Semper Fidelis Edition 5

Edition 5

SEMPER FIDELIS SONGS, DANCES AND MAGIC Two Classic Children’s Productions Wow Audiences

4. PIPES, DRUMS AND PARADES 10. AROUND THE HOUSES 28. CCF AND DOFE 34. CO-CURRICULAR 38. CREATIVE ARTS 44. CHARITY AND COMMUNITY 48. EVENTS 58. SIXTH FORM 66. SPORTS 78. INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION 80. STAFF NEWS 84. GORDONIANS 86. ACHIEVEMENTS

Foggy football game but somehow our U13s managed to find the goal (four times!) in their away match against City of London Freemen’s in January.

A RETURN TO WHITEHALL

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ordon’s School returned to Whitehall in January for the annual Parade in memory of General Charles Gordon in whose honour the school was founded.

The Parade, along one of London’s most iconic streets, was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, for the first time in living memory.

But the 200 students together with the Pipes and Drums, which brought traffic to a standstill, more than made up for the missed event as they made their way along Whitehall to the General Gordon statue on the bank of the Thames.

As the national memorial to General Gordon, the school is the only one in the country permitted to march along the central London venue, and commemorating General Gordon’s life has been an integral part of the School’s history.

Dressed in their ceremonial Blues uniform, after marching along Whitehall and past the Cenotaph, students arrived at the statue of General Gordon at the Victoria Embankment Gardens. There they took part in a Memorial Service led by the School Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright, to commemorate the death of the Christian, soldier, hero and philanthropist, General Charles George Gordon.

Bugler Ben Hallett sounded the Last Post and wreaths were laid at the foot of the statue by Head Boy Scott Ross and representatives of the Gordon family and Gordonians. The Lament was played by the Pipe Major Matthew Carter.

The Whitehall Parade was followed the next day by the annual Gordon Memorial Service in Guildford Cathedral, attended by students and staff. The service was led by the Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford, and the Reverend Denis Robinson, former Chaplain of Gordon’s delivered the annual Gordon Sermon.

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The Pipes and Drums began the annual Whitehall Parade by playing ‘The Spirit of Gordon’, a piece of music composed during Lockdown by four students. The title for the six bar melody was chosen after an appeal on social media for suggestions.

The Spirit of Gordon was picked as it evokes the man as much as the school.

PIPES, DRUMS AND PARADES Parents, students and staff of Gordon’s School gather around the statue of General Gordon in Victoria Embankment Gardens for the wreath-laying ceremony. The Service was led by the School Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright with Pipe Major Matthew Carter playing The Lament and Ben Hallett The Reveille and Last Post.

The Reverend Graham Wright, Gordon’s School Chaplain, leading the Service as part of the Gordon wreath-laying ceremony.

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Stopping the traffic in Whitehall Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums followed by students in Years 9 and 11 make their way along the iconic London street to the statue of General Gordon in Victoria Embankment Gardens.

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Three Gordon’s School Chaplains were in Guildford Cathedral for the Memorial Service.

They are (left to right): The Reverend Graham Wright, current School Chaplain; The Reverend Sarah Norbron, who retired as School Chaplain in July last year; and The Reverend Denis Robinson, who delivered the Gordon Sermon.

Pipe Major Matthew Carter played The Lament ‘Flowers of the Forest’ in Guildford Cathedral during the Gordon Memorial Service.

Students and staff fill Guildford Cathedral for the Gordon Memorial Service, led by The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford Cathedral.

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80 ANNIVERSARY CONCERT IN THE SPIRIT OF GORDON TH

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n February, in the warm lit Chapel of St Edward the Confessor, the Pipes and Drums held their 80th anniversary celebration Concert.

Starting off the evening, a small group played ‘The Spirit of Gordon’ which was composed by four students in the Pipes and Drums during the national Lockdown in 2020. A range of group and solo performances followed, including performances from our invited guests: The Sevenoaks Trio; The Scots Guards Association Pipes and Drums South; The City of London Pipe Band; Pipe Major Roger Huth; Solo Piping Judge Roddy Livingstone; and the Highland Dancing display from the Esslemonts.

A wonderful touch to the evening was the 8

connections that the invited guests had with the School. In the late 1970s and into the early 1990s, when the Guards Depot and the Piping School were located in Pirbright, pipers and drummers from Gordon’s were sent to the Piping School to receive tuition from leading Army pipers and drummers of the time, most notably, under the instruction of Pipe Major Linden Ingram and latterly Pipe Major Roger Huth. Sometimes they would come to Gordon’s to give tuition. We were therefore very pleased to have the Association Band there to give a performance, of which Pipe Major Linden Ingram is currently a member.

Recently established in 2016, the City of London Pipe Band, Grade 2, rehearse once a month at Gordon’s in the Band Room on a Sunday.

Solo Piping Judge Roddy Livingstone has been the adjudicator of several competitions that students have taken part in and was the judge of the online Independent Schools’ Solo Piping Competition that Gordon’s hosted for the first time in conjunction with Radley College. Pipe

Major Roger Huth used to teach in Period 7 back in the 1990s and 2000s, and it was very special to have the Band there to celebrate our anniversary.

A range of music was played, from slow airs, to jigs and reels, Strathspeys and Hornpipes, Piobaireachd and a fairly contemporary, layered texture tune called ‘Steam Train to Mallaig’.

Mention should be made of our Highland Dancers who learnt the Highland Fling in only three weeks and put on a great performance.

Two of our students gave solo performances of a very high standard. It was wonderful to see the Sword Dance and Seann Triubhas performed by the Esslemonts. One of the students giving a solo performance had a technical problem, but it didn’t faze him and he picked up and carried on in true Gordon’s fashion.

Our Finale saw all performers create an avenue from the door of the Chapel to the Parade Square, for members of the audience to walk through, serenaded under the moonlit sky.

Members of the audience have since informed

us that the Finale was very emotional, making it an evening they will always remember.

The Concert was held in aid of Fight for Sight, of which one of our students is an Ambassador, and also SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity which supports our Forces community, many of our students being the children of those serving in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. We were delighted that ticket sales, bar sales and donations given on the night made £614 for each charity. A great success all round.

If #bleedgreen were ever evident, it was the evening of the Pipes and Drums Concert: commitment, diligence, resilience and enthusiasm shown from students in the rehearsals running up to the Concert; a performance that epitomised pride and hard work; upholding tradition whilst looking to the future; and giving back to our community and raising awareness and funds for charity.

Major-General General Charles George Gordon would have been proud.

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AROUND THE HOUSES

AUGUSTA HOUSE: PARTIES, PANCAKES AND WELLY WANGING

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e began the year with a number of COVID restrictions still in place and although we continued to test twice-weekly, and had a number of positive cases, we still managed to go ahead with as many of our planned weekend activities as possible. Highlights included the onsite parties for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s, when the Rec was decorated by a professional company on each occasion and our resident DJ Belloz entertained us into the night.

Themed food was catered for and the whole boarding community came together, dressing up for each occasion.

The Olympics Sports Activity was great fun and included various bonkers games such as a giant inflatable sausage race; welly wanging; caterpillar run; giant egg ‘n’ spoon race; chicken run relay; superhero sack race; hula hoop chain; beanbag balance; donkey derby; tug of war and more! The highlight was watching the staff race against each other on inflatable unicorns and falling flat on their faces!

The pancake race which took part on the Friday after Shrove Tuesday was a great success and an activity that I am sure will become an annual event.

Mr Webb (Sandringham Houseparent) made a purpose-built trophy for the 10

race which was won by Balmoral on this occasion. We will endeavour to practise our pancake flipping in preparation for next year’s event!

In House we have continued to work on improving the common areas with new décor in the Sixth Form House focusing on a tropical theme. The front garden also had an overhaul at the end of last year and new furniture, plants and lighting has made it a valuable social space for the girls and their friends. New card games have become very popular with ‘Dobble’ now being a House favourite, becoming very competitive on occasion.

Despite the challenges the girls have faced over the past few years and the uncertainty as to whether their exams would go ahead, the decision to hold the end-of-year exams has been a relief for some. For many these will be their first official exams and we have been incredibly proud of the resilience and dedication the girls have shown towards their studies – we wish them every success and hope that they achieve the grades that they deserve come results day.

David and Angela Mathews Augusta House Parents

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BALMORAL HOUSE: KRISPY KREMES AND CHRISTMAS JUMPERS

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nother busy term for all in Balmoral, starting with a great fundraising effort on our Krispy Kreme doughnut stall at the GSPA Christmas Fair!

You can always rely on the Balmoral boys when it comes to getting into the Christmas spirit, and they didn’t disappoint at the Christmas dinners, all dressed up in their Santa hats and Christmas jumpers. The catering team did a fantastic job and we were well and truly spoilt with the delicious Christmas treats! The fun and games didn’t stop at the House Christmas party, with karaoke and a quiz led by some of our Sixth Form boys.

It was joint third place for Inter-House Touch Rugby for Balmoral on a cold Saturday morning in December, followed by our Grad Quiz involving hot chocolate and marshmallows and

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followed by outdoor carols to warm us up and keep us in the Christmas spirit!

On our first weekend back in boarding in 2022, there was an international cuisine (in the form of various take-aways from local businesses). It was a touch of tapas, with one boarder heard saying ‘Well, I’ve never had an Indian, Chinese, KFC, pizza and kebab all on one plate before!’

Having missed many occasions over the last year or so due to Covid, it was wonderful to get back to Whitehall this year, and the boys did us proud. We have also been able to have more socials. The Y8’s had a great time at Gravity Force with Mr Heathcote, and all boarders enjoyed the Valentine’s Disco here in the Rec, and not forgetting the life skills’ Sunday session, learning how to make a Yorkshire Pudding in the cookery classroom!

The Sixth Form Balmoral boys now have another stands proud in the entrance hall and pancakes recipe up their sleeves for uni life! were obviously enjoyed all round to help celebrate after Exeat!

Many laughs were had at the Winter Olympics on-site activity in February, including a tug Food seems to be a constant theme in Balmoral, of war. Who knew how hard it was to bounce and we were really proud of Seyi and Ed gaining an inflatable pony across the school astro! third place in the Inter-House Rustle Up and not Teamwork was the clue and our Y10’s in forgetting our Y11 and Y9 wins for Inter-House particular shone through at this fun activity.

Football... a great way to finish the Spring Term (they were treated to pizza for the big wins!).

A big shout-out to our Y9s who have been working hard for their DofE volunteering by We look forward to more nights around the fire heading down to the local churchyard, clearing pit, having purchased a second fire pit over the the graves of weeds and autumn leaves. They Easter break. We love sitting in the Balmoral were thrilled to see their hard work paying off garden of an evening, with treats around the with all the spring bulbs coming through. fire and tunes to help us all relax after busy days here in school. Here’s to the summer Balmoral’s biggest and most important success nights and lighter evenings, and more Balmoral so far….the Inter-House Pancake Race! It was family fun! great to see the House come together in the most competitive race of the year! Our trophy Danielle Heathcote, Balmoral House Parent 13

BUCKINGHAM HOUSE: WATCH OUT LEWIS HAMILTON!

