Semper Fidelis - Edition 1

Edition 1

SEMPER FIDELIS THE RETURN OF WOOLWICH AFTER 27 YEARS

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PIPES, DRUMS AND PARADES

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AROUND THE HOUSES

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TRIPS, TOURS AND EXCHANGES

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CCF AND DOFE AWARDS

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CO-CURRICULAR

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CHARITY, COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT

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ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC

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SIXTH FORM

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CAREERS

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SPORTS

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INTER-HOUSE COMPETITION

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SPORTS SHORTS AND STAFF NEWS

PIPES AND DRUMS From a rooftop performance on the Rec to Windsor Castle (in the presence of HRH Earl of Wessex) and the Lament at the Brookwood Cemetery, once again the Pipes and Drums have enjoyed a memorable year.

An all-day Masterclass paved the way for the band’s debut at the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships in March and for the first time in their history, three students headed to Inveralmond Community College in Livingstone for the first piping exclusive competition where they had great success, being placed ninth overall!

Several pipers and drummers took part in two regional solo piping and drumming competitions with students gaining gold, silver and bronze medals.

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Twenty five of the Pipes and Drums band headed to Scotland on a residential trip to visit our sister school, Robert Gordon’s College, in Aberdeen. En route they visited the National Piping Centre where the world’s leading piping and drumming specialists held a bespoke workshop just for them. The following day, they were privileged to visit the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming where they had a tour of the school and then had the chance to play alongside the next generation of Army pipers.

PARADES Bringing Whitehall to a standstill, students dressed in their Blues together with the Pipes and Drums, held their annual Parade in January to the statue of General Gordon on the banks of the Thames.

performed on the Front Field. Making the 134th Annual Inspection was Alderman Dr Sir Andrew Parmley a former Lord Mayor of London.

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 Sarah Norbron.

In honour of our Patron HM The Queen’s birthday, students marched in the annual Patron’s Parade in June.

The Inspecting Officer was Colonel Colin Francis.

This year the Annual Parade at the end of June was

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KENSINGTON HOUSE

AROUND THE HOUSES

BUCKINGHAM BOUNCE A trip to Gravity Force in Camberley for Years 9, 10 and 11 had the Buckingham boys jumping for joy!

Their bouncing treat used the tumbletracks foam pit; dodgeball and basketball as well as the main trampoline court.

Each year members of the House staff team organise an annual trip for one or two of the year groups to the family friendly venue.

A welcome respite from the busy school curriculum, students were excused from their usual P7 activities for some R and R away from the school (there are also a number of added physical benefits good for the circulation, bone development and the muscles). Of course, it is also a lot of fun and an ideal place to let off steam!

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Kensington has excelled in a variety of events. Ann Robinson, Darcy Watson and Emma Hutchings (from Victoria) enjoyed great success through their mindfulness and well-being journal Black and Write. The girls were a Gordon’s Young Enterprise Company and won the best innovation prize in the North Surrey Young Enterprise Company Programme.

As well as their journal the girls were also highly commended for the quality of their presentation and their company’s digital presence at the showcase. We were also delighted with two winning teams in the Spring term: the Year 11 and Sixth Form Kensington House baking team of Holly and Ruth, plus our orienteering team consisting of: Holly, Ann, Jessica, Elizabeth and Anna. Both teams came first in their respective competitions recently and not only brought glory (and a cup!) to the House but were truly deserving of a celebration pizza evening.

BALMORAL HOUSE A typical Saturday night in Balmoral House starts with a game of Multiball in the gym. This consists of a number of different ball games and various sports. Mr Duffield shouts out to players and throws in a random ball. The teams play until somebody scores and the process is repeated over the next two hours. The winning team are the boys who have won the most games. Sports include basketball, football, indoor hockey, touch rugby and dodgeball.

This is a great game and gets lots of the boys involved in a fun

physical activity. This is followed by a fire pit In the Balmoral garden and Mrs Duffield will supply the boys with a variety of treats. Cheesy bread is by far the favourite, closely followed by a well-cooked marshmallow. The boys love sitting around the fire chatting and listening to their favourite music. This has been a Balmoral tradition for the last ten years and is instrumental in forging the close friendships that the boys develop in the boarding environment.

GRAVESEND HOUSE The boys of Gravesend House have enjoyed a number of outings and activities – from cooking Italian style to bouncing!

Firstly our Year 10s had a cooking session with Mrs Rentell where they learned to make spaghetti bolognaise. Then boys made chocolate chip cookies with varying degrees of success but all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and would like to do another session.

It was great to see them sitting together and enjoying the food they had cooked. We also had a trip to Gravity Force, the trampolining centre, for Years 7, 8 and 9. The boys expended lots of energy playing games, jumping and generally throwing themselves around. Frankly, it was exhausting to watch. They enjoyed burgers and slushies so everyone left happy and full. It was most certainly a quiet journey home!

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SANDRINGHAM HOUSE Braving the rain and mud, 20 boys from Sandringham House descended on Blind Fire Paintball for the chance to shoot each other with very hard little balls that are filled with paint. Quite what the attraction is in this defeats me but for those involved it was a fantastic afternoon out. It was a great opportunity for the Sixth Form to have a last fling before the exam warm-up - and they made the most of it!

With four games and a huge quantity of balls to get through everyone had a dramatic tale to tell and a bruise to show. One of those days that sticks in the mind and is still talked about today.

