or football academy trainings in the afternoon/ evenings.

Frequently, I alternate the order of sports and schoolwork but if my workload is huge, I do love to ‘lock in’ in the evenings with a cup of tea or coffee to keep me going for a couple of hours. I know caffeine at this age isn’t ideal, but I can’t help it! I tend to have football academy matches on a Saturday and then I do work in the evenings and Sundays I go to the gym in the morning and do work again in the afternoon before prepping my things for school the following day. I don’t put too much pressure on doing things in a specific order, if I get the tasks, I set myself completed within the deadline, that’s all that matters.

Pizza or hamburger?

Unpopular opinion but pizza is quite basic, although Domino’s Texas BBQ is insanely good. A juicy hamburger is the way to go, any day.

Rom com or action movie?

I love a rom com; my favourite is probably 10 Things I Hate about You. It makes me cry every time I watch it, but it’s so worth it! I think an action movie is also a good watch, so long as it grasps my attention from the offset as I can get bored quite quickly. Another genre of movies that I love is crime documentaries. I’ve always been interested in learning about how crimes are dissected and evaluated- this is fascinating to me.

Early morning training or late-night prep person I think I am most productive with schoolwork either in the morning or late into the night, but I love to go

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EVENTS

The younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, the British teenager killed in a racially motivated attack, gave an inspirational talk to Years 7, 8 and 9 students to bring World Book Week at Gordon’s to a close, Stuart Lawrence, author of ‘Silence is not an Option: You can Impact the World for Change’ spoke about his childhood, family, his book and sayings that have influenced his life, in particular ‘life is ten per cent what happens to you and 90 per cent how you react to it’.

On the 28th of February – 1st March, Gordon’s School is hosting its annual Model United Nations conference. This event will be attended by around 150 delegates from schools such as Reading Blue Coat, Blenheim, Beaconsfield, Ibstock, Priors Field, and Gordon’s itself.

The two day long conference will see students debate heavy-hitting relevant topics such as the American intervention in Venezuela, refugee protection in foreign nations, and the energy requirements of artificial intelligence.

Beth Bailey, our Secretary General, will be overlooking the event and will be aided by our two Presidents of the General Assembly, James Taplin and Grace Gerrish. The debates will also be managed by the chairs of each committee which comprises of Gordon’s students and external experienced MUN debaters.

The conference is the highlight of the Gordon’s MUN team’s year and is something that we have been planning for a very long time – excitement is high for the big event!

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Imaginations ran wild as Year 7s competed in the Weeble Wobble competition during BOUCE Week.

Cyclops, monsters, friendly smurfs, a globe and a smiley bear in a strawberry among the entries! Congratulations to Chesa, Grace, Lachlan, Matilda, Myla and Hana for their winning entries.

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As well as pancakes in Houses, students celebrated Shrove Tuesday with the annual pancake race on the Parade Square with Balmoral and Augusta proving to be the best flippers and runners!

The Wynter Bee Theatre was officially opened in January on the last night of the senior production Amelie, by its major benefactors Peter and Sarah Wynter Bee, in the presence of the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Louise Ashbery. The group were led to the theatre by the Pipes and Drums, where Mr Wynter Bee cut the ribbon. The theatre, which

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also boasts an orchestra pit, provides a dedicated space for concerts and productions, seating audiences of some 200 people. This month the school also became an All-Steinway School and will host masterclasses and concerts in the theatre using the new Steinway pianos.

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SPORT Hockey continued through the Spring Term and brought great success.

The Girls 1st XI stream rolled their way to the Independent Schools finals where they met Seaford College in the Semi Final. The girls put in a great performance to take the victory 3-1. A brace for Jess Dickinson and a goal for Lily Duffy.

This resulted in a National final against Leeds Grammar School. Gordon’s couldn’t capitalise on a dominant first half as the score was 0-0 heading into the second. However, the team kept pushing and eventually got their reward and took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jess Dickinson and Lauren Grice. A crazy last ten minutes saw three more goals and a penalty save from the Gordon’s keeper.

Gordon’s managed to hold their nerve and took the victory 3-2 and therefore, created history by winning Gordon’s first hockey national title.