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nce again, Buckingham boys have competed in a wide range of sporting and non-sporting activities in their quest for the ultimate glory of winning. Congratulations to all the boys for their efforts and enthusiasm displayed throughout the Inter-House competitions. Events included Orienteering, Hockey, Football, Maths, Art, Baking, Shooting, Drama and Debating. We have been extremely successful but it remains to be seen whether we will get our hands on one of the treasured cups at the end of the year!

Thanks to all the House staff who have helped nurture, encourage, coach, support and photograph the students. We know the boys enjoy taking part, and they certainly appreciate the pizza and chocolate treats they earn for participating in Inter-House events.

Sixth Form students enjoyed their trip to Top Golf last term, and well done to those talented boys who hit the back net and won themselves free milkshakes from the venue.

Years 9, 10 and 11 had an equally exciting outing to the Go Karting circuit in Farnborough. Watch out Lewis Hamilton as there’s some serious competition from Buckingham hot on your heels!

The boys have munched their way through masses of tuck this year, with dedication and commitment and all in the name of charity. The profits from these sales mean we were very pleased to be able to donate £325 to the Red Cross Appeal for Ukraine.

Great work boys!

On the occasion of General Gordon’s Memorial Weekend in January, it was great to be able to take students from Year 11 and Year 9 to march in Whitehall, after an absence of a year. The students looked fantastic in their Blues uniforms and showed exemplary behaviour and marching skills, which were much appreciated by the spectating Londoners and tourists!

Our House tortoises, DJ and Spud, are now enjoying being outside much more during the warmer months, but were pleased to spend their half-term holidays as guests of some of the Year 7 boys and their families. They are a great source of intrigue and entertainment in the House. Who knew that tortoises could have so much energy and personality?

Jamie Sinclair, Head of Buckingham House

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CHINA HOUSE: ACTIONPACKED FROM BOOKS TO ICE SKATING

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ust one phrase to describe China House – action-packed! In the lead up to Christmas there were parties, quizzes, cake decorating and Just Dance, together with the festive fayre conjured up by the catering team for all year groups. The new year and new school term started in the same vein!

Of course, the term has been peppered throughout by Inter-House events, and while the girls have fought valiantly and with great enthusiasm and resilience, China has remained in second place on the leaderboard, narrowly edged out of the top spot by Victoria.

In the 14-day Readathon however, there was no contest for the China girls, who proved themselves to be the ultimate bookworms! The sponsored read for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 saw not only books being devoured but money raised for the Read for Good Charity.

Inter-House Drama also saw a win for China and in the Winter Art Competition, Alex’s snowy Nordic theme with cosy cottage proved the ultimate picture.

The girls taking part in the Memorial Weekend were professional to the end, looking their smartest and marching with aplomb.

It was very special to be back in Whitehall again after a year’s absence and it was a great start to a hopefully COVID-free term. Leading the Parade was Drum Major Rose Roberts, who we were delighted to learn has become an Ambassador for the House charity Fight for Sight. Rose will be involved in community outreach work for the charity.

We have also welcomed another China girl as Head Girl. Evie began her year-long duties in January and is already proving to a valuable asset to the student leadership team as well as the House.

Our House trip was to the Spectrum in Guildford for ice-skating disco! Not for the fainthearted, but we all had the best of fun.

At the end of the Spring Half Term we said goodbye to Heather Pavis, Head of House for the past eight years and I was welcomed as the new Head of House.

It is wonderful to be part of such a warm, vibrant House which is always so full of energy and it has been great fun getting to know the girls.

Heidi Doe, Head of China House

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GRAVESEND HOUSE: WINS IN CHESS, MATHS AND SOME EXCELLENT PROGRESS REPORTS

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he last few months have been jam-packed with many highlights. Over the Christmas period, the boys enjoyed an excellent festive meal followed by by some fun games and activities in the House, including Pictionary and a treasure hunt. This has also been a very busy period for the students in Years 11 and 13 as they have had two sets of mock exams to contend with. The boys have been focussed and have taken these examinations in their stride and we all wish them all well for their forthcoming ones in the summer. It has also been very pleasing to see how many of the Gravesend boys have achieved excellent progress reports this year, highlighting the great work that the boys are doing.

numerous parades and practices.

Good luck to our new team – your efforts and enthusiasm will be much appreciated. Congratulations also must go to Callum who was appointed Head Boy. This is a superb achievement and one with which everyone in Gravesend House is proud to be associated.

Finally, there have been an unprecedented range of InterHouse competitions this term, from drama and debating to orienteering and football.

The variety of activities has given many boys in the House an opportunity to represent Gravesend outside of the traditional team sports. Following on from the success of Gravesend House in the Inter-House Chess Competition, our team of top ‘Matheletes’ consisting Alex, Fraser, Bayan and Sam won the Maths Challenge.

The Spring Term has seen a change in the senior positions of responsibility in the House. Thank you to our out-going team, with a special mention to Liam, who gave Gary Knight Head of Gravesend House up his time over the past year at

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KENSINGTON HOUSE

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he end of the Autumn Term culminated in wonderful celebrations for Christmas which for Kensington House included running a Christmas Grotto at the Gordon’s Christmas Fayre, House parties, Christmas dinners and a House trip to Gravity Force before we broke up.

However it wasn’t just all about us and in their final task as Charity House Prefects Maria Hudson and Ann Robinson in Year 13 led the girls in supporting our chosen House Charity: ‘Your Sanctuary’, a Surrey based charity for survivors of Domestic Abuse. Each year group brought in items for a Christmas Box for six families in need, which the girls delivered on the last day of term.

By early January Covid seemed to be taking a long awaited backward step, so we were pleased to return to a familiar and traditional Spring Term. As is usual in the New Year after

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the Gordon Memorial weekend in January our Year 13 Prefects stood down as House Prefects.

To thank them we enjoyed a pizza evening, inviting Kishaana Vijayakumar and Olivia Hill, as House Captain and Sergeant, and Evie Kircher and Naomi Chaffe as joint Student Heads of House.

Year 12 students took over their duties with aplomb with Mamie Griffiths and Connie Carr leading us in their first parade as House Captain and Sergeant in February. Our new Student Head of House, Lauren Kaye, was kept busy visiting House meetings to talk about the decisions made at Boarders’ Council. Thanks to the Kensington girls’ continuing efforts and team work we have enjoyed Spring Term success across Inter-House competitions notably Football and Key Stage 3 Debating, which was won by Kate Brazendale and Aadya Goswami in

Year 8. Good news continued early on our return in January when Zoe Chedd in Year 7 qualified for the final of the British National Schools’ Rifle Championships.

It was also in January that the ILM Level 2 Leadership and Team Skills certificates were presented to our Year 11 Kensington girls: Elizabeth Bailey, Haley Fuller and Alice Kermeen.

Many of the girls also contributed to the successful school production of Beauty and the Beast, whether it was behind the scenes or on the stage, including Molly Campbell who was outstanding in the lead, as were her fellow creative stars: Elsie Pinder, Ciara Meaney, Alice Kermeen, Charlotte Franklin and Jasmine Young.

North West Surrey Indoor Cricket Tournament.

In February Year 12 student Jasmine Young started a Period 7 sewing club for younger girls in the House; this new initiative has been very popular with Year 8 girls. The Spring Term ended in the same way as the previous Autumn Term, with pizza evenings for all the girls, and at last we enjoyed the welcome return of parents to socialise in the House when they were able to join us for drinks after the March Parade.

We were sorry to say goodbye to Mrs Jordan, one of our House Assistants, who left at the end of term for a promotion to a post in an independent school. The girls gave her gifts and shared a treat in an after-school get together at the end of term. We wish her every success and look forward to seeing her back visiting soon.

Our Under 15 cricket girls: Abi Shaw Hales, Anna Unsworth, Immie Spink and Izzy Moors were part of the School team which became champions of the Kate Connery, Kensington Head of House

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KHARTOUM HOUSE

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here is always something going on in Khartoum. A constant buzz of activity with the boys making the most of every opportunity. This is reflected in the Inter-House sports results and effort grades and the way in which each and every boy contributes to life in the House.

Khartoum currently dominates the Inter-House Sports table, having won cross-country, rowing and rugby, and with second place’s in hockey and orienteering.

A third of those taking part in the Ten Tors challenge have been picked from Khartoum, which for the four boys has meant preparing for the event for the past six months with early morning training three times a week.

We continue to support CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) through tuck sales and charity events. In addition, we donated £1,500 to supporting the people of Ukraine.

As a House, we have enjoyed In-House quizzes, charades and regular D-Days It is testament to the sportsmanship, (donut days for marching well!). There comradeship and leadership of the boys has been an enthusiastic response from that James Gibson and Ben Shorter Year 10 to painting their common room gave up their time to coach the younger in a pizza and painting evening. years for Inter-House rowing.

In September I will be handing over With Longmoor, athletics and tugthe reigns of Khartoum to Jonathan of-war still to come, we are quietly Griffiths so I can concentrate on rugby confident of regaining the Headmaster’s at Gordon’s. Over the past four years, Sports Cup! in an ever-challenging environment, we have had to be bolder and more A number of individuals have also creative than ever before. Individual and excelled in sport with Oliver Roberts House achievements over these years taking first place in the Southern illustrate the boys’ efforts to ensure Region and third in the nationals for Khartoum is in a good space and will dry skiing. Marcus Hibbins represented continue to grow and achieve.

Surrey in cross country and Tom Golder’s perseverance on the rugby Serving as Head of Khartoum has been pitch resulted in a place to join the the honour of a lifetime and now it’s on Wales squad for the Six Nations to the next adventure for us all.

U18s and a training place with the To all my colleagues, friends and family, Harlequins’ Senior Squad! thank you for making the last four We were also delighted that Alfie years special beyond words.

Cornwall was selected as Deputy Head Boy for the school and know he will be Chris Davies, Head of Khartoum House an inspirational leader. He continues to reign supreme in the school for the number of stamps he achieves each term, illustrating both hard work and consistent effort.

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SANDRINGHAM HOUSE: REFLECTING WITH JOY WITH MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO

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s we approach the final weeks of term we can take much joy in reflecting on the past few months. Despite COVID still hanging around like an unwanted aunt at Christmas, we’ve squeezed as much in as possible and have carried out more lateral flows than we care to remember!

Highlights of the last couple of months include a brilliant Christmas boarders’ lunch complete with Christmas carols on the Parade Square. We’ve enjoyed the Valentine’s disco with DJ Belloz in charge of the smooch tunes complete with amazing food catered by our brilliant catering department. Trip highlights include Winchester Christmas market, Cadbury World, Bracknell, and a private hire of Guildford spectrum swimming pools!

Despite Covid our boys in Year 13 have secured offers to universities of their choice which is a phenomenal achievement considering the disrupted learning they have all endured over the past two years, and all that’s left to do is actually sit the exams!

We’ve made changes to the House and finalised the garden, and look forward to the first phase of our refurbishment that begins in House in the Summer holidays this year. As we head into the Summer Term we are also especially looking forward to hosting Annual for the first time in three years. We have a lot to celebrate!!

Tom and Nathalie Webb, Sandringham House Parents

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VICTORIA HOUSE: SWEETPONG AND CUPCAKES

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s always, the end of the Autumn Term was filled with celebrations. We hosted House parties for each year group which saw the girls play sweetpong, test their knowledge in a Christmas quiz and show off their skills with cupcake decorating.

