User:RudolfSchmidt/sandbox/Gordonstoun

Gordonstoun School is a Scottish co-educational independent boarding school. Named after a 150 acre estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate to form its campus. It is located near Duffus to the north-west of Elgin, Morayshire.

Founded in 1934 by Dr.Kurt Hahn, Gordonstoun has an enrolment of around 500 full boarders as well as about 100 day pupils between the ages of 8 and 18. With the number of teaching staff exceeding 100 there is an extremely low pupil to teacher ratio compared to the average ratio in the United Kingdom. Annual full boarding fees range between £17 500 and £28 500 but many are able to attend through the different scholarships available. There are nine boarding houses, including three 17th century buildings that were part of the original estate, the other houses have been built or modified since the school was established.

Gordonstoun is known for its extensive extracurricular activities and has many notable alumni. It is famed for having educated three generations of British royalty including The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles. The school is internationally renowned with around 30% of students coming from abroad and is ranked alongside Eton and Harrow. This international popularity is helped by Gordonstoun forming part of The Round Square Conference of Schools, a group of over 60 schools named after one of the 17th century buildings on the Gordonstoun school campus.

History
Gordonstoun was established in 1934 by Dr.Kurt Hahn after being asked by friends to give a demonstration in the UK of his "Salem system". He was born in Berlin in 1886 and studied at The University of Oxford. After reading Plato's The Republic as a young man, he conceived the idea of a modern school and with the help of Prince Max of Baden he set up the school Schule Schloss Salem in 1919. After seeing what had happened in The First World War, both men decided that education was key in influencing the future and so Salem was built in order to make leaders of the community out of its students and by the 1930s it had already become a very renowned school throughout the whole of Europe. In 1932 Hahn spoke out against the Nazis and was arrested in March 1933. He was released and was exiled to Britain in the same year through the influence of the Prime Minister, Ramsey MacDonald, who was familiar with Hahn's work. It was then that he decided to start a new school in Morayshire.

Gordonstoun started in a very small way and with a lot of financial difficulties. Hahn's offer for the lease was accepted on 14 March 1934 but the buildings were in need of much repair and at the start of the first academic year there were only two pupils. It had been decided that Gordonstoun would only last a few years and was only to serve as an example of what Hahn's vision entailed. But slowly more students arrived, transferred from Salem, including Prince Philip of Greece, now more commonly known as The Duke of Edinburgh. Eventually things picked up and by the start of The Second World War 135 boys were attending. The start of the war saw a lot of change for Gordonstoun. In June 1940 the whole school was evacuated and the Gordonstoun estate was taken over by the army for use as barracks. A new home was found in Montgomeryshire in central Wales when Lord Davies, a parent of two of the pupils, allowed the school to use one of his houses there. The proposal was accepted but the buildings were insufficient and finances and pupil numbers began to drop. The school survived the remaining years of the war though and was actually able to grow in numbers overall as well as becoming a lot more well known throughout Wales and the Midlands. Once the war had ended the school was able to return to the Gordonstoun estate.

By the end of the 1940s the school achieved its primary target of 250 pupils and continued growing in size. It managed to build more boarding houses on the estate, removing the need of a house in Altyre, Forres, many miles away from the main campus. Gordonstoun also continued in its growth in education. Schemes were set up to allow poorer children from the surrounding areas to attend, as well as deepening the outward bound activities, which were central to Hahn's system. Skills in mountaineering and seamanship were always taught at the school but the introduction of the Moray Badge, from which The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was borrowed, expanded this. From the 1950s onwards, with the foundations of the school firmly set, more focus was put into improving the facilities and expanding the curriculum. Major changes since then include: the founding of Round Square in 1966, an international community of schools sharing Hahn's educational ideals; the school officially becoming co-educational in 1972 ; and the moving of Aberlour House, Gordonstoun's preparatory school, from Speyside to a purpose built junior school on campus in 2004.

Ethos
In the beginning Hahn blended a traditional private school ethos, modeled on Eton and his experiences at Oxford, with a philosophy inspired by Plato’s The Republic and other aspects of ancient Greek history. This is most notable in the title "Guardian", denoting the head boy and girl, the adoption of a Greek trireme as the school's emblem, and a routine that could be described as Spartan. He placed a high emphasis on militaristic discipline and physical education, particularly outdoor activities such as seamanship and mountaineering. The school formerly had a reputation for harsh conditions, with cold showers and morning runs as a matter of routine, and physical punishments, known as "penalty drill" or PD, in the form of supervised runs around one's house (dormitory) or the south lawn of Gordonstoun House (pictured). Physical education and challenging outdoor activities are still taken in high regard at the school but cold showers and punishment runs are a thing of the past.

