Gordon's School is a secondary school with academy status in West End near Woking, Surrey, England. It was founded as the Gordon Boys' Home in 1885. It is now one of the 36 state boarding schools in England. It converted to an academy on 1 January 2013.[1] But controversy arose over the school charging £10,494 a year for day-pupil places.[3][4] It has been argued that makes the state school selective, along with others which charge similar fees. Under the Education Act 1996 it is illegal for state schools to charge for admission or education provided within normal hours.[3][5] In June 2022, Gordon's was judged Boarding School of the Year by the TES (Times Educational Supplement).
History
The school was founded by public subscription in 1885 as the Gordon Boys' Home, as the National Memorial to General Gordon of Khartoum, an officer of the Corps of Royal Engineers, who had been killed in 1885. According to the school, the idea came from Queen Victoria, who was its first patron. However, in 1914 due to the first World War, the school was closed for the duration. It then reopened soon after, in early 1919.The reigning monarch of the United Kingdom has been a patron ever since. Its first commandant was Major General Henry Tyndall, CB, ex 2nd Punjab Infantry, and its first home was Fort Wallingford.[6]
Gordon's began as a home for underprivileged boys, but it quickly became a boys' boarding school. In 1888, the Gordon Foundation was established as an independent charitable trust to administer the school. In 1990, the first girls were admitted.[7] It converted from being a voluntary aided school to an academy 1 January 2013.[1][8]
Student body
Gordon's is now a co-educational Academy school, and the pupils are a mixture of full and weekly boarders (judged outstanding in all categories of boarding by Ofsted in 2014 [9]) and day students. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with national figures, but a higher proportion of pupils than is typical nationally have an education, health and care plan. The percentage of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is well below the national average. The proportions of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language are in line with national averages.[10] Some two thirds of the pupils are day students.[11] The school was subject to a Section 8 inspection in 2017 where it and its safeguarding procedures were judged to be outstanding.[10]
Facilities
There are over 40 acres (160,000 m2) of playing fields complete with cricket nets and athletics track.[8]
Buildings
The central building on the south side of the Parade Ground is the Assembly Hall and Reception building that was completed in 1887, designed by William Butterfield, in a Gothic revival style.[12]
To the south of the original 1885 buildings is a Grade II listed building:[13] the 1894 memorial school chapel built in memory of Prince Albert Victor, eldest son of Edward, Prince of Wales who had helped fundraise for the boys home. It has a 4 bay criciform pan and was designed by William Butterfield in Early English Gothic style.
Curriculum
Virtually all maintained schools and academies follow the National Curriculum, and are inspected by Ofsted on how well they succeed in delivering a 'broad and balanced curriculum'.[14] Schools endeavour to get all students to achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBACC) qualification - this must include core subjects, a modern or ancient foreign language, and either History or Geography.
Ofsted in 2014 said that "the academic standards attained by students are very high. The proportion of students achieving five GCSE grades at A* to C, including English and mathematics is well above average. The quality of teaching is consistently good and often outstanding. Students are very enthusiastic about their learning because of this. Regular homework is used very effectively to promote their progress."[9]
Extra curricular
Gordon's School pipe band has around 30 bagpipers, 10 snare drummers, 6 tenor drummers and two bass drummers. The school marching band leads students along Whitehall London every January to the statue of General Gordon as part of the school's Memorial Weekend. As well as taking part in the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships, members of the Pipes and Drums also play every year at the Menin Gate in the Last Post Ceremony and have performed for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.[8]
In 2017, the Pipes and Drums bandmaster, Cecil McCready, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for three counts of sexual assault with a child by a person in a position of trust.[15] McCready, a retired Irish Guard, had worked at the school for 17 years before his arrest and led the band to perform for the Queen at Commonwealth Day in 2014.[16]
Daniel Gonzalez (spree killer) (attended 1991-1996), a former boarding pupil who murdered four victims and attempted to murder two others in September 2004; sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006, he cited horror films he had seen at a young age as inspiration for his crimes.[17]
Places listed are articles or sections notable as settlements, arranged by post town Camberley is the administrative centre and largest single settlement