Following a well-deserved Christmas break, the girls returned to a fun-packed and exciting Spring Term! Inter-House competitions, mock exams and House trips have certainly kept us busy. We visited Gravity Force, went ice skating and did an Escape Room and it’s been brilliant to watch the girls socialise outside of school.

confidence with their marching skills and we are super proud of our new House Captain Sophie, House Sergeant Mimi, Drill Sergeant Libby and School Sergeant Major Isabelle, helping to make sure the girls look amazing on Parade days.

We also welcomed to the House Miss Try and Miss Radley as new House Tutors and together with Mrs Suarez, Mrs Gibson and Miss Woodley, we truly have a wonderful team of House Tutors supporting and helping the girls make the most of their time at Gordon’s.

The girls never cease to impress and make us proud with their enthusiasm and diligence.

In House, we celebrated Pancake Day, held our They have continued with their sporting and annual Intra-House Football competition and performing arts successes, finishing in first highlighted Mental Health week with a series of place in the Inter-House Debating, Christmas daily activities linked to the Gordon’s boarding Cake Decorating, Cross-Country, Football, aims, whilst our Y7 girls have continued getting Rowing, Orienteering and Shooting, and second to know each other better with weekly fun team place in the Arts and Drama competitions. challenges.

With hope of sunshine, exam success and Some of our Y11 and Y12 girls have taken on enjoyable end of year celebrations, we are ready roles and responsibilities in House and they are for the Summer Term to fly by! doing a great job supporting the House staff whilst gaining Honours Programme points. With Marie Jones, Victoria Head of House each Parade, we see our Y7 and Y8 girls grow in 23

WINDSOR HOUSE: TEAM WINDSOR LIGHTS UP THE LIGHTHOUSE

memorable this year with chocolate spread eaten by the ton, and the week ended with the ultimate pancake race against the other Residential Boarding Houses – something we hope will become an annual event in the school calendar!

In House meetings this term, we have been focusing on Art Costa’s Habits of Mind, Growth Mindset and the Learning Pit. The Habits of Mind and Growth Mindset have helped our students ecember was, as always, an enjoyable to focus on positive learning dispositions and month in Windsor House. We held our House the Learning Pit has allowed them to consider Christmas party that consisted of silly games, their individual learning journey. As part of our lots of food and a Christmas-themed photo Thinking Schools drive in House, we have also booth. Christmas dinners went ahead and our been completing Motivational Maps with some girls enjoyed the feast made by our incredible students, enabling them to see what motivates catering team. them and set themselves effective learning goals.

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We continued to lateral flow test in-House twice a week; the girls were always happy to help us make up the testing kits and, once again, reminded us of the kindness and team spirit that is so apparent in the House. Our parents helped us to collect for our House charity and we were able to deliver bundles of goodies to the Lighthouse in Woking for their Christmas Kindness Project.

Before we knew it, 2022 was upon us and we all looked forward to an exciting year ahead.

Memorial Weekend was a tremendous success and we were extremely proud of our girls who marched and played in the band for the Whitehall Parade. Parade morning is always such a special time in House and it is great to see all of our girls helping each other to get ready.

We have participated in many Inter-House competitions this term where the girls have shown a great deal of commitment and dedication to Team Windsor. These have included Inter-House Art, Orienteering, Drama, Shooting and Football. We have also had some fun trips and events this term as part of our weekend programme of activities.

The Winter Olympics activity, regular visits from the ice-cream van and visit to Cadbury World were highlights and we look forward to more trips in the Summer Term. Pancake Day was 24

Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have continued to impress us this term with their conscientious and diligent approach to their mock examinations.

We look forward to supporting them over the coming months as they prepare for their final examinations in the summer. We are so proud of all our Windsor students and look forward enjoying more time with them all.

Dan and Gemma Aukett, Windsor House Parents

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WOOLWICH HOUSE: CONSCIENTIOUS, GENEROUS, ENTHUSIASTIC!

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his term has seen Woolwich connecting on an unprecedented level. The students have been both conscientious and generous in raising money for the crisis in Ukraine, not only with mufti-day but with their own donations, over £100, towards medicines and toiletries for those affected by the conflict. In addition, they have taken on Challenge31, committing to anything from abstinence from sugar to 200 situps per day, raising £200+ for The Lucy Rayner Foundation.

In the classroom the students have also been performing and have accumulated 1,700 good comments so far in this academic year! Special mention goes to Nathanial Teeton who has the highest effort grade average in his year group.

Amongst all the other awards for acts of kindness and character, another tip of the cap goes to Aidan and Kyra, both of whom were awarded player of the tournament in Inter-House football.

In addition to the diligence and integrity they have shown, the Woolwich students have not been found wanting in enthusiasm. Most have participated in our weekend trips to Cadbury World, Winter Olympics and the Valentine’s Disco.

A busy term for a group of students who go from strength the strength.

Finally, we would like to thank Miss Mialkowski, who sadly left us at the end of the Spring Term.

She has been a tirelessly positive, compassionate and committed House Assistant and we wish her all the best for her new adventure in Oxford. She will be missed.

Sam and Daisy Cooper, Woolwich House Parents 27

DOFE: BRONZE AND SILVER AWARDS Fine weather for the students making their way across the Surrey Hills for their practice weekend for their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The group of around 100 students in Year 9 set off from Newlands Corner with all the equipment and sustenance they would need for their overnight stay at the Bentley Copse campsite. The following day they returned to Newlands Corner.

In May the group undertook the final expedition.

CCF AND DOFE GOING FOR SILVER IN THE SURREY HILLS! A three-day practice in the Surrey Hills before their final expedition for these students chasing a Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The group set off from Newlands Corner, spending three days trekking and two nights camping at Bentley Copse and Sayers Croft.

In order to achieve this part of the award, they must carry all their food and camping equipment as well as emergency rations.

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THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

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warded the ACPS (Air Cadets Pilot Scholarship) by the RAF, Leonor Nunes spent 12 hours learning how to fly with an instructor at Tayside Aviation in Dundee.

For the 17-year old RAF Cadet, who is hoping to join the RAF after university and has also passed her CCF Instructional Technique Course, it was a dream come true.

“I have always wanted to fly”, enthused Leonor, who says she reacted to the news of the scholarship with “disbelief”. The Sixth Form student enrolled in the RAF section of the school’s CCF (Combined Cadet Force) two years ago as a compulsory co-curricular activity in Year 10 and continued on, becoming an Instructor Cadet for the school.

She recounted: “I had an amazing time and met a lot of incredible

like-minded people who also have hopes of flying in the future in the Air Force or commercially.

“I learnt a lot, not only on the practical side of flying - it’s an incredible feeling to be in the sky. I learned how to complete pre-flight checks and the theory behind flying.

I also learnt about the importance of always knowing where other planes are when flying a circuit and always listening to air traffic control. I also found my confidence improving as I continued the course, especially when talking on the radio.”

Sadly, due to the storms in Dundee, she was unable to complete her solo flight, but she urged others to apply for the scholarship, saying: “I hope more people from Gordon’s in the coming years have the chance to experience this amazing opportunity that was facilitated by the air cadets”.

The sky’s the limit for RAF Cadet Leonor Nunes.

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GLIDING: LITTLE RISSINGTON

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he opportunity to fly, not once but three times, was enjoyed by five of the school’s RAF Cadets, who went gliding at the Royal Air Force Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. A fantastic day out for Chantelle, Amelie, Pemba, Hannan and William, who all achieved their ‘Blue Wings’.

Leonor, Lily and Elizabeth passed the Cadet Instructor Course and were awarded the coveted yellow lanyard for their CCF Instructional Technique Course.

In the Part 1 Course, Pemba, Adam, Chantelle and Hannan all passed and were awarded their badges.

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CCF: NAVY Naval Cadets learned first-hand how to dismantle and reassemble field guns before competing against each other to carry out the exercise in the fastest possible time.

Seven students have been promoted to the rank of Junior Cadet. Their promotion was after the group carried out command tasks and showed leadership skills as well as performing well in a written examination.

Congratulations to Able Seamen Archie Blomfield, Harry Roles, Tara Cooper, Evie Bennett, Togis Tamang, Lewis Robinson, Gabe Wilkins.

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TEN TORS TEAMS BREAK RECORD Our Ten Tors teams not only achieved the 35-mile cross-country challenge but broke a school record in the process! The Year 10 students made the event in 17 hours - the best time in 24 years! Two teams of six from Gordon’s joined over two thousand students for the Army’s 60th Ten Tors event over two days.

Their participation was the culmination of months of early morning training to ensure they were at the peak of fitness. Misty conditions made their navigating skills even more important as they set off carrying all they needed to complete their route and stay out overnight safely.

Both teams reached checkpoint 7 on the Saturday evening meaning they had just three tors to conquer before the finish the next day.

First over the finish line was Gordon’s A Team at 11.24am with the B Team hot on their heels at 11.36am.

Congratulations to: Team A

Team B

Tom Allen (Capt)

Adam Mills (Capt)

Esme Evans

Rob Davidson

Nerys Tullet

Max Powick

Esther Griffiths

Charlie Chapman

Ned Hewson

Harry Roles

Felix Jackson

Rojhe Rowe

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CO-CURR HOUSES DRAW ON CREATIVITY FOR ART

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e were delighted to be able to take our Sixth Form Art and Photography students back into London to visit the Tate Galleries in December. Nothing can replace seeing artwork in the flesh!

Students enjoyed the day exploring a range of exhibitions and were inspired for the next phase of their coursework projects.

Inter-House Art 2022 was as competitive as ever, with the students showing excellent creativity with their responses to the theme, ‘A Digital Age’. It was great to have this back as a group effort after the virtual competition last year. The House teams collaborated effectively to create their entries.

Buckingham House took first place spot with their painting, with Artist Ruth Oakley writing the following: ‘I like the use of the trainer in the landscape to represent our contemporary digital world. The inclusion of the flower growing from the shoelace makes a small reference to nature. For the most part however, this is a barren landscape with clouds ominously digitalised and living things notably absent.’

Victoria House took second place with their sculpture, with China in third place with their pixelated portrait. We were impressed with how ambitious students were this year and hope this continues into 2023.

With the development of our co-curricular provisions, we now have specialist clubs throughout the week for students to improve and develop painting, drawing, printmaking and photography skills. With this, we have been able to involve the Painting Club students with a project run by the Lightbox, Woking called ‘Centrepiece’. Students attended a workshop in February at the Lightbox, to learn about this project and explore the artworks on display in current exhibitions.

They have come back to school with ambitious ideas for their collaborative piece for the Centrepiece Exhibition in the Summer. We look forward to seeing how this progresses over the coming months.

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RICULAR

NEW P7 ACTIVITIES Two new P7 activities have been added to the list of over 50, ensuring that there is something for everyone, every afternoon and Saturday morning. Along with the sport and physical activities, academic pursuits and creative, skateboarding is now on the list, and rock climbing!

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The opportunity to not only design, manufacture and programme a satellite, but launch it, as part of the European Space Agency CanSat Competition in York, was part of Gordon’s STEM Club. The Sixth Form students had to fit all the major subsystems found in a satellite into the volume and shape of a soft drinks can. Then it was just a matter of launching it, carrying out an experiment, achieving a safe landing and analysing the data. Great fun had by all!