The 1st XI finished their season with three titles, a runners up medal and a goal difference of +150.

They should be extremely proud of their efforts.

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The success doesn’t stop there…

The U12 girls have reached the Sister N Sport National Finals Day where they will be competing for the National Plate. They face Dame Allen’s school in the semi final. Good luck girls!!

The U14 girls managed to claim runners up at the regional state schools championship back in March. The team remained unbeaten all the way until the final but fell short against a strong Sir William Borlase’s side. A fantastic effort and some super performances from the likes of Chloe King and Hattie Lawrence.

Outside of school, Phoebe Schollick (Year 11), Jess Dickinson (Year 12), Sid Mathur (Year 12) and Myles Haarhoff (Year 12) continue to work hard in the England Hockey Talent Academy. They will be hoping for a successful summer when they fight for a spot in the National Age group squads.

Matt Boote, Head of Hockey

Gordon’s gold in hockey as the First XI triumphed in Nottingham in the national ISHC (Independent Schools Hockey Cup) U19 Plate Final. The girls beat Seaford College 3-1 in the semi-finals before taking on The Grammar School at Leeds for a closely fought game ending in a 3-2 win.

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The Second XI Football Team, playing for the first time in the Billie Nevill Independent Schools Football League clinched the Billie Nevill Cup after beating RGS Surrey Hills; Kingston Grammar; Emanuel School; St George’s Weybridge and Reeds School.

It has been a successful pre-season for Cricket at Gordon’s School. Our U15 Girls and U13 Boys made it to the Surrey Indoor Cricket County Cup to compete for top honours and they hope to progress to the National Indoor Cricket Cup. We have continued the pre-season Spring nets with students able to train on a Monday, Tuesday and Friday, with our Friday session expanding to Period 7 and 8, allowing for Year 7 boys and Year 7 and 8 girls to hone their skills. We are now beginning to turn our eyes to the outdoor season and are hoping for the sun to bring us many successful fixtures, cup runs and league victories. ​ Joshua Dodd, Head of Cricket

In the London Schools Independent Cup, the First XI made the Quarter Final, narrowly losing out to Brentwood.

Girls’ football saw them play a number of friendlies and tournaments against local prep and district schools.

The weather throughout the season, meant that many games were cancelled or postponed, but luckily the 3G meant that intra games could still be played.

Head of Football, Paul King 76

A place in the finals for Gordon’s golfers, after a win against Regional Champions Winchester College in the Swifts Foursomes Regional Final!

Jonnie and Zach won 3 and 1 (shot -3), Harry and Jake lost one down on the last hole (shot +2) and Noah and OIlie won 5 and 4 (shot +2).

This is the sixth time in nine years that the Gordon’s golf team have qualified for the finals of what is the longest running national schools golf event in the UK. They have previously achieved a third place and runners up. Could this be the year they lift the trophy?

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Netball Season Highlights 1st Team Success The 1st Team enjoyed a truly historic season, achieving their best results to date. They were crowned London and Southeast Champions and secured an impressive fifth place finish at the England Netball National Finals. In addition, they finished as Runners-Up in both the Independent Schools’ League and the Independent Schools Cup, marking a consistently outstanding year.

District Champions A number of squads demonstrated exceptional performance at district level: U12A and U12B – District Champions U13A – District Champions Tournament Achievements The U16A squad were crowned Gordon’s Invitational Champions, reclaiming the title for the first time in six years.

It’s been a whirlwind few months for netball player Jasmine Akrasi. The Gordon’s netball scholar plays for Super League Club London Pulse, her local club Eagles and trialled for England U19s in November.

She was selected in December, playing her first internationals for the U19s against Scotland U21s and Northern Ireland Seniors.

A goal shooter with unerring accuracy, Jazzy is credited with a 100 per cent success rate in one of her England games.

She came into the sport around six years ago and hasn’t looked back.

Senior Squad Success At the Lord Wandsworth Invitational Tournament, the senior squads delivered excellent results:

Almost every night she is training or playing somewhere, either for London Pulse in East London, or school and at weekends and during ‘the netball season’ she can be found travelling the country for games or England training. There is also the S&C and following an athletic development programme to combine with studying for three A Levels in French, art and maths!

