Happy birthday Kensington House! The girls’ Day Boarding House, which was opened by His Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex (now HRH the Duke of Edinburgh) today, 25 years ago, celebrated its quarter of a century on Sunday by welcoming Gordonians and current students and their families for a birthday tea and cake. It also provided an opportunity for a tour of the House and School. Among those enjoying the celebrations were the current Head of House, Kate Connery, the original Head of House Jenny Wilson, Paralympian gold medallist Hannah Russell and her sister Alice.

Introduced to hockey when she arrived at Gordon’s in Year 7, Phoebe Schollick has played for just three years yet is now turning out for the Gordon’s First XI, playing for the Ladies 1s at Woking Hockey Club (who recently awarded her their ‘Most Improved Player of the Season’) and England Hockey’s Talent Academy. This week she was offered a place in the Hockey Mentors Programme for players showing international/national hockey leagues potential. Luckily her training schedules are on different days so she is able to juggle her hockey commitments alongside her school day and homework!
The dream is to play hockey in the Olympics. The 14 year old who plays half back said:  “I have made lots of friends and have such a sense of pride when I play” and she urged others to take up the sport – “Give it a go. You’ll surprise yourself!”

Two of the schools most successful sporting teams came head to head in a clash of the Titans as the boys 1^st XV rugby team took on the 1^st VII netball team in a game of netball! In this, their last school game, the stakes were high. Captaining the boys’ side, England U19 back row Elliot Williams, who led the school’s ACE Team to victory in the ACE League and played his debut game for Harlequins on Sunday. Summer, a member of London Pulse U19, who are consecutive national champions, led the girls, three of whom finished sixth in the country at the national schools’ finals last year.  The rugby boys made valiant attempts at understanding the rules (and showed great promise with their terrifying passing!) but failed to counter the deftness and agility of the girls!

A year ago Ollie Streeter was studying for his A Levels at Gordon’s. On Saturday his ‘dream came true’ as he played his debut game for Harlequins in their Big Summer Kick-Off 2025 against Gloucester. The tight-head prop, who earned a place at Gordon’s on the Gordon’s/Harlequins Partnership Programme, was capped for England at U18 and awarded a contract for Harlequins Senior Academy last summer. Family and friends, including students and staff from Gordon’s, watched his debut in the game that saw a resounding victory for Quins of 38-19. Click here for his post-game interview.  For further information on the Gordon's/Harlequins Partnership Programme, please click here.

Seven new members of the National Youth Theatre from Gordon's. The students passed their auditions to this prestigious organisation, which only awarded places to eight per cent of the 5,000 applications nationally. Congratulations to Emma, Poppy, Ava, Phoebe, Emilia, Naima and Adekunbi.