Portraying the hard life of a confectioner in Victorian times earned James Taplin third place in the national BLT19 (19th century Business, Labour, Trade and Temperance) competition. The teenager depicted his life as a 24-year old who had inherited his father’s London shop and becomes famous after appearing on the front cover of the magazine ‘Baker and Confectioner’. His essay was submitted to the BLT Project run by Professor Andrew King at the University of Greenwich to understand the history of ‘work’ and the values associated with it.

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New to the ever-growing co-curricular activities list is Robotics Club. Using their engineering, programming and problemsolving skills and Lego Spike Robotics Kids kits, students are building and programming robots to complete increasingly complex tasks. So far their robots can successfully detect and react to their surroundings, collect objects and navigate mazes. In addition, students are able to celebrate their achievements with some singing and dancing!

SCIENCE CLUB

Weekly challenges for our Science Club students have included building the tallest tower with the materials on offer, including straws, and testing its strength with an earthquake simulator.

They have also made soap from the oil of orange peel, which they distilled in an extraction method.

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CREATIVE ARTS

THE ARTS AWARD

Commonly known as the DofE of the arts world, the Arts Award has grown substantially over the past eight years it has been running at Gordon’s. Now almost 100 students are taking part in either the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

The Arts Award is aimed at young students with an interest in Art, allowing them to grow not only their talents but also their leadership qualities.

Currently seven students in the Sixth Form are taking the Gold Award, which is equivalent to an AS Level and carries UCAS points. While extending their own arts practice, the students have been involved in leading an art project with children from the nearby primary school Holy Trinity, running an art exhibition at the Christmas Fayre and Print Making Workshops.

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Stunning colours and effects were created by students in Year 10 as they were introduced to silk painting by the renowned textile artist Andrew Wynne.

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MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

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ndividual and group performances have been much enjoyed by those in the audience and our performers!

While the whole department is currently working on contributions for the Summer Arts Evening, there are also informal concerts and exams to practise towards.

In addition, Lucy in Year 10 organised a fantastic Songs from the Shows evening as part of her Gold Arts Award.

Following on from their Carol Service performances (which involved over 70 students), Girls’ and Boys’ Choirs performed in the Dorking Halls to an audience of 700, and the Semper Fidelis Singers had a number of engagements including two Evensongs, a performance at Guildford Cathedral in May and a concert at the McLaren HQ in front of HRH Prince Edward. Our musicians enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Anvil in Basingstoke for a programme of Farrenc, Mendelssohn and Berlioz, as well as a trip to St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

We welcomed George Cook from the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain for choral workshops, and have introduced Year 7 to Samba. They have enjoyed marching around the school with assorted percussion instruments!

The Summer Term also saw a series of beatbox workshops by Danny Ladwa. Our two jazz bands enjoyed working with musicians from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and our composers benefited from hearing their pieces performed, thanks to our partnership with the Yehudi Menuhin School.

Stunning wintry scenes submitted for the school’s Winter Arts Competition with Alex (winner), Lewis (second) and Darcy and Kate (joint third place).

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We are super proud of our Year 13 student Abi who achieved her diploma in vocal performance from the London College of Music. She can now add DipLCM after her name! Congratulations too to Bei-Yee in Year 10 who has achieved ABRSM grade 8 on the piano with distinction!

Krishna, who has played the clarinet in the ‘Under the Arches Band’ since joining the school in Year 7, took the baton to conduct the band for the parades!

HRH Prince Edward speaks to members of the Semper Fidelis Singers after their performance at McLaren headquarters in Woking.

Rehearsing for a performance at a Sunday Parade.

Krishna swaps his clarinet for a baton

DJ and music production now a popular co-curricular activity.

Farewell to Christine Walker after 19 years of working at Gordon’s, first as a music teacher and latterly as school organist and music administrator. She was presented with a leaving gift by the school Bursar Susan Meikle in Chapel.

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DRAMA Not one but two children’s classics roared onto the stage at Gordon’s, straddling the Christmas holidays and within just one month of each other.

Both played to capacity audiences with the Lower School’s production based on Roald Dahl’s Matilda, proving that age is no reflection on professionalism.

All 23 in the cast wowed with their polished performances which featured not just songs but dances and of course magic.

Director Robbie Olden commended the cast and crew, saying “The cast were named and rehearsals began in September. There was real excitement about the show in that first rehearsal and that enthusiasm has remained throughout. We have never known a cast to be so focused, so keen to improve and to have so much fun in the process”.

Just a few weeks later and the curtains opened on the whole-school production of the Disney favourite Beauty and the Beast.

Terrifying, enchanting, colourful and macabre, for several of the cast leaving Gordon’s this year, the play was a triumphant swansong before they set their sights on drama school, with all agreeing that the rehearsals had been the best fun.

In March the Creative Arts Department hosted the school’s first ever ticketed Dance Showcase ‘Captivate’. For one night only, to a sell-out audience, students from across the school show-cased their own choreography as well as performing large group numbers which had been choreographed by their Dance coaches (ex-students Martha BanksThompson and Sophia Fifield).

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CHARITY AND GORDON’S HOUSE IN ZIMBABWE

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major three-year charity initiative was launched at Gordon’s, linking the school with the Camelthorn Foundation, a UK-based charity which supports global community and conservation projects including one based in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa.

The conservation charity helps communities mitigate damage to wildlife, prevents illegal use of wildlife and promotes community-based wildlife initiatives and education and socio-economic opportunities.

Gordon’s has a particular interest in supporting the education arm of the Camelthorn Foundation and the Ngamo Secondary School in Ngamo village, close to the world famous Hwange national park.

The school educates around 147 students from 13 years old to 16 years old from within a 50k radius.

With no public transport, the children must walk at least seven to ten kilometres every day to school, with some as far away as 20 kilometres. Their journey to school is arduous, and involves walking through thick Kalahari sand with the risk of encountering a lion or elephant on the way. So those living further afield - nine girls and six boys - are weekly boarding at school.

Boarders are expected to bring their weekly evening meals when they come to school on Monday mornings. They sleep in rudimentary facilities, which at present is on the floor of a teacher’s accommodation. They must cook their own evening meals and wash their clothes. While the school has some access to water, it does not have electricity or solar power.

Gordon’s has committed to changing that, and through fundraising, providing the money for a purpose-built boarding house as part of a longer-term project!

The initiative ties in with the School’s ethos of being a symbol of what can be achieved by a community united in making an outstanding contribution for the good of global society.

Camelthorn Foundation Trustee James Koch spoke to all year groups to launch the campaign.

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D COMMUNITY READ FOR GOOD

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novel fundraiser for students, to be sponsored for reading, was an absolute success story with a phenomenal £1,810.50 raised for ‘Read for Good’ charity, and an amazing 86,541 pages devoured by KS3 bookworms.

Twelve students read over 1,000 pages each in the 14-day readathon, which saw Years 7, 8 and 9 with their heads buried in their favourite books and reading to Sixth Form volunteers. China House topped the reading leaderboard with Buckingham in second place. The money raised for ‘Read for Good’ sent books and storytellers into hospitals to brighten up the days for sick children.

Current sleeping arrangements for boarders (above).

A Purpose built Gordon’s House for the boarders (below).

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GORDON’S REACHES FINALS IN NATIONAL AWARD

Two of the school’s Medical Centre nurses volunteered for duties at Frimley Park Hospital.

n recognition of their work in the community, particularly during lockdown, Gordon’s was selected as Finalists in the Goldsmiths’ Community Engagement Awards. The school, along with seven others from across the country, faced a team of judges at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London in November.

The Hockey Team raised over £1,200 for the NHS by setting themselves a running challenge!

Six students – Brayden Kerr, Noah Schollick;, Ann Robinson, Abigail Hunter-Blanco, Owen Carter and Uyime Ntia presented to Judges, including Judith Cobham-Lowe OBE, a Liveryman and former Prime Warden (equivalent to Chair) of the Goldsmiths’ Company. The judges described the school’s efforts as “inspirational” and noted that “….community engagement is in the DNA of the school”.

And Thursday night claps for the NHS and keyworkers became very much a Gordon’s affair for neighbours in West End, Surrey as students picked up their bagpipes to salute those on the frontline. The Prince family with four children – all of whom play or played the bagpipes – joined in with their instruments from their driveway, to the delight of near neighbours.

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The judges heard that as schools closed for lockdown in 2020, students and staff at Gordon’s joined the national effort. DT Teacher Tom Webb and his team made some 2,000 protective visors on the school’s 3-D printer for hospitals, care homes, supermarkets and GP surgeries. Sixth Form student Magnus Jackson continued the work, producing ear savers on his 3-D printer.

Edwin Sutton, the school’s Internal Fleet Manager and a former traffic policeman, delivered blood products and Covid-19 specimens. He also joined the London Ambulance Service as a driver.

Sixth Form student Toby Johnson collected deceased people from hospital morgues and homes in Surrey and Hampshire to take to undertakers.

Meanwhile staff in the Catering Department raided school tuck shops and kitchens for food and disposable gloves to donate to nearby food banks.

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And House Parents boosted morale with their Lockdown Live music events from the school.

Neighbours enjoyed a mixture of contemporary, swing and rock from their gardens while the rest of the world tuned in to listen via a Facebook livestream.

One Year 8 student produced around 30 cakes a week for ICU staff at St Peter’s in Woking. She also designed colourful images and motivational messages to decorate ambulances.

PILING ON THE KILOS AFTER CHRISTMAS FOR MENTAL HEALTH A perennial problem for some, putting on extra pounds after Christmas. But for Gordon’s Sixth Form student Jake Wright, his post-Christmas weight increased by 20 kilos! Jake started wearing a 20kg weighted vest on 1st January and continued until the end of the month in a bid to raise as much money as he could for the men’s mental health charity ManUp? The teenager, who wore the vest all the time, except when sleeping and showering, researched a number of charities before picking ManUp?, which aims to change minds about men’s mental health. Jake says the extra weight had caused him some pain in his calves, shoulders and lower back but “I wanted to put myself through something difficult because of what other guys are going through”. ManUp? Founder and CEO Dan Somers described the fundraising initiative as “genius”, adding: “It’s awesome to see a younger person do this”. To date, Jake has raised almost £1,400!

HELP FOR UKRAINE Thousands of items of clothing, food, toiletries, bed linen were donated as well as thousands of pounds were raised by students, families, staff and the local community for Ukraine.

The Dining Hall threw open its doors for donations on two occasions and over £5,000 was raised in generous donations through a Justgiving page. Individual Houses also held fundraising events to support the people of Ukraine.

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EVENTS

SPEED DATING WITH A DIFFERENCE!

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Guess the profession of the person in just a few minutes. This was the challenge set for Year 10, who interrogated guests from Disney to the Fire Service on what their jobs involve.

They are pictured with former Gordonian officer Julie West, a Senior Project Manager at Allianz.

A finalist in the Springboard FutureChef competition, Megan Brock competed against 11 others from across the country at Westminster Kingsway College in March, having made it through from local and regional heats.

The young chef had to prepare a delicious meal for four industry judges, which involved butchering a chicken and pan roasting it with potato rosti, spinach, butternut squash puree and a broad bean, tomato and tarragon sauce.