CHINA HOUSE An egg and spoon race, made all the more difficult by wearing yellow beaks and rubber gloves, was hotly contested by girls in China House whose Easter Party also included an egg hunt. The girls were given clues to follow around the school leading to 12 letters. The winning team put them together to spell Extravaganza.

VICTORIA HOUSE Victoria House continues to be a place of laughter.

We’ve had a year of coming second in Inter-House events (and a few wins and a few losses) but the atmosphere continues to be one of kindness and support. I am so proud of all that the students have achieved this year both in and out of school and I am very much looking forward to the adventures that await us next year.

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Huge thanks to the parents that support the work that we do as well as to the unfaltering team of House Staff. To those who have left Victoria, it’s been an honour and a privilege having a glimpse into your worlds, it is hard to imagine being here without you all but you are ready to fly and reach your potential outside the ‘Gordon’s Bubble’.

AUGUSTA HOUSE The trip to an escape room in Bracknell was one of my favourites! We were challenged to complete different tasks such as building catapults; making rideable planes; a treasure hunt and the best one, the escape room.

To make the catapults you had to use pipes and wires to knock down targets with an egg. The planes were made by taping together pieces of cardboard and putting a large tube in the middle. Eventually they lifted a student into the centre after taping and decorating the planes.

The treasure hunt was done by following an arrow on your iPad and finding clues leading you to the treasure box!

Inside this box we found a pair of headphones that we had to plug into a sound box. We then put them on and had to translate the morse code onto a sheet of paper. We used the codes to unlock three different boxes and eventually we got the codes and stopped the bomb from exploding.

All involved had a great day out! Lucy Alcock

WINDSOR HOUSE The return of the now legendary (within our own Windsor walls!!) Taskmaster challenge day saw four teams pitted against each other in a fierce battle of wit, cunning, logic, creativity - and extreme silliness!

Throughout the day, teams were set a series of bizarre challenges which were then awarded points by the Taskmaster (Mrs Aukett!). Highlights from an incredibly strong competition included “make the longest chain of things between two people”; “create the best shadow”; “make yourself look like one person” and the unforgettable (within our own Windsor walls!!) “be the most Panto” where there was a clear winner.

KHARTOUM HOUSE Banana boats, an inflatable assault course and water everywhere – all captured on film by Archie with his drone! The Khartoum annual trip to Thorpe Lake was enjoyed by all and was the perfect treat for the boys.

Khartoum also celebrated winning the House Trophy for their combined effort grades.

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TRIPS, TOURS AND EXCHANGES

Belgium Battlefields: The annual visit to the World War One Battlefields in France and Belgium was, as always, an incredibly emotional experience for our Year 9 students who were able to empathise and deepen their understanding of the enormity of the First World War. Visits included Tyne Cot, Essex Farm, Langemark and The Somme. Three students selected to represent the school laid the wreath in the prestigious Menin Gate Ceremony.

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Yokoso (Welcome!)

A cultural exchange in April saw 34 students and their teachers from the Matsumoto Shuho Secondary School, Japan, welcomed to Gordon’s. Their itinerary included a tour of the school; shadowing a student in a lesson; a mini pipes display by the Head Boy, and a cultural exchange presentation.

Our students were eager to sign up to be a buddy this year and relish the opportunity to develop international relations and experience Japanese culture, including music, games, origami, karate and dance. We look forward to another cultural exchange in 2020.

SKI AND SNOWBOARDING TRIP The start of a new era – snowboarding! This gave students the chance to learn a new skill on the slopes and attracted record numbers.

All 90 students were a great credit to themselves and fantastic ambassadors for the school. During the day they completed five hours of skiing or snowboarding, and in the evening they had many activities planned; from the Christmas market in Salzburg to bowling and swimming.

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Psychology Trip: Year 13 students attended a Psychology Conference in Westminster in March to hear from many well known professionals in the field such as Professor David Wilson, Elizabeth Loftus, Stephen Reicher and Alex Haslam. The conference included a variety of talks about Social and Forensic Psychology as well as hearing about how ‘false memories’ have led to some tragic miscarriages of justice.

Geography Trip to Swanage: Highly changeable weather did not dampen spirits on our Year 10 Swanage trip. Students conducted river and coastal fieldwork over two days on the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, part of the Jurassic Coast. The students’ attitude to learning was excellent and some additional notes, techniques and resources gained in preparation for their GCSEs.

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SPANISH A-LEVEL EXCHANGE TO SAN SEBASTIAN A week experiencing San Sebastian in its full glory included trips to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao with exhibitions

by Picasso and Monet and a morning spent at the Guernica Peace Museum to find out more about the town that was destroyed in the Spanish Civil War. During the visit, the students experienced a cooking demonstration in a traditional “sociedad” and everyone on the trip enjoyed some classes in our partners’ Spanish school St Patrick’s. Weekends were spent in various ways, including crossing into France, watching sunsets by boat and relaxing on the coast with locals.

The event was a great opportunity to practise spoken Spanish and to experience an entirely new culture.

Theatre Trips A Level students enjoyed ‘Toast’, the autobiographical play based upon the childhood of the famous chef Nigel Slater. Told through stereotypes, ensemble movement and an array of smells and tastes, ‘Toast’ was an uplifting treat.

They also visited the Orange Tree theatre in Richmond for a performance of ‘Out of Water’; a play about gender, identity and relationships.

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HOME FROM HOME They travelled over 3,000 miles to get here from Sudan but for the students and staff from the Khartoum International Community School (KICS) it was ‘home from home’ as they helped plant a commemorative tree outside Sudan (the Science block) in the shadow of the Nile (Maths block). They also viewed the camel statue overlooking the Front Field, which stood in Khartoum until 1958.