The school's ethos is defined by 'Four Pillars’ of education with each pillar representing a part of the whole curriculum. These are:


 * Internationalism
 * Hahn’s views on education centred on the ability to understand different cultures. Gordonstoun incorporates this in a number of ways including its association with Round Square and in offering student exchanges to the different schools within the association. Additionally there is a chance to join one of the annual international service projects which take students abroad to help a foreign community, for instance there has been projects to build schools in Africa, build wells in Thailand and help orphans in Romania.


 * Challenge
 * Hahn believed that an important part of education was to challenge a person and take them out of their comfort zone, improving a person’s ability to deal with difficult situations. Although challenge can be found in all areas of education, the school requires that every student takes part in a series of outdoor programmes particularly expeditions in the Cairngorms and sail training on the schools 80 foot vessel, Ocean Spirit.


 * Responsibility
 * Forming part of the school’s general education, responsibility is instilled into the students through giving opportunities of leadership roles and allowing more freedoms as the students progress through the years.


 * Service
 * Hahn is quoted to have said that “The Platonic view of education is that a nation must do all it can to make the individual citizen discover his own power and further more that the individual becomes a cripple in his or her point of view if he is not qualified by education to serve the community.” The idea of service at the school is thought to encourage students to gain a feeling of responsibility to aid other people and is implemented in creating an array of services that every student becomes apart of (see below).

Gordonstoun also tries to help as many underprivileged students attend as possible. This is achieved through a series of grants, trusts and funds from which the school can draw upon in order to support students who are unable to pay the full fees. In the academic year 2009/10 the school is providing financial support for 163 students including 11 with 100% fee coverage and 95 with 50% fee reduction. In order to make this easier the school is now a registered charity: Scottish charity number SC037867.

The Gordonstoun Schools
Along with the main school two other schools form part of the greater Gordonstoun community. These are Gordonstoun's preparatory school, Aberlour House, and a summer school that serves to promote the school outside of the academic year.

Aberlour House
The first prep school was founded in 1936 at Wester Elchies and unlike Gordonstoun, was not made to move during the war. At the start of the war there were 40 boys and girls attending and these numbers increased to the point that a second school was opened at Aberlour House in 1947 by which time nearly 100 pupils were attending.

Wester Elchies was pulled down in the early 1960s because of dilapidation. The prep school continued fine with just Aberlour but even so there were always problems with the 20 mi that separated the main Gordonstoun campus and the school. In 2004 this was amended with the construction of a purpose built school on the main campus. Presently Aberlour House has approximately 115 pupils between the ages of 8 and 13 attending. Although they form part of the same institution, going to Aberlour is not a prerequisite of going to Gordonstoun and neither is it enforced that pupils at Aberlour House continue on into Gordonstoun. Even so, they are both obviously very close, sharing the same school song, school flag and the same motto.

Gordonstoun International Summer School
The summer school was started in 1976 and has catered to over 7000 students since then. It opens for a four week period every summer with the aim of giving a taste of the Gordonstoun ethos. Although for the most part the priority is to challenge and entertain the children with adventure, sports and creative arts, the school also teaches courses in English. Around 250 children from all over the world, from the age of 8 to 16, attend each year.

Academic Curriculum
Entrance to Gordonstoun requires the student to pass a Common Entrance Examination but there are strong learning support facilities provided for those with learning difficulties and especially in respects to students from abroad where English as a Second Language is available throughout. ICT is taught throughout the whole curriculum and pupils have access to the internet by a school wide network. Computers are present in all departments and boarding houses as well as all of the Junior School pupils having laptops.

In the Junior School (ages 8–13), students study a wide range of courses and follow the Scottish Education system. In the Senior School (ages 13+) the students complete a year's foundation course and then enter into the English Education system by starting a two year GCSE course followed by a two year A Level course. Gordonstoun offers 21 GCSE courses, 27 AS Level courses and 21 A Level courses including specialised subjects such as Dance, Classical Studies and Further Mathematics.

Although emphasis is placed on what attributes and skills students leave with rather than good grades, they still score very highly in examinations. The 2009 HMIE inspection evaluated Gordonstoun as being 'Excellent' in their curriculum, the highest award possible. The majority of students at GCSE Level attained A* to C grades with 25% being at A* or A, and at A Level almost all lead to a pass with 50% receiving A or B grades.