Celebrating learning through the World Scholar’s Cup, Gordon’s hosted the London round, and entered four teams of scholars. The competition featured a number of elements including the solving of multimedia challenges and analytic questions; collaborative writing; multiple choice; team debates and alpaca balancing! With a first place in the scholars round, debating and collaborative writing, Gordon’s students earned places in the Global Round in Dubai.

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GORDON’S TEACHERS TAKING THEIR EXPERTISE ACROSS THE WORLD

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eachers at Gordon’s School are set to partner with teachers in lower income countries across the world to support them and improve learning outcomes for the children in their schools.

The partnership with the Commonwealth Education Trust will initially see six Gordon’s teachers linked with 12 teachers from partner schools. They will meet virtually, using the Trust’s Teach2030 course as a basis for their own areas of focus as their partnerships develop.

During their INSET Day programme at the start of the Summer Term, Betty Abeng, CEO of the Commonwealth Education Trust, formerly known as the Commonwealth Institute, addressed teaching staff.

Ms Abeng, who is originally from Cameroon, spoke of learning poverty globally. According to the World Bank, learning poverty affects over 250 million children around the world, limiting their life chances. It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of children in low income countries remain unable to read and understand simple text by the age of ten.

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“I have been blessed with having a good education and at the forefront of my talk now is the teachers I met and everyone I encountered in my learning journey” she said. “We can build schools and send computers and ipads but the people who have the real impact are the teachers.”

The teachers from Gordon’s will be matched with those overseas, according to their strengths, subject areas and the age of the children they teach.

To date the Commonwealth Education Trust, which covers the Commonwealth’s 54 member countries, has reached 25,000 teachers in over 40 countries, benefitting a million students.

Gordon’s teachers will be in partnership with teachers in Tujatane, Zambia; Cameroon and Kenya. It was felt that having two teachers from the same school working together with one UK teacher would promote the learning partner process that Teach2030 emphasises, plus more opportunities to discuss key learning points in between mentor meetings.

We were delighted to welcome HRH Princess Eugenie and Julia de Boinville to our Insight Talk in April, in which they provided a fascinating look at their work with the Anti-Slavery Collective. The Anti-Slavery Collective was founded in 2017, with the aim of eradicating modern slavery for around 40 million people worldwide. Their work involves raising awareness of this unethical global practice and encouraging law enforcement agencies, policy makers, journalists, academics, NGOs, companies, individuals and survivors to collaborate and share ideas on the fight against human trafficking. The two of them are pictured with Gordon’s Headmaster Andrew Moss.

History with a truly international flavour as students from Gordon’s and America presented to each other in a trans-Atlantic Zoom on the American War of Independence. As well as engaging in some excellent debate with the Smith State School in Georgia, the students learned how each country viewed the reasons for defeat, the American tactics and leadership, foreign intervention and British failings. Head of History Anna Smith said afterwards: “Overall it was an excellent experience for our students and I was so impressed by the quality of their research and their attitude towards answering some quite tricky questions”.

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FUTURE LEADERS

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ordon’s students were among 24 who received awards from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

The students joined others from Woking High School and collaborated on the training, which is designed to develop leadership and management skills for a recognised qualification.

The ILM Level 2 Leadership and Team Skills certificates were presented to students from the two schools at an awards ceremony at Gordon’s, attended by the Headmaster of Gordon’s Andrew Moss and Woking High School’s Headteacher Maiken Walter.

Mr Moss described the group as the “next aspiring leaders” and said that the ethos behind the awards was “leading for a reason, not just for yourself but to try and serve other people”.

The opportunity to study leadership and management skills, leading to professional qualifications through the Institute of Leadership and Management has long been afforded to students and staff at both schools. So committed were Gordon’s and Woking High to the programme of leadership awards, that they became an approved centre in 2015.

Mr Moss explained: “We became an approved centre a few years ago, offering ILM courses to all our staff – both teaching and support. After seeing the benefits to staff we decided to extend the courses to Key Stage 4 and 5 students to enhance their profile for university applications and give them the edge when applying for apprenticeships”.

School leaders such as the Head Boy/Girl, their deputies and junior and senior prefects are usually encouraged to take part in the courses. But the programme is open to all.

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Those embarking on the courses are expected to take part in around five leadership workshops and training days and complete two written assignments. During the pandemic the workshops and training days were held over Zoom but as restrictions have eased, students are now back face to face.

MESSAGE ON DRUG USE

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ompelling messages on substance misuse were sent to students in Year 10 by Bob Tait of Drug Education UK, as part of the year group’s PSHE lessons. Mr Tait’s engaging presentation covered both legal and illegal drugs as well as experimentation and addiction.

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MUN AT GORDON’S

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ordon’s hosted its third Model United Nations Conference at the start of May, welcoming eight other schools from across the country for a full weekend of fantastic debate.

With five different committees including the Security Council, many different issues were discussed including ‘The Question of Lethal Autonomous Weapons’, ‘Question of the Iranian Nuclear Programme’, and ‘The Question of children impacted by the US border crisis/ question of Haiti refugees’.

The chairs who ran these debates came mostly from Gordon’s and did a fantastic job at hosting and facilitating. These students included Shayna Desai as Secretary General, Alistair Torrington, Harry Gordon, Niwa Limbu, Jason Cave, Isabelle Fleming, Bayan Muhsen, Emma Gray and former student Sophie Kluckow. There were also two external chairs who did an outstanding job at chairing the DISEC committee.

Over the course of the weekend 38 resolutions were approved, 21 debated, 14 passed in committees and two were passed in General Assembly.

For the evening’s events Samantha Job was the guest speaker, giving a fascinating talk on negotiation as well as her role in the UN and foreign diplomacy. It was a very inspiring talk that students were able to bring to the table the following day in committees and when trying to negotiate the crisis given to them.

During the action of the weekend, the dedicated press team were busy putting together a magazine on that day’s events which was published at the end of each day. A challenging task and the students rose to it, delivering amazing results.

All in all a very successful weekend which many students worked very hard towards. Roll on the next conference in 2024!

In March students represented Norway, Malaysia and Pakistan at Haileybury MUN 2022, the largest Model United Nations conference in the UK. This year’s theme was ‘a world for the future’, which sparked fruitful debate on the illicit arms trade, compulsory vaccination and space exploration. Special congratulations to Harry, representing Norway, who won ‘highly commended’ in the economic and social committee.

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ACADEMIC FRENCH ROUND UP

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t Gordon’s we believe that learning a language is so much more than learning vocabulary and grammar: it is about communication, cultural enrichment, learning about other’s cultures, traditions and beliefs. With this in mind wonderful opportunities have been created for students.

In February some Sixth Form and Y11s attended an authentic French gastronomic feast at La Cloche in Ascot. Students spoke French solidly for almost two hours and enjoyed some delicious dishes. It was a truly wonderful evening.

Classes celebrated La Chandeleur in February when our crêpe expert Mrs Barnes kindly brought in some tasty pancakes for students to enjoy.

Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 took part in Poésíæ, a fantastic international poetry competition. Students were given a selection of well-loved classic French poems to choose from and learn. As a department, we were so impressed by student’s enthusiasm, resilience and interpretations of their poems during their recitals. Finalists were as follows: Year 7: H Conduit; F Lewis; E McCargow Year 8: B Platt; E Sorgiovanni; L Josefata Year 9: N Puni; H Rizbi; A Lehmann Year 10: R Davidson; J Robinson; E Bennett In March students took part in a wonderful international music competition. They discovered a variety of Francophone music and artists. They listened to 16 pre-selected songs and voted for their favourite. They also had the opportunity to attend a livestream with Nassi, a famous French/Moroccan artist, singer, rapper and songwriter where he answered a number of questions that students sent through. Gordon’s even got a shout out!

Lastly, to celebrate students’ hard work and end the term on a high we organised an Easter egg hunt. Working in teams, students needed to interpret/translate clues. At each location, they found a keyword. Once the teams had collected all their words, they had to put them into the correct order and translate them to form a sentence. The winning teams won a chocolate egg. Students absolutely loved the experience!

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Premium quality A4 glossy calendars featuring pictures from around the school and key dates were produced by students in the Young Enterprise team Feuer.

The £10 calendars were sold online and by members of the team at the GSPA Christmas Fayre.

Ends

Premium quality A4 glossy calendars featuring pictures from around the school and key dates were produced by students in the Young Enterprise team Feuer. The £10 calendars were sold online and by members of the team at the GSPA Christmas Fayre.

Six Oxbridge hopefuls, with a passion for Maths, attended the It All Adds Up Conference at the Mathematical Institute and Department of Statistics at University of Oxford. The Year 12 students heard engaging talks from Oxford Maths lecturers, had a go at some problems themselves and also had the opportunity to ask questions to current students (as well as enjoying the stunning Radcliffe Observatory!)

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SIXTH FORM

SIXTH FORM DANCE OFF

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xuding energy and performing unbelievable feats of dancing, the Sixth Form Christmas Dance Off saw cheerleaders, zombies and a multitude of Father Christmases pack the sports hall to perform their masterpieces in front of the tough judging panel of Deputy Heads Rob Pavis and Andrew Reeve together with Head of Sixth Form Sandra Radford, who were marking them on a strict dance criteria of creativity, difficulty, formations and transitions as well as teamwork, timing, eye contact and showmanship. In the end, Augusta and Sandringham, dancing to Party Rock, won the coveted award!

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CAREERS AT GORDON’S

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areers at Gordon’s continue to go from strength to strength.

The year kicked off with a visit from the Meducators team in the Autumn Term, who ran workshops for our students and our partners at Woking High on careers in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Nursing.

We celebrated National Apprenticeship Week with a programme of events and guidance for students across the whole school including presentations and workshops from GE Aviation, the NHS and BT. We also welcomed back high-flying Gordonians currently undertaking apprenticeships at Rolls Royce and Virgin Media.

National Careers Week followed with the focus on careers in sports, law and engineering and an Insight Talk from Gordonian Josh Fedder, currently head of National Space Strategy in the UK. BAE Systems brought their interactive STEM roadshow to Year 8, and girls in Years 8 and 9 heard about careers in ICT at Fujitsu.

We were finally able to relaunch the Gordon’s Careers Fair post-Covid with representatives from industry and higher education enabling every student in the school the chance to meet in-person. Other highlights included the ‘Insight Talk’ series with a visit by HRH Princess Eugenie for a fascinating look at her work with the Anti-Slavery Collective, and ITV The Chase’s Dark Destroyer Shaun Wallace, who gave the students a grilling!

Dragon’s Den is a popular venture for Gordon’s, along with Careers Speed Dating for Year 10, who had the opportunity to meet over 30 guests from Disney to the Fire Service, and guess their profession in just a few minutes!

The excellent Creative Arts day, also new to the calendar, was run

by Gordon’s for students from multiple schools in the local area and opened up career opportunities for creative minds in the creative industries.

Students in Years 10 and 12 continue to benefit from bespoke, one-toone careers guidance and are preparing for the work experience over the summer. The huge variety of placement opportunities range from hospitals, schools and the armed forces to broadcasting, accountancy, law and costume and sound design. Many students have been successful with applications to highly competitive work experience schemes, none more so than Jason Cave (Y12) who won a place on the Model Law Commission Project, and Callum Keigher (Y12) whose success in the Linklaters competition won £1000 for the school!