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During their stay KICS sampled London, visiting Borough Market, the Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral to see General Gordon’s tomb.

They attended lessons at Gordon’s as well as travelling to Portsmouth to learn about Admiral Lord Nelson

CHINA VISIT China Visit: A chance for students to immerse themselves in Chinese culture saw 17 of them visit Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing in March. Their trip took in Mandarin lessons, a Chinese art lesson, a Chinese cooking masterclass and an orphanage. They spent a day at the Shanghai East Experimental School, exploring China’s ancient past and the terracotta warrior, cycled the ancient city walls of Xi’an and hiked to a secluded part of the Great Wall of China. It was a memorable trip and the snack market certainly provided an opportunity for the students to try local delicacies such as scorpions and snake!

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CCF AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD SCHEME

After completing their Gold DofE Practice in the Black Mountains in Wales in extremely hot conditions (including the hottest day of the year), the hardy bunch of students undertook their Final in Norway. There their four day expedition took them across the Hardangervidda National Park.

Afterwards they went rafting in the Dagali River.

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The Navy Section has conducted swimming tests, watermanship and kayak training in the school swimming pool. In January the Section held a Field Training day with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. The Cadets stayed overnight on HMS Bristol and carried out training with the firefighting and damage repair units. During the Summer the Navy Cadets attended a summer camp at HMS Excellence in Portsmouth

Ten Tors: The Ten Tor’s competition in Dartmoor National Park saw two teams from Gordon’s CCF successfully entered in the Bronze 35 mile challenge. Outstanding teamwork and favourable weather conditions ensured that the teams completed the 35 miles in excellent times.

Close quarters battle training for our CCF Army Cadets at their week long camp in the Lake District.

Parachute training; battle PT; flying on the massive C17 transport aircraft; technical instruction on the new Atlas Aircraft and training in the most up to date airfield defence equipment were just some of the activities our CCF RAF section experienced during their summer camp at RAF Brize Norton.

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CO-CURRICULAR MODEL UNITED NATIONS MUN has had a very successful year, starting with a busy first term of conferences and introducing a link with St George’s Ascot for mini conferences.

The Royal Alexandra and Albert’s conference allowed our students to expand their skills in a smaller setting. A highlight was, Ali Torrington, our youngest member, being

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awarded ‘Highly Commended Delegate’.

Our final conference was at Haileybury, the largest conference in the country. Three of our students, Oliver Henderson, Dina Khan and Grace Keyes, successfully chaired at this conference and Tia Jasani was awarded ‘Highly Commended Delegate’.

GP TAYLOR AUTHOR VISIT Lights off for a tale of ghostly goings-on by author G P Taylor who visited Gordon’s for World Book Day. The best-selling writer of the novels Shadowmancer and Tersias enthralled audiences with his macabre tales and workshop.

DRAGONS’ DEN Year 10 GCSE Business students were put through their paces in a Dragons’ Den style event held in the Rec in February. Working in teams, they created a business plan to present to the ‘dragons’ (members of the local community and real life entrepreneurs) who grilled the students on their plans.

Business ideas ranged from a flavoured milk van to modified exercise bikes which encourage people to exercise and watch TV as a reward. The winning idea deemed ‘most likely to succeed’ was from ‘Track-it’, who successfully pitched the concept of a device to find lost items in the home.

The Gordon’s Gardening Club entry for the RHS Wisley Scarecrow Competition in May - a Sapper. The entry reflected that the school is the National Memorial to General Gordon and our proud association with the Royal Engineers.

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CHARITY, COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT

WOOLWICH HOUSE The Woolwich House sign has returned to Gordon’s after 27 years! The new boarding house is the school’s 11th house and 5th Residential Boarding House and will offer our youngest residential boarders a ‘home from home’ in a bespoke environment. Among the new September arrivals to the Residential Boarding House was ten week old Labrador Barney and Houseparents Sam and Daisy Cooper together with their children Tommy and Rose.

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Colour Run: It was colourful, fast and very, very messy! Students joined together for a Colour Run, raising money for local charities - and having a great deal of fun. Over 200 of them ran the circuit on the Back Field to mark International Day Against Homophobia; Biphobia and Transphobia.

Flying the Flag for Diversity: The LGBT+ rainbow flag complete with school crest hung over Gordon’s as students and staff embraced ID (Inclusion, Diversity, Identity) Awareness Week in February. With a different focus for each day, the week covered mental health, culture, disability, LGBT+ and Identity.

With relaxation sessions combatting stress; blind football; sign language and Bollywood dancing the week was enjoyable as well as thought-provoking and crucially it raised awareness of the difficult challenges faced by people.

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SPORTS HUB Work began in September on the sports hub for Gordon’s, incorporating a sports hall and all-weather pitch. The new development, to be built on the northern site of the school, will provide enough space for four badminton courts; changing rooms; a café; first aid room and storage. There will also be spectator viewing areas.

Due for completion by September 2020, the sports hub will allow students to take part in more competitive events at all levels as well enabling them to enjoy activities such as indoor cricket and to participate in a sporting activity whatever the weather.

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Final Briefing: All smiles at the final briefing before heading for the skies to take part in the tandem skydive (left to right) Jane Blackbeard-Powick; Iona Scotson; Victoria Bailey; Andrew Moss and Susan Meikle.

Landing: Practising the descent, Senior Pipe Major Iona Scotson.

The Bethune family set off from Gordon’s to Brighton to cycle the 90 kilometres in June, to raise much needed funds for kitting out the new sports hub.

