Celebrating our Patron, HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee today with the Patron’s Parade. The Parade Square proudly displaying Union Jacks as the Gordon's Pipes Drums marched on playing Diu Regnare ( ‘Long Reigning'), composed by Stuart Liddell for the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee. Leading the Parade was Sergeant Major Isabelle Fleming. The Drum Major was Rose Roberts and Pipe Major Matt Carter. Gordon’s Parent and Trustee of the Gordon Foundation, Major General Angus Fay inspected the Parade. During the presentations to award winners, Major General Fay presented the Sword of Honour and Gardiner Memorial Award to Abigail Hunter-Blanco as the best senior cadet in Gordon’s CCF this year. The award commemorates the life of Daryl Gardiner a Gordonian who served in the British Army and was killed on active duty in Afghanistan. As part of the award, Abigail will take part in a tandem parachute jump with the Royal Electrical and Mechnical Engineers!

After the Parade, two of the youngest students in the school, Sophie Wallace and Annabelle Hayakawa - both born on August 31st - planted a Liquidambar tree as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. The two also buried a time capsule containing a science project showing how science has developed throughout HM The Queen’s reign.

For video of today's Parade, please see below (left) and for a Bird's Eye View see below (right)::

Enjoying the spectacle of the Founder’s Day Parade at the iconic Royal Hospital Chelsea, ten of our Year 8 students. Dressed for this auspicious occasion in their Blues, the group will also be be meeting Chelsea Pensioners. The annual Founder’s Day, also known as Oak Apple Day, is held on a date close to 29^th May, the birthday of Charles II and the date of his restoration as King in 1660.

Congratulations to Kate Brazendale, Izzy Kypri and Luke Brennan, winners of the Woking District Rotary Club’s Young Writer Competition. The students each created a piece of prose on the theme of ‘Environment’. They were presented with their certificates at a recent meeting of the Woking District Rotary Club.

Another great day’s racing for our rowers at the Walton and Weybridge Regatta over an 850m course. Tom and Ben competed in a double and so did Jake and James (in their first ever race!). Immie and Mimi in a double had a great first row and ending up in a ‘dead heat’. This meant they had to spin around on the river and head straight back up to the start and re-race the race! Unfortunately, this time they were pipped right at the finish and lost by ¾ of a length! Mimi and James both ended up in the finals, with James holding level with the other crew until halfway when he managed to push past and win his race. Mimi, in her final, pulled away at the beginning and just kept making the gap bigger, going on to win by three boat lengths – and her first pot!

All the rowers have been supported and encouraged by James G, who due to injury, is unable to compete but cheers them on at all their regattas.

James and Mimi now have their sights set on the National Schools Regatta at Dorney Lake next week.

Together for their last Chapel Service at Gordon’s, our Year 13 students, who begin their exams next week. Today’s Service, conducted by the school Chaplain the Reverend Graham Wright, provided one of the last opportunities to be together at school before the Leavers’ Dinner in July. Sandra Radford, Head of Sixth Form told them: “You have worked so hard for this. I wish you the best of luck. You are a pride and joy”.

Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell CB, CBE has been appointed the new Chairman of The Trustees of the Gordon Foundation. He took over on May 1^st from General Sir Peter Wall, who served as Chairman for seven years.

Commissioned into the Corps of the Royal Engineers in August 1982 until February this year, Lieutenant General Cripwell was Deputy Commander Allied Land Command, the standing headquarters for NATO land forces and was recently sworn in as Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, representative of the Crown in the Bailiwick.

His appointment to Chairman of the Trustees of The Gordon Foundation, the original charity established to run the original Gordon Boys’ Home, and now supporting Gordon’s School, continues the close relationship Gordon’s has enjoyed with the Royal Engineers since the Home’s, now School’s, inception as the national memorial to General Gordon, a former Royal Engineer.

Married, with two children, Lieutenant General Cripwell, a keen sportsman, said: “I am looking forward to helping the Gordon Foundation and the school achieve their strategic vision”.

Gordon’s Headmaster Andrew Moss said: “I would like to welcome Lieutenant General Cripwell to the school and very much look forward to working with him. I would also like to thank General Sir Peter Wall on his sterling service to the school.”

Please click here for more information on the Gordon Foundation and full list of its Trustees.