Flags have flown at half mast at Gordon’s since the announcement of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s death last night. This morning the whole School community congregated on the Parade Square for prayers led by School Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright. The Last Post was sounded and two minutes silence observed. The Pipes and Drums played The Lament, Flowers of the Forest. Unfortunately the planned livestream couldn’t take place due to technical difficulties but the Pipes and Drums’ lament can be seen here.

The Gordon’s School community joins the nation this evening in mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Union flags at Gordon’s have been flying at half-mast since the announcement. Tomorrow the whole school will assemble on the Parade Square to pay their respects, led by the Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright. Queen Elizabeth II has been Patron of the school since her accession to the throne in 1952, continuing the unbroken line of sovereign Patrons since the school was founded in 1885.

A taste of the past year at Gordon’s as we say au revoir to our Year 13 leavers and look forward to welcoming our new intake as well as returning students. What an incredible year! Visitors have included the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop of Dorking, HRH Princess Beatrice, Paralympic Gold Medallist Gordonian Hannah Russell OBE (and some hatching chicken eggs!). Our sportsmen and women have excelled on pitches, greens, Astro and water (to name but a few!), for school, county and country and our Pipes and Drums have celebrated 80 years with almost as many engagements. Two musical productions, MUN, debating, giving back and outstanding academic results. No doubt our students #bleedgreen! Here’s to another amazing year! For full video, please see below: 

Best of luck to all our students waiting for their GCSE and BTEC results tomorrow. Results will be ready for collection in the Rec at 10am and will be emailed to students’ school accounts from 10.30am.

Congratulations to two Sixth Form students, Daniel Drakeford (pictured left, below) and Isaac Johnson, who embarked on the challenge of the Via Francigena a 1,900km pilgrimage from Canterbury to Rome.

During their trek along the historic UNESCO trail through the Alps, they encountered a wild boar and searing temperatures. They tried walking at night and sought sanctuary in cool churches where they could, but a combination of heatstroke and heart-related problems ended the pilgrimage before reaching Rome. However, the pair achieved between 475 and 500 miles (around the same distance of Gordon's to Aviemore, Scotland!). In doing so, they have raised £960 towards the building of Gordon's House,  the girls' boarding house in Zimbabwe.

Isaac commented afterwards: "We have vowed to return in the future and complete the journey and have both agreed not to visit Rome until we have walked there, so that we may have earned it. I think that we were proud of how far we had come while still being disappointed at not being able to complete the whole journey."

Thank you to all those who supported them on their journey.

 For further details on their challenge and Gordon’s House, please click here.

Wishing all our Year 13 students the best of luck tomorrow for results day. We look forward to welcoming them into school from 8am. Alternatively, results will be sent via email from 8.30am.