Flying: Bursar Susan Meikle during her tandem skydive to raise funds for Gordon’s School’s new sports hub and all-weather pitch.

SKYFALL FOR SPORTS HALL

Smile: Skydive complete and over £8,000 raised for Gordon’s sports hub.

Taking fundraising to new heights, Gordon’s School’s Head Teacher Andrew Moss; Bursar Susan Meikle; Senior Pipe Major Iona Scotson and brave parents Jane Blackbeard-Powick and Victoria Bailey raised over £8,000 in a tandem skydive with the Royal Engineers Parachuting Team. The fearless five took to the skies to raise money equip the school’s soon to be built sports hub.

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SUMMER ARTS EVENING Another glorious evening was spent on the Front Field with students, staff and families being entertained by our wonderfully talented students.

Pipes and Drums started off proceedings with piper Ed Lee playing from the Rec rooftop! The Concert Band created a wonderful atmosphere as always playing old and new songs whilst Semper Fidelis Singers, Jazz Band and our Sixth Form band kept the evening flowing (along with the Pimms from Balmoral’s Charity stall!).

Our drama students performed their Frantic Assembly piece along with a taster of our students ‘Shakespeare for Schools Comedy of Errors’ piece. Our Irish dancer Kiera Meaney gave a wonderful performance and our Rockchallenge dancers showed

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their work in progress routine for the National Competition, coming up in February.

The Clarinet group and our Music Ambassadors played for the first time at the event and we hope to see lots more from them in the future, not forgetting of course our guests from Holy Trinity C of E School, who showed what huge voices they have from such little bodies! Their singing smiles certainly added to the joyous atmosphere, with our Year 7 and 8 students singing along with the crowd during ‘Don’t stop me now!’. The art work in the marquee was as outstanding as ever! Teachers and students alike to the opportunity of showcasing their photography and brush work skills. This event really shows our creative arts department and the students at their very best....and the weather always helps of course! We look forward to showcasing more talent next year!

Friends of Gordon’s have put their creative talents to the test in a Paint and Sip party with them all painting the same picture, under expert guidance. They also tried their hand at the delicate art of making canapés. Both events produced some beautiful results and proved great fun.

In September Outdoor cinema returned to Gordon’s with a screening of ‘Jurassic Park’, by popular demand, on the Front Field. Hundreds arrived clutching blankets and picnics to settle down and enjoy the dinosaurs.

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ART, DRAMA AND MUSIC

Global Canvas: For the Global Canvas Competitions students created an exhibition on the topic ‘Habitats of the World’. Their work ‘Under the Sea’ was used to raise awareness of pollution in our oceans and the damage we are inflicting on the beautiful creatures that live there.

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A LEVEL EXHIBITION Year 12 and 13 students showed great originality in their approaches to the themes ‘Transformation’, and ‘Journeys and Pathways’. Particular mention to Ebun Braithwait’s ‘Stalker board’; Zoe Harris’s installation piece based on ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’; Mia Griffin’s 3D Perspex piece; Monia Prachasuk’s ‘melting’ forest canvas; Sophie Dove’s aquaphobia and Lily Larsimont’s taxidermy piece.

GCSE ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION Year 11 students created a fantastic show in a wide range of media and styles on the themes of ‘Surfaces’, ‘Viewpoints’, ‘Adorn, Decorate and Embellish’, alongside a project theme of ‘Reflection’.

Particularly striking outcomes were 3D and mixed media pieces by Elisa Jimenez; a layered architectural piece on plastic, and Ella Litjens’s installation of an architect’s workspace. Rory Mattison and Oliver Blackwell created sculptural pieces.

Photography students responded to themes based on ‘Altered Nature’, ‘Identity and Culture’, ‘Fragments’, and also the same exam theme of ‘Reflection’.

Many students developed their photography pieces into 3D outcomes and interactive pieces, showing exceptional creativity. Video responses from Jack Bodell and Max Dunlop in particular showed further individuality and creativity.

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GIVING IT UP FOR FAT SAM’S GRAND SLAM Gangsters; splurge guns; whipped cream galore and slapstick comedy meant only one thing at Gordon’s School – Bugsy Malone!

Performing to capacity audiences, students brought 1920s New York to Camberley Theatre over three nights with their adaptation of the popular comedy, musical drama spoof.

Over one hundred students were auditioned back in June 2018 for a role in the production. The final cast was chosen and the rehearsal process began. Working tirelessly through period sevens, lunchtimes and weekends over four months, both students and staff put together a fantastic show.

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The cast was filled with over 50 students ranging from Year 8 through to Year 13 with an array of acting, singing and dancing talents. Our production team consisted of ten students who each played a vital role in the assembling and the successful running of the show.

The students’ positivity, enthusiasm and outstanding work ethic ensured that the production was a huge success.

As always, the positivity and excitement surrounding the show created an incredibly supportive environment which allowed all the students to thrive on stage.

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GODALMING PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL

This year 68 of our students took part in Godalming Performing Arts Festival, with three ensemble groups and 15 solo/duo entries, Gordon’s students certainly made their mark on the competition again this year.

Eleanor-Rose Prince placed first with Honours in the Musical Theatre category Y12-13 with a mark of 87/100.

Alice Kermeen placed first with Honours for the Musical Theatre category Y7-11 against stiff competition with a mark of 92/100.

Evie Cottage received a note of Distinction for the same category, receiving a mark of 87/100.

Zoe Legge in Year 8 won the Own Writing Poetry class and Humorous Verse.

