Gordonstoun was founded by Dr. Kurt Hahn in 1934 as an understanding institution where youths could genuinely grow. In 2019, HM Inspectors would place the school to a strenuous examination, ending that “the substantial range of possibilities for individual accomplishments in the senior school, as part of the Gordonstoun wider curriculum is outstanding.”
To comprehend the school, it helps to recognize the context behind its founding and exactly how the school utilized and also expanded its resources for many years to offer its students every possible benefit. We’ll look at the hallowed halls of this leading boarding school and how it came to be so valued by individuals from all profession.
Gordonstoun’s amazing place on a 200-acre forest estate in the north of Scotland offers the history for its world defeating exterior education program. Gordonstoun was the birth area of both the Outward Bound Movement and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as well as expeditions to the Scottish Highlands or cruise training on the School’s 80ft Sailboat are an important part of the School’s everyday life. Students obtain indispensable experience in being both leaders and team players and also in pitying as well as understanding for their fellows– as well as of themselves.
Gordonstoun is among the globe’s best recognized public schools, although it is fair to say that this online reputation is due in greater part to its educating British royals, consisting of Charles, Prince of Wales, and also Prince Philip, in addition to Zara Phillips.
The School “runs a policy of open accessibility, devoted to educating youngsters regardless of nationality, history or funds.” Entrance to the school at Year 9 is by Common Entrance when entering from prep school, however there is an “alternative test” path for other students designed to capture possibility.
The school by UK public school standards is modern-day, although its 17th century grounds hides its loved one young people. The Round Square educational program mirrors this youth, focusing on obstacle, service, obligation, as well as internationalism above, yet not marking down, academics.
Students are drawn from a variety of citizenships as well as histories. One in 3 students originated from overseas, an additional third from Scotland, and also a 3rd from the continuing to be United Kingdom. Diversity is really identified as well as appreciated, the Care Inspectorate keeping in mind that “Students talked to stated that during Ramadan the providing personnel, as well as fellow students had actually been extremely encouraging (both in regards to repositioned mealtimes and also being helpful as well as motivating).
Unlike Eton, however, Gordonstoun is resolutely co-educational (because 1972), invites a substantial number of day pupils, and also is a leading participant of the 150 strong worldwide “Round Square” schools team. It would certainly not include highly in a solely scholastic league table based assessment of the UK’s finest public schools, yet this, it is argued, is specifically the point if a school truly intends to offer a well balanced education for the “entire youngster.”
Located one hr’s drive from 2 global airports in Aberdeen and also Inverness, we found Gordonstoun a great deal easier to get to than most of the English boarding schools further southern. Moreover, the school arranges a normal transit by bus at vital travel times before and after the holidays. Last but not least, the 150-acre estate with its lush eco-friendly fields as well as excellent stone structures is sensational.
This school is effectively worth a see!
Gordonstoun is presently home to pupils from 46 countries. This incredibly varied area allows students to discover various cultures. It makes them considerate, tolerant and also informed international people. But it does not quit right here. The school runs social impact projects in Romania, Ethiopia as well as Thailand. Students aid to construct schools as well as orphanages there. They obtain deep understandings into the challenges on the ground. They also have to raise money for everything including their own trip tickets. All this is as Kurt Hahn meant: obtain youngsters to connect with a globe outside their blessed bubble life. This will elevate them to be liable, tolerant, active worldwide residents.
The School’s distinctively wide educational program motivates every person to satisfy their prospective academically, but it does more than that. It encourages students to meet their possible as humans. The School motto is ‘Plus Est En Vous’– ‘There Is More In You’. At Gordonstoun, this feeling of possibility is presented to its students, every day.
The school is resolutely not driven by academic performance and also contrasts better, if imperfectly, with Eton than with Winchester in its values. It honestly acknowledges the significance of “individuality” in what it searches for in those looking for entry to the school.
Gordonstoun weights exterior education extremely– it has its own 80 foot sail-training yacht, Ocean Spirit of Moray; areas “solution to others” as important to its education and learning one day a week (choices consists of aiding the senior, training to be a coastguard, as well as offering in the fire solution) and operates numerous international exchange programs. The school motto, Plus Est en Vous (There is a lot more in you) “underpins every aspect of the curriculum and also its distribution.” In the last inspection of the school, Gordonstoun was awarded the highest honor in discovering experience: “the bigger accomplishments of young people are of phenomenal top quality.”
Energetic engagement in service to the local area additionally makes up a core part of Gordonstoun’s ‘functioning week’, even more expanding the students’ feeling of individual and social responsibility and structure self-confidence. Gordonstoun follows the English GCSE as well as A-level curriculum. With a staff/pupil ratio of 1:7 as well as every student’s progression meticulously supervised by their tutor, they take place to universities, universities and also art schools around the globe.
The distinctly overall education and learning available at Gordonstoun offers its students with the opportunity to create intellectually, psychologically, physically and mentally since Gordonstoun comprehends that the wider the experience the wider the mind.
Gordonstoun scored the greatest feasible accolades (“sector leading”) from the HM Inspectorate of Education in two out of five testimonial areas in its last report (2009 ). These were Educational Experience and in its (breadth, range, and high quality of) Curriculum. The school was scored with “major strengths” in the staying three classes of review. The Care Inspectorate 2015 inspection found the management as well as leadership of the school to be excellent as well as course top. Its pupil to educator typical ratio is 10:1 in the 6th kind and the average course size is 14 for GCSE study. 96% of its students proceed to university in your home or overseas and also approximately 5% attend Oxbridge.