We wish our students well in their endeavours and look forward to much more in the year ahead.

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SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Congratulations to our newly-appointed Senior Student Leadership Team (left to right) Deputy Head Boy Alfie Cornwall; Head Boy Callum Keigher; Head Girl Evie Evans and Deputy Head Girl Connie Carr. The four, who began their duties in January, were appointed after submitting a CV and letter of application as well as attending an interview with the Gordon’s Head, Deputy Head and a Governor. Among their duties will be attending school events, co-chairing meetings, providing assistance and co-ordinating Senior Prefect Teams while fulfilling the school’s five character values of courtesy, integrity, diligence, enthusiasm and resilience.

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HEAD BOY: CALLUM KEIGHER

Describe yourself – what do you enjoy doing?

I consider myself hard working and resilient, I have always been motivated by success and therefore strive to do well in whatever I choose to try. I mostly enjoy playing football as it’s what I’ve been doing for a large portion of my life so wish to continue enjoying it for a lot longer.

What are you studying? Where to you hope to go after Gordon’s?

I am studying Psychology, Economics and English Literature. After Gordons I hope to go on to study Law at either Oxford or Cambridge.

Why did you apply for the role?

Although I was unsuccessful in achieving a Senior Prefect position, I remained confident and motivated as I wanted to prove to myself I could achieve such a coveted role and strive under the responsibilities it came with.

Furthermore, I wanted to become Head Boy so that I could give back to the school and community that has developed me as an individual and given me so many opportunities that will be invaluable later in life. I hope my tenure will benefit students for years to come.

What are you hoping to bring to the role?

My deputy and I hope to bring a lasting legacy that positively impacts the school and the surrounding community. We have big plans and even bigger ideas on how to improve certain areas of the school as well as be a means through which all students can voice their own suggestions and opinions.

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What are you most looking forward to over the next year?

Mainly, I am looking forward to being Head Boy and being involved in as much as possible around the school. Apart from that, I can’t wait to start visiting unis and finalising my application.

Over Summer, I have work experienced planned as well as a week volunteering in a charity which I am excited for.

When did you arrive at Gordon’s and what are your favourite memories?

I joined Gordon’s in Year 9, a daunting experience as I was leaving behind longterm friendships for a school I knew very little about. However, I quickly became a part of the community here, with some of my favourite memories revolving around the sporting opportunities (both casual and competitive) Gordon’s offer.

What do you most like about the school? Would you recommend it to others?

The best thing about Gordon’s, apart from its sense of community, is the range of opportunities offered to all year groups. From Year 7 all the way through to Year 13, Gordon’s enables you to develop so many different skills and abilities which enrich you for life as a Gordonian.

What are your interests outside of school?

Outside of school my main interest is football as I play and referee the sport.

I’m also always wondering how I can become a better person, whether that’s through competitions, learning a new skill or trying a new experience, I am interested in becoming a more rounded individual.

What is the motto you live by?

Live life with no regrets. Everything that happens, both good and bad, happens for a reason, so don’t be afraid to take risks.

FIGHT FOR SIGHT

Drum Major Rose Roberts and her family have raised thousands of pounds for the charity Fight for Sight. Now she has taken on the role of Ambassador. Rose and her family have been fundraising for over ten years for the charity dedicated to stopping sight loss through research, and when she joined China House at Gordon’s it became the House charity.

The Sixth Form student will be involved in community outreach work for the charity, particularly for young people.

With just a few months before she leaves Gordon’s, Rose has promised a grand finale to her fundraising at the school!

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SPORTS 66

JUMPING WITH STYLE

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n early (4.20am) start saw the Gordon’s Equestrian Team arrive at Keysoe, Bedfordshire to be the first team to jump in the 90/95cm showjumping final. The top eight teams went through to the final round. We came second out of ten teams. After a second round the team held their second place. So we were runners-up to the champions. An amazing result. Brilliant riding by all as we were only a team of three, and all scores counted each round, leaving no margin for errors.

Sophie also qualified as an individual and came sixth out of a field of 40.

Champions with a very comfortable points lead.

Molly then rode Stan in the JwS 1.10m class and came third.

A really great weekend with some amazing results for Gordon’s School. The name ‘Gordon’s’ was definitely buzzing around the venue and even further afield. The team conducted themselves impeccably.

At Felbridge, Molly and Stan jumped two superb rounds for the NSEA JwS (jumping with style). A fast clear in the 1/1.05m saw them take 5th place in a large class followed by another good round in the 1.10m which gained them third place.

The team then rode in the 80/85cm and ninth out of 14 teams in the first round. One team dropped out so we moved into the top eight. But we made a collective decision the horses had done so well They were awarded very good style marks in both in the 90 we would withdraw from the second round for the welfare of our horses and save them classes with some spot-on comments from the judges such as ‘a bit too bold!’ and ‘you know your for Sunday’s competitions. horse well’. Molly really does give Stan a great ride Sunday saw Molly and Sophie as individuals in the and trusts him despite his over-enthusiastic need 90/95cm JwS (jumping with style arena eventing). for fast and furious rounds! These results mean they have qualified for the NSEA Championship It wasn’t Molly or Jed’s day and they were sadly and Plates in October. Well done to Molly and eliminated for cumulative refusals. But Sophie rode an incredibly precise round, marked on style Stan! of jumping and rider’s position and were crowned

Image courtesy of www.mhphotos.co.uk

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CUP FINALISTS

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run of victories in the ESFA Small Schools Competition saw Gordon’s U16 footballers travel to Stoke City FC Stadium for the final of the English Schools’ U16 Football Association Cup against Brooke House College.

The U16s had won through six rounds of this national competition since beating Wetherby Senior School 7-0 in October.

However their run in the competition, that has attracted schools from all over the country with a strong footballing pedigree including Lancing College, Repton and Rossall School, ended in an 8-0 loss to Brooke House College, whose teams have dominated the ESFA competitions this year.

Gordon’s remained stoic throughout their game. Head of Football Paul King commended the team for their training and playing exceptionally well to get to the final.

GORDON’S SCHOOL CUP RUN: 1st Round: v Wetherby Senior School (H) 7-0; 2nd Round: v The Priory CofE School (A) 4-5 (AET); 3rd Round: v St John’s Preparatory and Senior School (H) 4-3; 4th Round: v Bishop Challoner School (A) 2-3; 5th Round: v Taunton Academy (A) 3-1; 6th Round: v Buckswood School (H) 1-0; Final v Brooke House College (A) 8-0

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GOLF

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xams and revision prevented many of the school’s golfers from taking part in the Schools’ Golf competition in April. Even so, our players striding on to the fairways at Beau Desert Golf Club, Cannock proved to be another winning combination!

As well as winning the team event, Dylan Bannister finished third in the individual stableford with 38 points; Fraser Brammall second with 42 points and Barnaby Gough won the individual stableford with a staggering 46 points.

These three scores contributed to the team winning the stableford event with a staggering 126 points.

Evie Kircher finished joint first in the gross competition with a +4 round 76 and Dylan Bannister was third.

Earlier that week, Gordon’s had high hopes of making a hat-trick of wins in the ISGA (Independent Schools Golf Association) National Finals at Formby.

Unfortunately high winds were the forecast for the two days of practice rounds and not ideal preparation for what was to follow with bright sunshine and 5mph winds on the Monday and Tuesday for the competition.

our three Gordon’s golfers struggle at the back of the field as the greens hardened and pitching and putting became harder and faster.

On Day 2 the Gordon’s team scored very well but couldn’t make up the huge deficit from Day 1.

With the two best scores counting on the day Gordon’s finished 18th in an extremely strong field of U18 golfers. The average handicap for the tournament was +2.

Millie Cottrell finished an impressive 20th in the individual gross event with a two-day gross score of 149 and received a silver medal for coming between 16th and 30th.

Sid Beadle and Evie Kircher were awarded bronze medals for finishing 31st-72nd.

Day 1 scores: Millie Cottrell (+1) +8 80, Evie Kircher (2) +10 – 82, Sid Beadle (2) +16 – 88.

Day 2 scores: Millie Cottrell (+1) +2 - 69, Evie Kircher (2) +11 – 78, Sid Beadle (2) +9 – 76.

The first day of competition on the tough Formby Golf course witnessed 69

SIX OF THE BEST

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lmost every corner of the United Kingdom is now covered by Gordon’s students! Six of them are currently playing or have been selected to play sport for their country in rugby, hockey, golf and netball.

Cara Falconer has been selected for the Scottish National Girls’ Hockey Squad; Millie Cottrell is representing the Welsh Golf Team; Thomas Golder has been included in the Wales U18 rugby squad; Caleb Ashworth is in the England U18 rugby team for the Six Nations and netballers Jayda Pechova and Pippa Dixon have been selected for England Netball.

The international line-up of Sixth Formers includes two of the original DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) rugby players who joined the school in 2020 under the Gordon’s partnership with Harlequins. Both Caleb and Tom have been selected for the Harlequins Development Squad and compete in the AASE League, the pinnacle of schoolboy rugby.

The international student sporting line-up is reflected in the coaching staff at the school, which includes former Pakistan Olympian Muhammad Irfan and former GB player David Mathews for hockey; former Wales International and ex-Chelsea player Gareth Hall for football; former Fiji 7s Skills and Analyst Coach Chris Davies for rugby, and netball Superleague players Nicole Humphrys and Leah Middleton for netball.

The school’s sporting successes coincide with a new sports hub and all-weather pitch enabling students to take part in even more sporting activities and events at all levels, whatever the weather.

Gordon’s Director of Sport, Jamie Harrison commented: “Gordon’s is synonymous with sporting excellence and we are very proud of the sportsmen and women we have nurtured and developed here. Our talented and dedicated students together with an impressive coaching line up and new facilities are proving a winning combination. “

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SURREY STORM

Inspiring netball students and scholars, not just with their coaching but question and answer session afterwards, two of the game’s giants, Felistus Kwanga, Captain of the Zimbabwean national team, and Peace Proscovia, captain of the Ugandan national team. Both play for Surrey Storm, partners of Gordon’s, and delivered a masterclass on shooting and defence. Peace told the girls: “Believe in yourself. Know why you are doing something and have passion - it will take away the fatigue. Pursue your dream fearlessly”.

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RUGBY

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his first year of the ACE League has proved to be exciting and challenging and while the league was always going to be a tough one to play, the boys made the most of every opportunity.

The first game at home, against Hartpury who were the eventual winners of the league, was a significant moment in the history of rugby at Gordon’s. Further on in the competition, the First XV picked up two wins, one at home against Exeter College, and then finished on a high by winning on finals day against Myerscough College.

Gordon’s Rugby Internationals – Two rugby giants, both on the Gordon’s DiSE Partnership programme with Harlequins. Caleb Ashworth was selected for England U18s to take on France in the U18 Six Nations and Tom Golder for the Wales squad in the same competition.

For our juniors it was always going to be challenging due to the two-year hiatus due to Covid. However, they gave some outstanding performances against some traditionally strong rugby schools, which has enabled them to close the gap.