Semper Fidelis Singers retained the Mixed Voices Choir ‘Hydon Cup’ again this year.

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The Boys’ Choir entered their first ever competition after only forming six months previously. They proudly took first place in the school choir class up to Year 9.

Emma Hutchings took part in the Solo strings Y9-11 up to and including Grade 7. Emma won the Kraus Trophy which is awarded for the best performance from five classes.

The Jazz Ensemble made their first public appearance outside school. They faced stiff competition in the overall band category and scored an outstanding 97/100, winning the School Band category.

Competing against two very well-established bands, Godalming Youth Band and Reigate Pilgrim Band (which consisted of 25 adult musicians) our ten students stole the show winning the Jericho Cup for best performance in the overall band category.

Choral Evensong: They enchanted congregations at the Carol Services, then the newly formed Boys’ Choir held Choral Evensongs in the Chapel. These candlelit services were held on Parade Sundays in the school’s Victorian chapel.

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SIXTH FORM

SIXTH FORM QUIZ With Mr Walters wearing a very lively and sparkly green ‘quiz’ jacket students knew that this was a quiz to be taken very seriously indeed. Over 100 students and staff battled it out to be crowned the winner. With rounds covering sports, geography and flags, highlights of the evening had to be the staff baby photo round, guess the song (played on the recorder!) and Mrs Radford’s bonus music question.

Year 12 Gambling Awareness and Protection Lecture Former professional cricketer, Patrick Foster spoke frankly to Year 12 students about his own brutal experience of a life spent seeking the next win, often using online gambling where he was never more than a few clicks away from his next bet. Patrick’s powerfully engaging personal story gave the students a real insight into the realities of gambling and the devastating consequences when it becomes an addition.

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SIXTH FORM BBQ After a busy few weeks of AS exams it was fantastic to welcome Year 12 back in June with a BBQ in the pretty Louvain garden. The delicious smell of hot dogs and onions filled the air and even the sun came out (briefly!) to celebrate. Plenty of music (thank you to Mrs Hall’s playlist!) and laughter ensured a good time was had by all.

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LEAVERS’ DINNERS They were wacky, wild and creative, arriving in every conceivable form of transport for the Year 11 Leavers’ Dinner.

With the red carpet at the ready in the centre of the school’s Parade Square, students made their entrances in a tractor; lorry; fire engines, a caravan and an ice cream van to name but a few of their many modes of transport!

The Year 11s then enjoyed a formal dinner with their peers, teachers and Houseparents.

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With their A-Levels behind them, Year 13 students enjoyed a last meal at the school, which for some of the Residential Boarders, has been a second home to them for the past seven years.

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CAREERS This year’s Careers Programme started almost as soon as last year’s ended as we were lucky enough to be invited to a STEM Careers Day at the Farnborough Air Show in July after school had finished, where the students who attended got to meet not only Al Worden, from Apollo 15 space mission – one of only 24 people ever to have flown to the moon but also Tim Peake who was there to officially open the Air Show.

‘Meducators’, a group of Junior Doctors, gave interested students a day of what it’s like to work in Medicine and in January it was law with a workshop delivered by the University of Law about Criminal Cases, focusing on the Oscar Pistorius trial.

‘STEM’ week in March was followed by the third Gordon’s Careers Fair which continues to grow in exhibitors and was a great success, allowing students to interact with employers, universities and apprenticeship providers

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SUCCESS FOR GORDON’S YOUNG ENTERPRISE COMPANY Black & Write were proud to finish runners up in the North Surrey Young Enterprise Company Programme Showcase.

The team consisting of Emma Hutchings, Darcy Watson and Ann Robinson, all Year 10 students, won the best innovation prize for their mindfulness and wellbeing bullet journal, while the team were also highly commended for the quality of their presentation and their company’s digital presence.

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SPORTS OARSOME VISIT BY OLYMPIAN Olympic Gold medallist in rowing, George Nash MBE, officially opened ‘No 9’ the new ergo centre.

The inspiring rower who won Olympic gold and bronze; three World titles and two European crowns in five seasons cut the ribbon on what will become the main land training area for the school’s rowers. Rowing is a growing sports at Gordon’s in West End, Woking and has become a popular choice of co-curricular activity for many students.

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CYCLING

HOCKEY

A pleasing number of students are now taking part in off-road cycling. The drier weather of the Summer Term is always more enjoyable as it allows us to access routes that can be unusable in poorer conditions and those who enjoy road rides explored longer rides with the better light. Several riders have participated in road training with Charlotteville Cycle Club, as well as competitions.

The Bethune’s successfully completed a family ride from school to Brighton to raise money for the new Sports Hub.

It was another busy fixture list for the girls’ hockey teams this year.

The 1st XI made the final of the State Boarding School Cup which was played at The Olympic park. They narrowly lost on penalties to finish runners up.

This is my last article as I am stepping down after 21 years from my responsibilities for cycling. They have been very enjoyable and rewarding years as cycling has gone from a minority sport enjoyed by a few to one that is respected with a significant number of students participating. The highlights have been the three cycle trips to Lanzarote, which have seen students achieve things they did not think themselves capable of; and the charity rides we have undertaken. However in many ways the greatest pleasure has been to see hundreds of our students finding an enjoyment and a sense of achievement in developing this life skill. My thanks to all the staff and students who have given me so many enjoyable memories.

Steve Long

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FOOTBALL Played: 112, Won: 51, Drew: 13, Lost: 48, Win Ratio: 45% The First XI team made it to the semi-finals of the ESFA Cup for the second year running, ending their journey in a home game against Hampton School 5-4.