She describes herself as a “go with the flow” person but one who grabs every opportunity with both hands. But behind every success is her mother! “mum is my team manager. She gets me to all my trainings, she’s the one that sorts out my food.”

3rd Team – Tournament Winners U16B – 3rd Place Finish Inter-House Netball The Inter-House Netball competition was a highlight of the season, showcasing strong participation, competitive spirit, and enthusiasm across all Houses.

London Pulse Partnership The school’s partnership with London Pulse provided fantastic opportunities for players: Year 7 and 8 students attended a live match at the Copper Box Arena, watching London Pulse take on Leeds Rhinos and meeting Superleague players.

Senior and U15 players took part in a specialist masterclass led by Superleague athletes Tyler Orr and Kamogelo Maseko, gaining valuable insight and inspiration.

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Leading out the England team in the European Netball U17 tournament in March, shooter Anna Dale-Smith. The Gordon’s netball scholar captained the side that was looking to defend their title, at the Aberdeen Sports Village where they beat the Republic of Ireland 89-15; Northern Ireland 75-34, and UAE 76-27.

www.tylers-sportswear.co.uk

The inaugural Gordon’s U18 Girls Rugby 7s invitation tournament took place in February with four teams competing – Bishop Wordsworth; Tiffin Girls’; Graveney and Langley Park. The girls were presented with their team shirts by Headmaster Andrew Moss and were runners up in the competition.

Very much a Gordon’s affair at Harlequins in the U19 game against Japan. Six current students and Gordonians playing for the premiership side with Gordonian Math Jones kicking the winning penalty in the last play! The ball boys and girls from Gordon’s were also delighted to have been picked for the game.

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Gordon’s win first ever Rosslyn Park National 7s title!

Captain A Mitchley’s U14 rugby 7s team recorded victories against Sedbergh, St Albans and Stowe on route, they beat Ipswich School 26-0 in the final on RE1 to win the Plate title.

The U18 rugby 7s team made it through to the second day and knock out stages of the senior competition.

Rugby Round Up It’s been another highly successful rugby season at Gordon’s. In December the ACE team finished third in the ever more competitive competition, now the highest standard of schoolboy rugby in the country, the team secured a top three finish for the third consecutive season. An injury-plagued season meant that we lost many key players for large chunks of the season, and some for the whole season. However, the boys rallied and pulled together to produce some excellent wins, a top three finish is something they should be hugely proud of and shows the depth of talent now at the school.

The Spring term was filled with tournaments for the smaller sided formats of the game. Our U18 10s team had their most successful outing at the prestigious Seaford 10s, losing by a score to the eventual winners in the Cup Semi Finals. In the 7s format, it was another historic year for Gordon’s.

In February we hosted our inaugural U18 Girls 7s Invitational, a great success with some brilliant 7s

being played under the lights on a Friday night. Our girls were brilliant making the final and finishing runners up. The U18 boys made Day 2 of Rosslyn Park for the second time, eventually falling in the Plate Semi Final. Our U16s narrowly missed out on winning their group losing the deciding game by a point, whilst our U13 boys, U14 girls and U16 girls all enjoyed successful outings.

The jewel in the crown, however, was our U14 boys.

After finishing Day 1 at Rosslyn Park unbeaten, they were edged out into the Plate competition on Day 2 in points difference. They dusted themselves down to beat Stowe in the Semi Final, and then produced an incredible display to beat Ipswich School 26-0 in the Final to finish the Plate Winners. This is the first time a Gordon’s team has won silverware at Rosslyn Park, a competition that started with 240 schools from across the UK (and further!), it is a huge achievement for the school.

Sam Richards, Head of Rugby 81

CAREERS

A whole-school opportunity to talk to representatives from a vast spectrum of industries at the Gordon’s Careers Fair. The event was part of National Apprenticeship Week, in which students have also heard from Gordonians, who returned to talk about their apprenticeships.

Sixth Form students also attended a Dine and Discuss event, listening to Gordon’s parent Mark

Brown, formerly with HM Forces, who has also held global leadership roles across industry and professional services before running the digital risk advisory consulting business ‘The Mark of Security Ltd’. He spoke about his career, and resilience before carrying on the conversation over a delicious supper.

