The half term holiday in May means just one thing for teachers at Gordon’s School, who won’t be putting up their feet and relaxing, but climbing mountains – three of them!

For four members of Gordon’s staff supported by two staff drivers, are taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge in the May half term holiday, aiming to make an ascent of 3064 metres, and walking 37km to scale the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours.

The reason why they are training so hard and giving up part of their holiday, is to raise money for bursaries at Gordon’s so that more children may benefit from a Gordon’s education.

Houseparents Sam and Daisy Cooper, together with Creative Arts Director Kat Moore and Development Director Jemma Moreau, are taking on the challenge, supported by their drivers, Head of Transport Services Edwin Sutton and netball coach Tina Lowe. They have already surpassed their target of £1,000 and are hoping for even more as they train at every available opportunity.

Gordon’s is a state boarding school, founded in 1885 as a home for ‘necessitous boys’ and the National Memorial to General Gordon, at the insistence of Queen Victoria. It is now a top performing co-educational senior state school providing both day and residential boarding. Tradition and heritage stand at the heart of the school, which has continued its founding principle of providing for the ‘necessitous’ child through bursaries. The state funds the tuition fees with parents paying for the boarding aspect and extended day activities. The bursary programme ensures that no family is precluded from applying to Gordon’s for a day or residential place for financial reasons.

There are currently 60 children across the school on assisted bursary places and those asking for a bursary-assisted place increases every year. It might be that a parent has died or there is a redundancy in the family or perhaps a child is in desperate need of the security and stability afforded by boarding. Whatever the reason, the difference the bursary makes to their lives is seen every day by staff at the school.

Many staff at the school in West End already support the bursary scheme through their monthly salaries. Now the six of them have decided to take this huge step.

Sam Cooper, who is also Head of Boarding at the school, said: “Every day we see bursary children benefiting from being at Gordon’s, where they are nurtured and provided with the stable environment they need to flourish. As teachers, it is one of the most rewarding parts of our jobs. We want more children to benefit, which is why we are embarking on this challenge.”

 Donations can be made through JustGiving  here.