For the first time, we had an Under 18 Girls’ First XI who trained regularly and managed to make the Last 64 of the National ESFA Cup. They were also successful in their domestic friendly fixtures.

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As a school we were also our most competitive ever in our annual Saturday block fixtures where we regularly won more than lost which consists of A and B teams for all year groups. To assist with their development the Tuesday evening sessions after prep have ensured all pupils are regularly playing football whilst having some specialist coaching

EQUESTRIAN Gigi Gough competed at the British Show Pony Summer Championships during the last week of August. Gigi had qualified for the Best Rider of 2019 class in the Under 17 category, she had to perform a 1.5 minute show which had to incorporate a number of different styles of riding. The top six were selected to go forward and ride again in front of a different judge, Gigi scored the highest marks out of the six and won the overall under 17 section. She then had to ride in the evening championship against the winner of the under 12 and under 25 section. She won and earnt the title of BSPS Supreme Best Rider 2019

NETBALL

The season got off to a flying start with impressive victories across the year groups over Royal Alexandra and Albert, to retain the Patron’s Cup for the eighth consecutive year. The Year 10s were also crowned SBSF Champions beating Wymondham in the final.

On the back of various District League and Tournament victories Gordon’s Year 10 team retained their title as County champions for the fourth consecutive year and the Year 8s were County Runners up! The Year 10s reached the semi-final of the Surrey Netball Finals in March.

The Firsts hosted Royal Alexandra and Albert in December in the annual Duchess of Gloucester Cup match, retaining the cup for the seventh year running.

In September we welcomed Surrey Storm’s Nicole Humphrys as Head of Netball.

Ms Humphrys, a former England player for U19 and U21 age groups will manage 15 teams.

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SA RUGBY TOUR Four matches, four wins and a multitude of memories. Our squad of 25 on tour to the South African cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg enjoyed a wealth of experiences during their two week stay, making friends and putting heart and soul into each game.

The group, which included players from Under 14 to Under 17 started off in Cape Town and ended up in Johannesburg. Away from the pitch they experienced two games drives and saw the Big 5!

In the Worth School 7s, our rugby players ended eventual winners against Shiplake College by 17 points to 12.

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WHIRLWIND TOUR TO THE WORLD CUP NETBALL What better way to pick up some handy netball tips than by watching the World Cup Netball in Liverpool? The three day netball tour gave the girls the opportunity to see the best in the world take on each other at the Echo Arena. The group avidly watched the Sri Lanka vs Samoa game and Fiji vs Singapore. While particularly cheering on England and Gordonian Eboni Usoro-Brown (nee Beckford-Chambers), the students managed to catch up with England players Jo Harten, Rachel Dunn, Jade Clarke and Fran Williams.

The girls were able to take part in various games at the Fan Park as well as pose for photographs next to the actual World Cup Trophy!

Now they are looking forward to the next World Cup in South Africa!

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INTER-HOUSE COMPETITIONS BAKING Swiss rolls on a Gordon’s theme was the task facing bakers in this year’s Inter-House baking for senior students.

Their Gordon’s green icing was used to create crests; pictures of the General himself and listing the character qualities of students and staff. For the second year in succession, Kensington House baked their way to victory with their Swiss roll featuring the Gordon’s crest. In second place were China and third, Gravesend. In the junior event for Years 7-10, Viennese Whirls were the order of the day with Windsor House producing the winning combination of taste, looks and texture.

DEBATING Inter-House Debating saw all Houses taking part in a live debate from the start of the competition, so students had to refine their research skills and rebuttal from the off!

Topics included ‘“There should be limits to free speech on social media”, “Does the use of Miss and Sir promote sexism and hierarchy”; “The expansion of air travel is a good thing” and “Supermarkets are bad for local communities”. Our students argued their points meticulously and showed off their critical thinking skills, effective communication and most importantly teamwork.

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LONGMOOR All that elbow grease paid off as students presented sparkling shoes and beautifully ironed Blues for their annual Drill competition. Sandringham House started the event, which was inspected by Lieutenant Joshua Edwards from Pirbright.

Judging the drills was Sergeant Andrew Roberts from the Cadet Training Team at Longmoor. Girls were competing for the Longmoor Cup and boys for the Talbot Cup. The winners of the hotly contested Cups, were China and Buckingham Houses.

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INTER-HOUSE ROUND UP

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MATHS The inaugural Inter-House Maths Competition took place in January in the Rec. Each House team was made up of four students, one each from Years 7-10. They competed across three rounds which were all timed; round one being a cross number puzzle; round two involved students finding information around the school and using their answers in calculations and round three was a relay race. Great fun was had by all, and special thanks should go to the team of Sixth Form scorers.

ART The theme for this year’s Inter-House Art Competition was ‘Movement’. Houses selected their five representatives and had a number of weeks before the competition to research and create an idea which shows direct links to the title. Each House was given two consecutive Period 7s to complete their piece of work. The work was judged by the Art Department based on the research presented, the skill shown in the final piece and how well each House had evaluated their process and outcome. The winning House was Balmoral who created a beautiful painting of three dancers mid-movement.

DRAMA For this year’s celebration of the creativity and performing talents of all ten Houses. All were given a stimulus from which they had to create a short performance. This allowed the students in each House to explore various ideas, narratives and styles which were then honed into one final performance. Each House of students from Years 7 to 13, performed in a showcase in front of House staff, students and the panel of judges. Augusta’s concept of a dysfunctional yoga class, Sandringham’s take on prejudice and Buckingham’s use of comical stereotypes were some examples from a diverse range of narratives which saw Khartoum come out on top as the overall winners with their piece based upon family relationships.