Suitable students are prepared for Oxbridge applications as well as SAT entrance for universities in the United States. 96% of students proceed to higher education with 79% going to UK universities and 17% to universities abroad. Of those that don't go onto to further education many will take gap years or join the armed forces. .

The Arts
The Music department is one of the largest departments in the school with Music as a subject being taught up to A Level standard. The department has many facilities at its disposal: aside from the standard practice/teaching rooms it also has two large rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, drum studio and a computer cluster. 40% of students learn an instrument and all students are given the chance to join one of the 17 ensemble activities from the Gordonstoun Symphony Orchestra and Brass Ensemble to Pipe and Jazz Bands. The concert society organises six professional performances held throughout the year including Chamber and charity concerts as well as collaborations with the Drama Department for the school productions. Some students may also join the department on a music tour abroad which takes place biennially.

The Drama department hosts multiple plays, musicals and Shakespeare productions all year round, some of them taking place in the main chapel but most in the drama theatre which has a capacity for an audience of 200. Theatre Studies is taught as a subject up to A Level standard and Dance to GCSE standard, Gordonstoun being the only school in Scotland where dance is taught as part of the academic curriculum. In addition to having visits from professional touring companies to teach students, performances by the students themselves take place frequently at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at local schools. The school sets up festivals of its own to showcase the work of the students in both drama and dance, and even the staff produce their own play at the end of each year for the enjoyment of the students. Like the Music Department, the Drama Department also puts on performances abroad most recently in their tour of the US.

Activities
Everyday, apart from Sundays, activities take place after classes have finished. All students are required to partake in an activity but are free to choose what activities they do. At the beginning of the term students can decide which ones they do on what days from the available list. Some activities will only be available at certain points in the year such as cricket in the summer term. The list of activities provides a mixture of arts and sports, from football (soccer) to photography. Although it is normally compulsory to attend, with absence being reported to the respective House Master, it may be possible with permission from the Head of the activity and HM to gain leave in order to finish off any other work. During heavy exam periods activities become optional but usually only with senior years.

Sports
In the beginning Hahn expressed his view that at many schools ball games had been given precedence over other activities and so, to start with, more focus was placed on seamanship and practical work than the playing of games. Due to this, competitive matches did not start until the autumn of 1935 when Gordonstoun played and won its first rugby match against Grantown Academy. Even so the school was still in its infancy and there were no designated fields on which to play with conditions being so bad that during pre-match, halftime and post match, players would clear as many pebbles off the field of play as possible. Sporting events slowly picked up, the summer of 1935 saw Gordonstoun's cricket team win two, lose two and draw one. Kurt Hahn set up the hockey team personally with Prince Philip humorously recounting a game against Elgin Academy's Ladies team and saying that he "...hoped that soon we shall be among the best Scottish girls' teams."

Today there are many playing fields for rugby, football and cricket as well as an outdoor hockey AstroTurf equipped with floodlights, outdoor tennis courts and a 400m running track. Apart from these outdoor pitches there is also a large sports centre with facilities that include a rock climbing wall, a 25m swimming pool, a weights room, squash courts and an indoor activity hall for basketball, badminton and netball. .

Popular sports such as football,rugby union, netball and cricket produce teams that frequently compete with other schools and adult clubs, locally as well as from across Scotland: in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. These teams engage in international tours too with the most recent trips being to Dubai, South Africa and the West Indies.

Football
The 1st XI participate in four different competitions. The main competition is the County Schools League where Gordonstoun plays along side nine other schools in a league system with the chance of promotion/relegation at the end of the season. The other three are Scottish Cup, North of Scotland Cup and the Scottish Independent Schools Cup where Gordonstoun plays with a mixture of independent and state schools. The Cup systems differ in that the school will start in a round-robin tournament meeting certain teams in their group in a bid to progress to the knockout stage of the cup.

2009/10 Season: Gordonstoun exited the Scottish Cup through defeat to Charleston Academy in early October, but managed to book a quarter final place in the Scottish Independent Schools Cup by beating Strathallan School 2-1 at home and went on to top the group through another 2-1 win against Robert Gordon's College. Below is a table to show Gordonstoun's progress in the league.

Aside from these more tradition sports there is also the opportunity to participate in karate, equestrianism, skiing, .22 rifle shooting and clay pigeon shooting, athletics, golf and many others. Clubs also form part of the activities list which is made up of cooking, debating, astronomy and film.

Service
Service to the community forms part of Gordonstoun ethos and takes place every Wednesday. The school has created a number of different services, each service dedicated to a certain cause. Caring for members of the local area and the environment is done by the Community Service. The other services provide rescue or emergency assistance.