The Rosslyn Park 7s Festival was played by every age group in the School and all did the school proud with the senior Under 18s reaching the semi-finals of the bowl, the best the School has done in this competition.

Nine of our rugby players have pulled on Harlequins shirts with Caleb Ashworth playing for England U18s in the Six Nations and two picked for Wales and England Development Squads. Numerous others are competing at county level.

Four Gordon’s teams took part in the Rosslyn Park 7s, the world’s largest rugby tournament, along with two students who refereed matches. The U18s made it through to Day 2 of their competition in the Bowl.

In the coming year we are looking forward to touring South Africa, taking a 7s team to Portugal and hoping to take part in the Dubai 7s.

It’s exciting to see our ‘home grown’ players develop, and to take on new players in our Sixth Form and to continue playing in competitions and leagues.

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ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY VISIT

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port scholarship students in Year 12 visited St Mary’s University for an insightful show around, understanding what the future may look like for those wishing to follow a career in sport. During the visit, students had practical workshops in physiology, looking at different energy systems as well as power output, and nutrition, understanding the importance of consuming the correct macros needed to perform at the highest level.

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PLANE SAILING FOR KAITLYN

After just one year of competing in ILCA 4 dinghies (formerly Lasers), Kaitlyn Wyatt, has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the ILCA 4 Youth World Championships in Portugal, this August!

Kaitlyn has been sailing competitively since 2018 and is ranked among the top five female ILCA 4 sailors nationally.

She achieved her selection after a weekend in Weymouth in which she competed in the final of seven ILCA 4 qualification events. It was the largest ILCA 4 qualification event ever held in the UK and featured the largest female contingent. Kaitlyn finished as the leading female sailor with an invitation to represent GB at both the European and World Championships.

Sadly her GCSE exams mean she is unable to compete in the Europeans, but the 15-year old will make it to the world championships.

The teenager discovered a love of sailing after taking a course while on holiday in the summer of 2016. On her return, she joined Papercourt Sailing Club and began sailing in an Optimist. Though adamantly against the idea of sailing competitively, she did give it a go!

“I didn’t want to compete. I hated the idea of sailing competitively, thought it almost ruined the sport. But I went in for my first competition and I really liked it.

“After that I just continued to do events. The same year I qualified for the London and South East training squad and the following year moved up to the National training squad, both in the Topper dinghy.

After my final year in Toppers I moved into the Laser and ever since then it’s been going well.”

She sails throughout the year, training in the winter and competing in the summer as well as teaching younger sailors at Papercourt. This summer she will also undertake a course enabling her to become a Dinghy instructor.

As to what motivates her with her sailing, Kaitlyn enthused: “On a sunny day out at sea with the wind and waves, there’s a point when you’re blasting down on a reach, the dinghy is planing and water is splashing in your face. I just feel so powerful” Looking to the competition in Vilamoura, Portugal, Kaitlyn said: “I’m more excited than nervous about it because it is a new experience – I have never competed abroad before”.

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Nailbiting performances by the U18 Girls’ tennis team against Cranleigh School, in which they pushed their opponents all the way before narrowly missing out on a place in the regional stage semi-finals of the Aberdare Cup, a national competition. The final result was 4-2 to Cranleigh with three of the six rubbers being decided on championship tie breaks, meaning it really could have gone either way. Particular credit to Elena, who picked up two wins, including a doubles victory alongside Genna where the pair saved five match points.

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Great effort from the boys to get fourth and fifth in the regional finals of the BSKC 2022 (British Schools Karting Championship). Sadly not quite enough to make the national finals, but a sterling effort led from the front by captain Sam Light who battled all night to take the chequered flag in one of the heats. It had been a great year on the track post-Covid and onwards to bigger and better things in 2023.

Netball scholars Jayda Pechova and Pippa Dixon both represented England in the England Invitational Squad in the Europe Netball Competition in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Jayda, who captained the side, had previously represented the Roses for the Under 21 European Netball Championship in the Isle of Man, while Pippa who was part of that squad made the team in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne line up. Jayda has now received a new Training Partner contract to be part of the national Super League long squad.

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INTER-HOUSE

Their winning combination of penguins skiing meant that Victoria House retained the top spot in the Sixth Form Christmas Cake Decorating. China and their penguins clinched second place with Windsor’s Winter Olympic scene third. The Sixth Form students were handed a fruit cake, marmalade and icing with which to create their masterpieces. Khartoum, dressed for success in their House colours, depicted Santa fishing for a whale while Balmoral produced a decapitated Father Christmas! Other entries featured Covid snowmen, Omicron and 10 Downing Street!

Their mouth-watering pizza with butternut squash over a tomato base and spicy potato wedges proved the ultimate combination for Windsor House in the Inter-House Rustle Up! But there were some strong contenders in the kitchen, who came up with some great ideas using the star ingredient of butternut squash! Curry with naan breads, soup, pakcoras, butternut stuffed with couscous and butternut squash tart were just some of the culinary delights served to judges! Congratulations Windsor, August (second place) and Balmoral (third).

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COMPETITION

The girls from Victoria House proved their football skills to be a cut above the rest as they powered their way to first place in the Girls’ Inter-House Football. Hot on their heels were China in second place and Kensington third.

A technical challenge in cookery skills for students in Years 7, 8 and 9, who were presented with a recipe for custard creams and charged with producing six identical delicious treats. The biscuits were scored on the team work that went into their production, appearance and flavour. The joint winners of the Inter-House Baking were Gravesend and Kensington.

For their compelling arguments on patriarchy no longer being dominant in modern society, Victoria House claimed the top spot in Inter-House debating, with China and Buckingham in second and third place. Junior Houses debated ‘this house believes climate change is a technological challenge that can be overcome’.

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ROB PAVIS

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fter almost eight years at Gordon’s, Rob and Heather Pavis swapped the leafy surrounds of Surrey Heath for the surf on the North Devon coastline where in February, Mr Pavis took up the Headship at Kingsley School in Devon.

Mr Pavis, Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Mrs Pavis, who headed up China House, moved to Gordon’s in 2014 from Steyning Grammar School in Sussex where Mr Pavis was Assistant Head and Director of Boarding.

While Mr Pavis’s time at Gordon’s involved leading a five-year digital strategy and developing the sport and curricular at the school, it was through the pandemic that his prowess really came to the fore.

Who could forget the cartoons, online assemblies, the ‘disappearing’ Japanese cooking lesson? All were enthusiastically devised and implemented by him.

For while online lessons were prioritised and quickly instigated, he was determined that students shouldn’t miss out on the pastoral side and so set about keeping them connected to the school through assemblies and their boarding and day Houses with weekly Zoom meetings, quizzes and competitions.

Reflecting on that time, in which he and other members of the senior leadership team worked for some 18 months without a holiday, often late into the evenings and at weekends, Mr Pavis says: “We were keeping the school going during lockdown, when we had no idea what to do or how to do it and were making it up day by day but conscious that if we didn’t do something the whole community would just fall apart. Quite straightforward to keep the curriculum going; but the pastoral side, deciding Zoom House meetings – they were brilliant, they kept the school together; kept the Houses together.”

STAFF NEWS 80

Looking back on his time at Gordon’s, a highlight was welcoming the first boarders into the bespoke Year 7 residential boarding house, Woolwich. “I conceived it, and was involved in the design and the building; and it has completely transformed boarding here. Whenever you go down to Woolwich it is just packed full of happy kids. It is light and fun, exciting and everything that boarding in Year 7 should be. It’s just magical there”.

What was he most looking forward to about taking over the Headship of Kingsley School, with students ageing in range from babies to young adults? “I’m looking forward to ultimately building something that has my name on it” he said, adding: “Keeping Heather out of the nursery will be my greatest challenge!”

HEATHER PAVIS

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dmitting to having become “really competitive” since joining Gordon’s as Head of China House, Heather Pavis has supported her girls on the edge of football pitches, netball courts and through the seemingly endless cycle of other Inter-House competitions, but she prizes above all, winning the Longmoor Drill Cup on three occasions.

“It’s a definite highlight of my time at Gordon’s” she says. “Longmoor is special because the whole House is involved. You spend all that time preparing but what’s really nice is the camaraderie when everyone is getting ready and plaiting hair and helping each other. It’s a really, really close feeling. When they go out there and perform well, it’s amazing.”

She moved to Gordon’s from Brighton College almost eight years ago, where she was a Matron for two boys’ boarding Houses and responsible for the welfare of 140 boys. At Gordon’s, there were almost 90 girls in her care ranging from 11 to 18 years old. She saw them from their nervous arrival in oversized blazers and skirts through to their confident departure post-A Level, in glamorous gowns at the Leavers’ Dinner.

Reflecting on over seven years at Gordon’s as a Head of House, she said: “I love the job, have always loved it. I have never had a day when I’ve woken up and thought ‘I don’t want to go to work today’.”

“This has just been the most amazing place to work. When you get into the bones of what Gordon’s is about it’s how much the staff care about each child, I think it is just second to none. It’s something I haven’t experienced in the same depth at other schools. You know every child, what makes them tick - and blow up! You just know them. It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege” she says, adding: “A large part of me does bleed green”.

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CHRISTINE WALKER

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fter 19 years working at Gordon’s, first as a music teacher and latterly as school organist and music administrator, Christine Walker retired at the end of the Spring Term.

As her final farewell, Mrs Walker performed an evening of organ favourites in the School Chapel in aid of the school’s charity the Camelthorn Foundation and Crohns and Colitis UK. Mrs Walker began playing the organ at the age of twelve. Organ was her first study at university and whilst there, she gained an ARCM in organ performing.

In 1975, she attended a Summer school in France with the internationally renowned French organist Marie-Claire Alain. She has been organist at Christchurch Bath and Christchurch Woking and played at Bisley and West End Churches as well as Gordon’s.

For 20 years Mrs Walker accompanied the Occasional Singers when they sang services at Guildford Cathedral whilst the cathedral choir were on holiday. She has also accompanied choirs at Chelmsford and Portsmouth Cathedrals and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. In Europe she has played at Ghent and Chartres Cathedrals, the Church of the Madeleine in Paris and Churches in Venice and Edam. Christine plays the organ on some Sunday afternoons at Hatchlands (the National Trust Property in East Clandon).

Her farewell concert raised over £300 for the charities and included her favourite works by Toccata, Elgar, Handel and Bach.

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Taking on parents at the GSPA (Gordon’s Parents’ Association) Quiz Night, a brave team of school staff, whose secret weapon was Head of Maths Mark Eaden (back left) a recent contestant in Mastermind.

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Delighted to welcome two former school Chaplains to the Annual Gordon Memorial Service in Guildford Cathedral. Pictured (right) is the Reverend Sarah Norbron together with the school’s current Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright (left) and the Rev Sarah’s predecessor the Reverend Denis Robinson, who delivered the annual Gordon Sermon.

The Rev Robinson (above) also returned to school to visit students and staff. Rev Rob, as he is fondly known, was a member of staff at Gordon’s for 37 years. He is pictured with Major John Balmer, the current School Chaplain the Rev Graham Wright and WO1 Philip Fox.

GORDONIANS S

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taff and students paid tribute to Gordonian Christian Rowe by planting a memorial tree in the Medical Centre garden, and taking each other on in a football match. Christian, a gifted Slough Town footballer, left Gordon’s four years ago to pursue a career in the game, but was killed in a car collision. The Old Boys ended up 7-5 winners in this new annual event.