Speed Networking Full House for speed networking with volunteers representing a diverse range of roles in industries like banking, insurance, TV, education and travel. Year 12 had just a couple of minutes in which to guess the person’s role, after which they were able to find out more about routes into the job and their day to day work. The event was part of National Careers Week at Gordon’s in which students also heard from keynote speakers working in global fashion, theatre and finance.

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STAFF The Bishop of Guildford, the Right Reverend Andrew Watson died in February. Bishop Andrew had a long association with the school and was a Vice President of the Gordon Foundation. During his most recent visit in October, he spoke to every year group about General Gordon and his faith. He also unveiled a plaque for a stained glass window in the Chapel donated some 40 years

ago by St Luke’s Church, Southampton, depicting General Gordon receiving his last communion before leaving for Sudan. Gordon’s School Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright said: “Bishop Andrew was a good friend of our school, generously sharing his kindness, warmth, humility and wisdom not forgetting his excellent sermons!

We will miss him greatly”

The strict training schedule all added up for Head of Maths Mark Eaden, who finished yesterday’s TCS London Marathon in four hours, 23 minutes and five seconds! Mr Eaden ran the World Marathon Major, for the charity Battersea Cats and Dogs, in temperatures of 19 degrees, saying afterwards “It was very tough in the heat out there!” Congratulations Mr Eaden!

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ACHIEVEMENTS

ACADEMIC

FOOTBALL

NETBALL

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

H Self - Selected for Surrey Under 14, 2026 First XI - Billie Nevill League Winners, 2026 First XI - Last Eight of London School ISFA Cup, 2026 Second XI - Billie Nevill League Winners, 2026

J Akrasi – England U19 – London Pulse NXT Gen, 2026 A Dale Smith – England U17 Captain – European Champion – London Mavericks U17 Captain, 2026 L Boden – Scotland U19 – London Pulse Power U19, 2026 E Brownleader – Northern Ireland U19, 2026 F Morrison – London Pulse Power U19, 2026 J Robson – London Pulse Power U17 Vice Captain, 2026 S Redding – London Mavericks U17, 2026 E Garner – London Mavericks PDP, 2026 E Cameron – London Mavericks PDP, 2026 P Miller – U13 Surrey County, 2026 1st VII Team - London and Southeast Champions, 2026 1st VII Team - England Netball’s National Finalists – fifth place finish, 2026 1st VII Team - Independent Schools League Finalists, 2026 1st VII Team - SnS National Cup Finalists, 2026 1st VII Team - Independent Schools’ Cup Semi-Finalists, 2026 U16A Team - Gordon’s U16 Invitational Champions, 2026 U16A Team - County Finalists, 2026 U15A Team - Retained the Duchess of Gloucester Cup, 2026 U12A and B Teams - District Champions, 2026 U13A Team - District Champions, 2026 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

BADMINTON S Devapragasam - Surrey County and Swifts Junior Badminton Club, 2025 COOKERY M Spink - Winner of the Regional Final of the Springboard Future Chef competition, 2025 CRICKET W Wright - Selected for Middlesex County Cricket Club’s Elite Player Group, 2026 I Moors - Selected for Berkshire U18 cricket squad, 2026 A Shaw-Hales - Captained the Guildford Hub, the winning side, in the 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 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