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SPORTS SHORTS

Individual Sporting Achievements Athletics

The following students represented North West Surrey at the Surrey Schools Athletics Championships: • • • • • • • •

Fara Jasani 200m Amelia Francis 100m Tamara Hibbins 800m Joanna Hay Triple Jump Lucy Mocetuba Shot Putt Amy Dove 300m Wilf Moore Triple Jump Will Lewis Shot Putt Reece West Shot Putt Harry Hewsen Triple Jump Jo Sempala-Ntege Shot Putt Jamie Bond Long Jump Robbie Thomson 200m Abi White 800m Ashton Gordon 100m

The following students represented Surrey at the Inter Counties Athletics Championships: • • • •

Jo Sempala-Ntege Shot Putt Fara Jasani 200m Lucy Mocetuba Shot Putt Lucy Mocetuba also reached English Schools standards for her shot putt making selection for the English Schools National Championships in Birmingham.

Badminton •

Dom Nabasa U17 England Tournament Doubles bronze medal

Cricket •

Lachlan Bethune Runner up in the South East of England Duathlon competition

Football

• • • • • • • •

Cerys Griffiths-Jones South Wales Football Regional Elite Squad Harvey Hewson U15 Surrey Squad Ollie Barrow Woking Football Club George Freer Woking Football Club Harvey Hewson Woking Football Club Devon Gordon U18 Surrey Squad Joel Evans U18 Surrey Squad Reef Peries U18 Surrey Squad

Golf

• • •

Alexandra Phelps Surrey Girls’ Golf Squad Sarah Mardani Represented England against Wales. England U18 South Region Training Squad Estelle Ingram Qualified for the Junior European Open Represented England against Scotland

Equestrian • •

•

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• • • •

Gigi Gough Molly Barnard Overall champion at the Royal Three Counties Show Qualified for Horse of the Year Show and Royal International 5th Nationally in the 85cm – 90cm Arena Event Class NSEA 90 – 95cm Jumping with Style National Plate Champion Rebecca Hales 6th Nationally in the 1.15m Arena Event Class

Ella Litjens Surrey U16 Hockey Squad Joanna Hay Surrey U16 Hockey Squad Alice Cresswell Surrey U16 Hockey Squad Maisy Ellis England Performance Centre

Judo •

Henry Sturm International Championships Silver Medal, National Judo Championships Bronze Medal

Kayaking • •

Theo Lee-Clarke National School Games 2018 – Silver medallist (200m) Lucy Mocetuba National School Games 2018 – Silver medallist (200m)

Netball • •

Pippa Dixon Mavericks Under 17 Competition Squad England Netball U15 Libby Lomas Surrey Storm Netball

Rugby • • • • •

Henry Watts Surrey U15 Rugby Squad Jack Bodell Scottish Exiles U16 Rugby Squad Scotland Under 16 Rugby Squad Corum Nott Welsh Exiles U17 Rugby Squad Robbie Thomson Scotland-qualified U15 Rugby Squad Akin Tijani Harlequins Development Squad

Swimming •

Ollie Barrow Surrey Performance Assessment

Duathlon •

Hockey

•

Brogan Hyde Finished 3rd at Nationals in the 100m backstroke.

Qualified for British Championships 50m backstroke. Qualified for English Championships Rosie Jenkinson Qualified for British Championships 1500m front crawl

Other • • • • • • •

Ethan Lane Qualified for U14 England Ice Hockey Team Alana Booth Great Britain in the World Gymnaestrade 2019 Henry Sturm Bronze medal in the National School Judo Championships Heidi Smith Bronze medal with her team Fusions in the Synchronised Skating, Cardiff Isla Bethune Class winner of K2 10@10 race at the Elmbridge Canoe Club and runner up in the Tonbridge Marathon Faye Hyde Gold medallist at the Synchro Scottish Nationals.

Selected for regional talent development squad programme for synchronised swimming Abigail Hunter-Blanco Awarded second place at the Lintman Junior Open for Archery

Team Sporting Achievements International Level Golf •

U18s Millfield and Desert Springs European Schools Team Champions

National Level Cross-Country • • •

U15 Girls State Boarding School Champions U13 Boys State Boarding School Champions U13 Girls qualified for the regional rounds of the English Schools’ Cross Country

Football • •

1st XI ESFA Semi Finalists U16 Football Team State Boarding School Champions

Hockey • •

1st XI State Boarding School Runners up U13 State Boarding School Champions

Netball •

U15 State Boarding School Champions

Rugby •

U14 State Boarding School Plate Champions

Karting •

Gordon’s Team finished 5th in the 2018 National Finals

Football •

Hockey •

•

U18 Girls Southern Schools Tournament Champions

Netball

• • •

U15 Surrey State School Champions U14 Surrey State School Runners Up U13 Surrey State School Runners Up

Rowing • •

U16 Girls Double Bronze Medal at the Ball Cup J13 Girls Silver at the Marlow Regatta

District Level Athletics

• • • •

U12 Girls District Champions 2018 U15 Girls District Champions 2018 U15 Girls Claremont Fan Court Athletics Meet Champions 2018 U16 Girls District Champions 2018

Cricket •

U14 Surrey State School Champions 2018

Cross-Country • •

U13 Girls District Champions U14 Girls District Champions

1st XI KCS Wimbledon Invitational Tournament Runners up

Netball

• • •

U16 District Tournament Champions U15 District Tournament Champions U13 District Tournament Champions

Rounders •

U16 District Champions

Rugby 7s •

U18 Worth School Invitational Trophy Champions

Arete Swimming •

The Arete Swimming for Years 7-10 saw the final score Woking High 220 v Gordon’s School 157. James Clarke, Lachlan Bethune and Archie Kidwell all won both their individual races.