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ormer Head Boy Max Beken has been delighting audiences of the Netflix hit series Bridgerton in his role as a footman.

Two others among his contemporaries have also been treading the boards since leaving Gordon’s.

Sammy Parmenter, who gained a first class degree in Theatre and Performance at Leed’s University played fictional antique dealer Quinney in the play Quinneys, and Ellie Young, currently studying Medicine at Nottingham was Sandy in the classic American musical Grease for the university’s Medics Musical Society.

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ACHIEVEMENTS E Evans, J Cave, P Daniel, J Gentle, N Mensah, P Moschouris, F Dalley, F Ward, S Hurles, F Shokunbi and N Limbu – winners of the London heat of the World Scholar’s Cup.

M Campbell – Offered a place at Leeds Conservatoire to study as an Actor Musician.

R Knight – Offered a place at Leeds Conservatoire to study Musical Theatre.

B-Y Zhou – Achieved ABRSM Grade 8 piano with Distinction.

E Stone - Gained a place at GSA (Guildford School of Acting).

P Schollick - Guildford School of Acting (GSA) Junior Conservatoire.

ATHLETICS

EQUESTRIAN

R Rowe – first in 200m English Schools’ Athletics Championship 2022.

F Rose – first in Discus English Schools’ Athletics Championship 2022.

F Allen-Dale – first in Discus English Schools’ Athletics Championship 2022.

N Tullet - 80m hurdles (G) KS4 districts competition.

C Falconer - 1500m (G) KS4 districts competition.

R Rowe - 200m (B) KS4 districts competition.

M Eastman - High jump (B) KS4 districts competition.

M Barnard - Qualified for NSEA Championship and Plates in October.

ART

M Cottrell - Selected for Wales to play in the Wales v Ireland Challenge Match in March 2022.

M Cottrell - finished sixth in the Wales Women’s Open Championship. Awarded a WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking).

A Phelps - Invited to play in the Junior European Open 2021.

A Phelps - Third place in the Justin Rose Daily Telegraph National Junior Golf Championships.

M Cottrell - Eighth place in the Justin Rose Daily Telegraph National Junior Golf Championships.

A Phelps - Surrey and South of England U18.

E Kircher - Girls Club U18 Captain at Windlesham.

E Kircher - Surrey U18 and South of England.

J Kircher - Home Nations Final in Portugal (February 2020), Windlesham Boys.

Golf Team - Won the Schools Golf Hollinwell GC Invitational.

Golf Team - Won the school golf competition at Beau Desert GC Cannock.

ACADEMIC

L Larsimont - Y13, awarded a Certificate from the Royal Society of British Artists: ‘Artwork has been selected for consideration at the National Students Exhibition’.

A Platt - First Place Winter Arts Competition.

L Robinson - Second Place Winter Arts Competition.

K Brazendale and D Bailey - Third Place Winter Arts Competition.

COMBINED CADET FORCE L Nunes - Awarded the ACPS (Air Cadets Pilot Scholarship) by the RAF 2022.

COOKERY M Brock - Winner of the Regional Final of the Future Chef competition and finalist of the national competition 2022.

CRICKET F Rose - Selected for the U13 Surrey Cricket Club Winter programme.

J Hill - Selected for the U12 Surrey Cricket Performance programme.

CROSS COUNTRY P Fuller - Selected for Surrey for the Inter-Counties Championships 2021 and completed the London Mini Marathon.

M Hibbins - Selected for Surrey for the InterCounties Championships.

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FOOTBALL H Hewson - Offered a place at University of Alabama USA to continue his football career.

U16s Boys Football - Runners up in the U16 ESFA Cup competition.

GOLF

GYMNASTICS O Gill - Part of the silver winning team at the Team Gym British Championships.

O Gill - Selected for the Great Britain team for the 2022 European Championships in Luxembourg.

HOCKEY C Falconer - Selected for the Scottish National Girls’ Hockey Squad.

C Falconer - Surrey County Hockey.

J Beard - U17 Hampshire County Hockey.

DRAMA

ICE HOCKEY

G Fowler – Gained a place with the National Youth Theatre.

A Hunter-Blanco – Achieved a Diploma in Vocal Performance from the London College of Music.

T Flannery - Silver Medal at the U12 National Ice Hockey Finals 2022, as part of the Basingstoke team.

LEADERSHIP A Pearson - Awarded an Army Officer Scholarship for possessing exceptional leadership potential.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN)

ROWING

A Court: Selected for England Hockey DiSE M Hewetson – Winner at the Walton and Weybridge H Donaldson-Sinclair, R Hunter, P Green, A Heeney (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) Programme

and F Wright - Highly Commended Delegation at the Regatta 2022.

J Clarke – Winner Gordon’s MUN 2022.

E Jackson: Wales U18Walton Squad and Weybridge Regatta H Gordon – Highly Commended in the economic and 2022.

J Clarke – Winner in the Ball Cup. social committee at Haileybury MUN March 2022.

S Bodoano: Selected for the England Hockey CREATIVE WRITING J Clarke – Seventh out of 192 in the National Indoor DiSE (Diploma in Sporting Excellence) MUSIC Championships Programme for England at I Spink -and 15th Selected out of 480toinplay the National Indoor Z Legge: Highly Commended the top 100 B Macpherson – Acceptedand intoin the National Youththe School Games Championships. finalists forChoir. the international Foyle Young Poets Girls’ E Pollock - 18th out of 95 in the National Indoor of theWYear YeeAward Zhou – Pianoman Scholarship.

C Falconer: Surrey County Hockey Championships.

M Campbell – LCM Music Theatre Diploma.

A Wyatt – Grade 8 flute.

T Job, I Kypri, B Shorter, C Quinnell and M Everett T Kerr: Surrey County Hockey E Hutchings – Grade 8 cello.

DANCE in the top five per cent of their categories in the D Kirkpatrick – Grade 8 violin.

National Indoor Championships.

L Henden – Gradeto 8 saxophone (distinction).

P Schollick: Selected represent England in R Knight – Grade 8 Music Theatre (distinction). KAYAKING M Spink, M Hewetson in the top ten per cent of their the Dance World Cup 2020/21 in three group E Cottage – Grade 8 Music Theatre (distinction). categories in the National Indoor Championships. dances, two of them winning Medals A Hunter-Blanco – Grade 8Gold Music Theatreand I Bethune: Selected for Team GB in the making them Junior World Champions in 2021 RUGBY (distinction).

Marathon World Championships 2021 W-Y Zhou – Ena Margaret Churchill Cup winner for C Ashworth - Selected for England U18s in Six U17 JS Bach performance.

Nations against France.

EQUESTRIAN E Hallett – Winner of the pop/jazz category at T Golder - Selected for Wales U18s Training Squad.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS Woking Festival.

M Campbell – Winner of theCame Musical (U19) at category SAILING M Barnard, S Moody, A Taplin: fourth H Williams: Outstanding Delegate at Reigate at Woking Festival.

Royal Windsor Horse Show Services Jumping K Wyatt - Selected represent Great Grammar School’s MUNtoConference 2021.Britain in the 2021 K Brazendale – Winner of the Christmas Carol (U13) ILCA 4 Youth World Championships in Portugal 2022. category at Woking Festival.

M Barnard: Individually placed and qualified for NETBALL 2021 National Championships in showjumping J PechovaPlaced - Captain England for U172021 England and eventing. andfor qualified Invitational side in the Europe Netball U17 National Plates in jumping with style.

B Muhsen: Outstanding Delegate at Reigate SHOOTING Grammar School’s MUN Conference 2021.

J West – second place in the England Small-bore

Championships 2022.

H Donaldson-Sinclair: Highly Commended H Chedd, Z Chedd and J West - Gold Medallists in Delegate at Reigate Grammar School’s MUN the British Shooting Schools Competition 2022.

Conference 2021.

Championships 2022.

P DixonG-Gough, SelectedSfor England U17 England M Barnard, Moody, A Taplin: J West - Gold Medal in the Intermediate Section of Invitational side in the Europe Netball U17 Various teams placed and qualified for 2021 the British Shooting Schools Competition 2022.

Championships 2022.

S Desai: Highly Commended Delegate at Z Chedd - Winner of the Junior 10m Air Rifle National Plates in showjumping and jumping J Hay - Saracens Mavericks U19 National Reigate Grammar School’s MUN Conference Category South East Region. with style at 80cm, 90cm2021-22. and 1m Performance League 2021. J West - retained his title as Surrey Scouts Rifle P Dixon - Saracens Mavericks U21 Squad 2021-22.

Champion and has also been accepted as a full J Pechova – London Pulse U21 Squad 2021-22. squad member into the Scout National Shooting GOLF J Pechova – London Pulse Vitality Netball Team.

MUSIC AND DRAMATIC ART Superleague Squad – 2021-22.

L Lomas Storm North Surrey A Phelps: Third- Surrey place in the U17s Justin Rose DailyAcademy SWIMMING M Scannell: Accepted onto the National Youth 2021.

Telegraph National Junior Golf Championships Inspire Programme for 100m talented J Thompson - Gold medal in the breastroke A Lomas for - U15 BerkshireJunior County Netball Team. Orchestra’s and Qualified European Final Spain the Surrey musicians Schools Individual S McNair - U13 Berkshire County Netball 2021. younginorchestral 2021 Swimming (19th-27th November 2021) Championships 2022.

J Pechova - Selected for England U21 Team for B Platt - Silver Medal thethe 50m Freestyle at the Europe Netball 2021.

R Knight: Achieved Gradefor 8 in London M Cottrell: Eighth place in theEngland Justin Netball’s Rose Daily National Arena League.

J Pechova - Selected into FutureCollege of Music’s Music Theatre with Telegraph Junior Championships A Platt - Silver Medal in the 50m Freestyle at the RosesNational Programme for Golf 2022-23.

Distinction National Arena League.

PUBLICSelected SPEAKING M Cottrell: for the Wales Golf High E Cottage: Achieved Grade 8 in the London TAE KWON-DO Performance Programme C Falconer, C Franklin and N Schollick - National College of Music’s Music Theatre with J Mostert – Silver in the Boys Light Weight Division Semi-Finalists of the English Speaking Union (ESU) Distinction in the TAGB Welsh International Tae Kwon-Do Public Speaking Competition.

Championships 2022.

HOCKEY A Hunter-Blanco: Achieved Grade 8 in the PUBLIC SERVICE WRITING London College of Music’s Music Theatre with A Court: Selected to play as foranEngland at the R Roberts - Selected Ambassador for the Distinction Schoolcharity Games against Wales U19 and Scotland I Depoix – In the top 100 nationally in the National Fight for Sight.

U19 Theatre Playwriting competition 2022.

I Depoix - Winner of the Rotary Club’s Young Writer of the Year competition 2021.

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Great results for our rowers at Dorney’s Olympic Lake in the Ball Cup. Cloudless skies coupled with vociferous support from other students spurred James Clarke, in a single, on to a brilliant row in the heats and a first place in the final! Emilia Hewetson and Immie Spink also made their final, fighting the other crews right up to the line for a fifth place out of 15 in their category.

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