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ACHIEVEMENTS

GOLF Z Mathews - British Schools ISGA Individual Scratch National Champion, 2026 H McCarthy - British Schools ISGA Individual Scratch National Champion Runner-Up, 2026 B Lovell - Individual Scratch ISGA HG Trophy Champion, 2026 Golf Team - U18 National Foursomes Quarter Finalists, 2026 Golf Team - U18 British Schools and Colleges National Pairs Champions, 2026 J Summerfield - U18 Daily Mail World Junior Champion, 2025 HOCKEY A Clark – National League Caps with Guildford HC, 2026 J Dickinson – National League Caps with Guildford HC, England Hockey DiSE Programme, England Hockey Talent Academy, 2026 M Ferdinando – National League Caps with Guildford HC, 2026 P Schollick – National League Caps with Guildford HC, England Hockey Talent Academy, U16 National Finalist, 2026 C Sutton – National League Caps with Old Georgians HC, 2026 S Mathur – England Hockey Talent Academy, 2026 M Haarhoff – England Hockey Talent Academy, 2026 L Duffy – Selected for Surrey Squad, 2026 C Falconer – Represented Scotland at U21 World Cup, 2026 Girls 1st XI – ISHC U19 National Plate Champions, 2026 Girls 1st XI – Tormead Invitational Champions, 2026 Girls 1st XI – Lord Wandsworth Super 7s Champions, 2026 Girls 1st XI – Spring League Finalists, 2026 U16A – Regional Runners up, 2026 U14A – State School Regional Runners up, 2026 U14B – Notre Dame Invitational Winners, 2026 U13A – Lord Wandsworth Super 7s Champions, 2026 U12A – SnS National Finalists, 2026 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

RUGBY K Mocetuba - Selected for England Roses Player Development Group, 2026 J Morgan – Selected for Harlequins U18 team. Awarded Academy contract with Harlequins, 2026 S Smith - Selected for Harlequins U18 team, 2026 M Leybourne – Selected for Harlequins U18 team, 2026 J Thompson – Selected for Harlequins U18 and U19 teams, 2026 N Boyden – Selected for Harlequins U19 team, 2026 J Fleming – Selected for Harlequins U18 team, 2026 L Elsom – Selected for Harlequins U18 team, 2026 V Gill – Selected for Harlequins U17 and U18 teams, 2026 C Quinnell – Selected for Harlequins U17 and U18 teams, 2026 J Evans – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 W Wright – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 K O’Connor – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 J Osment – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 J Harel – Selected for Harlequins U17 and Surrey U17 teams, 2026

W Black – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 A Gibbons – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 J Backshall – Selected for Harlequins U17 team, 2026 W Miscampbell – Selected for Middlesex U18 and London & South East U18, 2026 L Wilding – Selected for Surrey U17 team, 2026 I Prosser – Selected for Surrey U18 team, 2026 C Mahmood – Selected for Surrey U16 team, 2026 S Rafemoyo – Selected for Surrey U16 team, 2026 Rugby 10s - Cup Semi Finalists Seaford College 10s Tournament, 2026 Rugby 7s Plate Semi Finalists at the U18 Boys Rosslyn Park National Schools Tournament, 2026 Cup Quarter Finalists at the U18 Boys Gordon’s 7s Invitational Tournament, 2026 Shield Winners at the U18 Boys Middlesex 7s Tournament, 2026 Vase Runners Up at the U18 Hurst 7s Tournament, 2026 Runners Up at the U18 Girls Gordon’s 7s Invitational Tournament, 2026 Plate Winners at the U18 Girls Surrey 7s Tournament, 2026 Plate Semi Finalists at the U16 Boys Gordon’s 7s Invitational Tournament, 2026 Cup Winners at the U16 Girls Surrey 7s Tournament, 2026 Plate Winners at the U14 Rosslyn Park National Schools Tournament, 2026 Plate Winners at the U14 Boys Surrey 7s Tournament, 2026 Plate Runners Up at the U14 Boys QE Barnet 7s Tournament, 2026 Cup Runners Up at the U13 Boys Shrewsbury House Rugby Festival, 2026 Winners at the U13 Boys Lord Wandsworth College Tournament, 2026 Rugby 15s - Third Place RFU ACE League, 2025 TENNIS H Wright - Byfleet LTC Junior Club Champion and Men’s Runner Up, 2026 H Wright - Multiple LTA Grade 3 wins and finals including Sutton and Tunbridge Wells, 2026 H Wright - Grade 3 LTA U18 Sutton Tennis Academy Autumn Tournament, 2025 WAKEBOARDING M O’Toole - First UK rider to land a double back roll on a wakeboard behind a boat on a lake in the UK - 2026

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Team Gordon’s completed the Army Ten Tors 35 mile challenge in 18 hours and nine minutes. The team of six had trained since Christmas for what is the ultimate fitness and orienteering event, taking them across Dartmoor from Okehampton.

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