The Community Service permits students to help in the local area, spending time visiting retirement homes, nursery schools including visits to those with physical or mental disabilities. A lot of work is also done with established groups by helping PDSA and Oxfam charity shops. Members of other services can also join the Community Service as a second service.

The other services work to help in emergency situations such as search and rescue and will train in different skills depending on what they do. In general this involves training in First aid, Navigation, search techniques and use of VHF radios. All will require that students pass certain nationally recognised awards.

Coastguards, Lifeguards, Canoe Lifeguards and the Special Boat Service assist the local authorities and community in and around the water. The Coastguards was the first service set up by the school in March 1935 and a log cabin was built soon after on the cliff tops. The watch tower is still used but the service now also has a 4x4 and attend about 3 or 4 per term. The Lifeguards train through practical and theoretical lessons to meet standards set by the RLSS so they can help invigilate the swimming pool. The Canoe Lifeguards train in local rivers and in the North Sea in order to attain various British Canoe Union awards and the SBS posses RIBs powered by outboard motors as well as small sailing craft to teach students boat handling and maintenance.

The Mountain Rescue Unit and the Nordic Ski Patrol services assist in operations in the nearby Highlands. The MR service undertake an extra two expeditions each term to develop skills with practice also taking place on the school climbing wall. Ski Patrol practice whenever possible in season but can also use the artificial track at Huntly with the eventual exam to become part of the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.

The Fire Service work closely with the Grampian Fire and Rescue Service and have a fire station on campus with two fire-fighting appliances at their disposal. It was started in 1940 while the school was based in Wales and they acquired an appliance soon after. They attend roughly fifty call-outs a year and so members have to be medically and physically, training in order to pass the practical test before becoming a firefighter. The team is split into three watches lasting a week each and are on call 24 hours a day having to carry pagers and react quickly should they be called.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was started as Gordonstoun and takes many aspects of its requirements from the four pillars of education. Because of this many students will use there participation in a service to help attain the award.

Seamanship
Seamanship has been a main part of the curriculum since the school began. The first voyage of note was in a cutter from Hopeman to Dornoch in June 1935, a distance of 25 mi. Students still train in cutters from the age of 13 upward at Hopeman harbour to prepare for a voyage in the school's 80 ft sailing vessel. Most excursions take a week sailing off the West Coast of Scotland, but the school also enters into the The Tall Ships' Races annually which allows students to take part in an international competition in European waters lasting up to a month.

Expeditions
All students will partake in multiple expeds during their time at Gordonstoun, lasting from a day to a week. The location of the school allows for the students to be exposed to an array of different terrains. The Cairngorms are only a short drive away and provide opportunities to engage in Camping, Orienteering and learning survival techniques. Training is given to the students throughout their time at the school and they are tested with progressively harder situations. In lower years they begin with expeditions that are accompanied by staff and in later years with an unaccompanied expedition where students will have to plan and prepare for the trip themselves. Expeditions can also take place at nearby lakes and rivers for Canoeing trips and also hills and forests for Mountain biking.

Prefects
In the lower school, ages 13 to 16, a boy and a girl are elected to be Captains of the lower school. They provide liaison between teachers and students so that any concerns can be rectified. To do this they must attempt to be model students and be easily approachable. Other roles they partake in can include organisation of inter-house activities, charitable events and the lower school social.

In the Upper School, ages 16 to 18, responsibility is available through a hierarchy of positions. This starts with Captains of Sports, Service and House. In the case of Captains, no peer voting takes place but rather a student is elected by the Head of the respective department. This way it is not uncommon for some people to be re-elected as Captain for multiple terms depending on whether or not anybody else of suitable stance is available. Captains of Sport such as the Football or Rugby Captain are chosen by the Head of that particular sport and will help the Head organise teams for practice and preparation off the field of play as well as on it. Similarly Captains of Service will aid the Head of Service organise training sessions and be a contact to the rest of the members.

Captains of House are slightly different though in that they play a more personal role for students who want to voice problems with conditions within the house and this often means that House Captains have a lot more students to be responsible for. This difference is more evident in their original title of 'Helper'. They tend to be in close contact with the House Master so that any issues requiring immediate attention can be sorted out as well as being able to relay any general ideas or concerns in the House Captains' Council which meet once every two weeks. At the meeting a teacher is present and minutes are taken so that they can be passed onto the Colour Bearers (CBs).