Cross Country •

The Cross Country team were crowned Arete Cross Country Champions, with a convincing win over Woking High.

Co-Curricular Team Achievements • •

County Level Golf

U14 District 6 a side Champions

Eco Society achieved Bronze Award Black and Write – Emma Hutchings; Darcy Watson and Ann Robinson runners up in the North Surrey Young enterprise Company Programme Showcase

Individual Creative Arts Achievements • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Emma Hutchings - Kraus Trophy for best performance from five classes at the Godalming Performing Arts Festival 2019 Emma Cohen - Pianoman Scholar Charly Tyson - Pianoman Scholar Chris Pearce - Woking Young Musicians Trust Award 2019; Double Grade 8 Distinction in Tuba and Singing, attends Guildhall School of Music Eleanor-Rose Prince - First place in the Musical Theatre Class Y12/13 Godalming Performing Arts Festival 2019 Alice Kermeen - First place in the Musical Theatre Class Y7-11 Godalming Performing Arts Festival 2019 Zoe Legge - First place in the Own Writing Poetry and Humorous Verse Class at the Godalming Performing Arts Festival 2019 Chairman’s Award – Male Hart Choir - Young Singers’ Competition Ellen Stone – Admission to The National Youth Theatre Oliver Henderson Level 4 in Bagpipe Performance and Theory SCQF Lucy Massie 1st in the regional piping chanter competition Isabelle Shepheard 1st in the piping ‘March and in the Slow Air’ Elizabeth Bailey who came first in the solo drumming competition Chris Pearce Woking Young Musicians Trust Awards winner Ciara Meaney first in the Under 13 age group in the Irish Dancing Southern Open Championships Abigail Hunter-Blanco speaker in the Global Social Leaders World Summit

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STAFF NEWS We said goodbye to three Heads of House this summer. Mrs Bryan in Gravesend is replaced by Mr Knight, who is stepping down from Head of Mathematics and is replaced by Mr Eaden.

After 17 years each we bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Duffield and Mr and Mrs Moore, with grateful thanks for all their sterling work over nearly two decades. Balmoral will be led by Mrs Heathcote her husband Mr Heathcote. Mr and Mrs Webb will be the new Sandringham House Parents.

After seven years’ service developing ICT and computing from the ground up, Mr Walters moved on to be replaced by Mr Sumsion.

Ms Bruin is succeeded by Mr Macaree, who is joining the teaching profession from industry.

Mrs McConville, after returning from maternity leave, departed permanently for a new life in America. Ms Moore leads the department and Mr Olden stays with us as the lead for co-curricular drama. We said goodbye to Ms Daniels and Ms Hampshire-Dell from the English Department. They are replaced by Ms Carter and Ms Wadham.

In support staff news, Miss Tarsey handed the careers baton to Mrs Sims, who will remain as part-time DT technician and Mrs Phillips left

a high bar for Mrs Futcher, the new assessment manager. In MFL, Ms Shires is replaced by Mrs Quinlan whilst in art and photography Ms Cotton left us but we are pleased that Mr Holt is staying on as her replacement. Ms Cross took over from Mr Walters as Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Mr Watts joined us from Dubai. Mr Watts replaced Mrs Kaur and leads whole-school numeracy and problem-solving.

Ms Cross replaced Mrs Lambe who left earlier in the year.

Although not leaving Gordon’s, Mrs Forster stepped down as head of netball after nearly two decades of sterling service and we welcomed Ms Humphrys into the role. Ms Humphrys currently plays for Surrey Storm. Mr and Mrs Cooper were appointed Woolwich Houseparents. Miss Mialkowski, current graduate pastoral tutor has become resident tutor in Woolwich and Ms Dawson a trainee teacher in the Art Department.

In addition to the annual arrival of four new graduate pastoral tutors, one of whom is a Gordonian, Victoria Howard-Andrews, we also have two new science teachers. Ms Dunne, also a Gordonian, who temporarily replaces Mrs Travers whilst she is on maternity leave, and Ms Armstrong, who stands in for Miss Ali whilst she takes a year’s sabbatical. Ms Armstrong will also take over Miss Ali’s Medical Applications coordinator role.

A LEVEL AND GCSE RESULTS

The hard work, sacrifice and dedication has paid off. A-Level students excelled again this year with a 100 per cent pass rate, in which 93 per cent of entries were graded A* - C. Among the delighted A-Level students opening their envelopes was Hana Godfrey who earned a place at Cambridge with her A*s in Biology and Chemistry and an A in Maths.

In their GCSEs, two thirds of our students achieved a ‘strong pass’ of Grade 5 or better in both English and maths with 88 per cent succeeding with the historic ‘gold standard’ of five or more (standard, 4) GCSE grades, including English language and maths.

Not only did he hit his fundraising target of £3,000 towards the new sports hall, but Jamie Sinclair Head of Buckingham House ran the London Marathon in just over three hours!

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GORDON’S SCHOOL BAGSHOT ROAD, WEST END, WOKING, SURREY GU24 9PT Tel: 01276 858084 | Fax: 01276 855335 WWW.GORDONS.SCHOOL