Colour Bearers get their name from a band of purple they wear as insignia on their uniform, purple being one of the school colours. A very select group of pupils, they are elected by the students and the staff, similar to Eton's Pop, and have important roles in the school community as a whole. Unlike captains they keep their positions for a whole year unless they are demoted which is usually the punishment for untoward behaviour. They meet every week with the Headmaster to attend to a wide range of school matters. As well as this they are responsible for maintaining the refectory and the library and for serving drinks behind the bar at the weekly socials in addition to organising major school wide events that take place throughout the year.

From the CBs a boy and a girl are chosen to be Guardians for the trimester. These are the Head Students for the entire school and since there are only normally 6 people a year allowed to have this position it is held in high regard by students and teachers alike. The term Guardian comes from the name of the supportive rulers of Plato's ideal state. This name, along with Helper, are designed to drive home the difference of a student in a positions of power, and a student with the responsibility to aid others. Therefore, like the staff they are closely involved in the management and wellbeing of the school.

Boarding Houses
There are nine boarding houses spread throughout the campus. During a students time at Gordonstoun they will always be apart of the same house and a lot of pride and loyalty can be associated with one's house. In order to properly accommodate the students all houses have TV and a common room in which students from all houses can relax in. Small kitchenettes are also available, normally with only limited appliances such as a kettle, microwave, fridge and toaster but some houses have kitchens vastly lagers than others depending on the number of students in the house. The house will also provide showers and cleaning facilities such as a washing machine and dryer although there is a biweekly school cleaning service but it is only intended for under garments and uniform. All houses have wireless internet access.

The houses are run by a small team of teachers. The House Master (HM) has overall responsibility and is helped by the Assistant House Master (AHM). Either or both of these will be present at the daily house meeting and will oversee prep to make sure students are studying. The HM will organise any special house events, decide who the house captain will be for the term as well as choosing a captain to take care of other house related goings on. The HM is also the person who most students would talk to if they had a problem although all teachers are available for help. Both the HM and the AHM normally have residences within the houses and so are very much part of the house. Each house has a Matron who helps the students through their daily routine as well as a tutor to help the students in their studies. The year a student is in, and the amount of rooms in the house decides which students are allowed a room of their own, although it is normally decided that younger years share whilst senior students get their own rooms. All students rotate rooms each term.

The houses are:


 * Female:
 * Hopeman House
 * Plewlands House
 * Windmill House


 * Male
 * Bruce House
 * Cumming House
 * Duffus House
 * Gordonstoun House
 * Round Square


 * Co-ed
 * Altyre House

Some houses will go on house expeditions and there are many inter-house competitions that take place in the year. These competitions vary a lot in nature. For the most part the most common are sports like Basketball and Football or simply a Tug of War.

A Day In The Life
Breakfast begins at 07:30 and is served until just before 08:00 at which time students start to head over to St Christopher's Chapel for assembly at 08:15. After this 20 minute or so service classes begin and go on until 14:30 with a 15 minute morning break and a 40 minute lunch break in between. All main meals are served at the school refectory. From 14:30 to 17:00 students will partake in their chosen activity, which varies through the week. From 17:00 to 18:00 is a short study period known as first prep. Dinner starts at 18:00 and the students are free until 19:00 at which time they must be back at their houses for a meeting where a register is taken. Now the main prep period starts and finishes at 20:45. The students are given time to relax with the lowest year going to bed at 21:30, whilst the eldest students are allowed to visit other houses up to 22:00 and are required to go to bed at 23:00. The bed time of the students and the freedoms they get after prep increases as they progress through the school. Although it is known as bed time, students are only required to be in there rooms and remain quiet, they may be allowed a short amount of time after their designated bed time in which to read etc.

On Saturdays there are still classes but only until 12:35 after which students must attend their service activities. All years have a social event in the evening.

On Sundays breakfast is served later at 09:30 after which the main chapel service of the week takes place. For the most part the rest of Sunday is free for the students to relax although any inter-house competitions or special events normally take place on a Sunday.

Old Gordonstounians (OG's)
During the 1960s Prince Charles attended the school on the recommendation of his father, The Duke of Edinburgh, who had himself been one of the first students to attend Gordonstoun having previously been educated at Salem in Germany. Princes Andrew and Edward eventually followed in their father's and elder brother's footsteps. Of the four princes, three (Philip, Charles and Edward) were appointed Guardian (head boy) during their time at the school. Princess Anne, the Queen's only other remaining child, was not educated at Gordonstoun, which at that time was for boys only. However, she did send her own two children there and also served for some time on the school's board of governors. She still maintains her links with the school, serving currently as a Warden of the school.

In addition to the royal family other notable alumni include the writer William Boyd and musicians Roy Williamson and Dick Heckstall-Smith.