Discover

(Redirected from Gordonstoun School)

'Gordonstoun' (originally in full, the 'British Salem School' in Gordonstoun) is a Scottish co-educational independent school. It is sometimes referred to as a public school, although strictly speaking, this is an English term. However, it is highly regarded and can lay claim to being among the finest schools in the independent sector in the UK today. In fact it probably ranks alongside Eton and Harrow as to its fame overseas, having educated three generations of British royalty.

Contents

History

Ethos

Alumni

Boarding Houses

Aberlour House

External links

References

History

Located in a 17th century house with over 150 acres near Elgin, Moray, in Scotland - near to RAF Lossiemouth - it was founded as an international school in 1934 by the German educator Dr. Kurt Hahn. It was named after the first school established by Hahn, Schule Schloss Salem (School of the Castle of Salem) in Southern Germany. Although a fierce German patriot, Dr. Hahn had to leave Germany after the Nazis gained power, mainly on account of his Jewish background and critical stance towards national socialism. Kurt Hahn himself was educated at Oxford University. Hahn turned down the prestigious headmastership of Eton college to establish Gordonstoun. Hahn had a new vision of education which envisioned a school based on Plato's 'Republic'. In time, it became one of the most distinguished and progressive schools in the western world.

Ethos

Hahn blended a traditional private school ethos with a philosophy derived, at least in part, from that of ancient Greece. This is most notable in the title "Guardian", denoting the head boy and girl, which Hahn took from Plato's Republic; the adoption of a Greek trireme as the school's emblem; and, most notably, a routine that could be described as spartan. He placed a high emphasis on militaristic discipline and physical education, particularly outdoor activities such as sailing and hill walking. It is therefore appropriate that the school's motto should be "Plus est en vous" (More is in you). The school formerly had a (possibly undeserved) 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 above).
The school also has a reputation for not placing an over-emphasis on testing and league tables. The school view being that this tends to lead to an education with a lack of time and freedom for a true, imaginative and humane engagement with life. This philosophy has not hindered most of their pupils achieving university places. With many going on to Oxford and Cambridge as well as American Ivy League universities such as Yale and Brown.
During World War II, the school temporarily moved to Llandinam in Wales.
It is best-known as the school attended during the 1960s by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on the recommendation of his father, Prince Philip, 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 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.
The school has changed since Prince Charles's time there. It had been a means tested school with boys from varied backgrounds, the rich paying far more than the poorer families. It had not been a popular school and was not really on the list of schools to which the wealthy wanted to send their boys. However after Charles's sojourn there it became very fashionable and has maintained that status to the current day. It later became, and remains, a very popular co-educational school. Ranked alongside Phillips Academy (USA), Le Rosey (Switzerland), Eton College (England) as one of the finest schools in the World. The membership of Gordonstoun's former pupil association reads like a copy of who's who.
Because of its strong international reputation, the school has no problem attracting sons and daughters of wealthy foreign businessmen, many of whom arrive in private jets at nearby RAF Lossiemouth to drop off their children at the start of term.
William Boyd has written in detail about his time there in ''Protobiography'', although he never mentions the school by name.
The School has a volunteer fire unit attached to the Grampian Fire and Rescue Service.

Alumni

Alumni of Gordonstoun are called "''Old Gordonstounians''" or "''OGs''":

★ British Royal Family members

★
★ Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

★
★ Charles, Prince of Wales

★
★ Prince Andrew, Duke of York

★
★ Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex,

★
★ Peter Phillips,

★
★ Zara Phillips

★ David Michael Douglas Boyle,Viscount of Kelburn,heir to the 10th Earl of Glasgow

★ William Boyd (1952-), novelist and screenwriter, winner of the Whitbread Book Award and nominated for Booker Prize.

★ Christian Castle, leading music and technology attorney, legal author and Fellow of the World Technology Network

★ Jason Connery, actor and son of Sir Sean Connery.^[1]

★ Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere Chairman of Associated Newspapers.

★ Dick Heckstall-Smith, a legendary British jazz and blues musician.

★ Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia Aleksandar Karađorđević, Crown Prince of Serbia.

★ Charles Kennedy (Economist)

★ Luca Prodan, Italian-Argentinian singer, leader of Sumo

★ Sarah Rachel Agasim-Pereira of Fulwood and Dirleton, Lady of Morpeth Castle

★ Christina Rau, political scientist and wife of the former President of Germany, Johannes Rau

★ Roy Williamson of the Corries, and writer of Scotland's national anthem, ''Flower of Scotland''

★ Ross Benson, Gossip Columnist

★ Tessa Blake, Filmmaker

★ Vice-Admiral Sir James Weatherall

★ Lady Helen Taylor, Duke of Kent's Daughter

★ Balthazar Getty, Great Grandson of Billionaire John-Paul Getty

★ Joe "Zowie Bowie" Jones, son of David Bowie

★ William Wood, Self-made millionaire who left £1.8 million to the school.

★ India Hicks, Model and Granddaughter of Earl of Mountbatten

★ Oona Chaplin, granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin^[2]

★ Charles Finch, Filmmaker (Head of William Morris, Europe) and son of actor Peter Finch
The fictional Lara Croft is also claimed to have attended the school.^[3] This may have been inspired by James Bond's "attendance" of Fettes College.

Boarding Houses

There are nine boarding houses at Gordonstoun School:^[4]
:Female:
::
★ Hopeman House
::
★ Plewlands House
::
★ Windmill House
:Male
::
★ Bruce House
::
★ Cumming House
::
★ Duffus House
::
★ Gordonstoun House
::
★ Round Square
:Co-ed
::
★ Altyre House

Aberlour House

Main articles: Aberlour House

Aberlour House, the preparatory school for Gordonstoun, was relocated to Gordonstoun's grounds from Aberlour in 2004. It is made up of dormitories, classrooms and communal areas in one building. Other lessons, like art and design technology for example, are done in the main Gordonstoun classroom area. Construction of the building was compleated in 2004 and in 2006, large extensions were added to the existing building, incorperating additional classrooms and dormitaries. At the moment around 100 children from 8-13 attend but this is expected to rise with the coming extension.
^[5]

External links

★ Gordonstoun School website

★ Round Square website

★ Gordonstoun School at the isbi.com website

References

1. IMDB biography of Jason Connery
2.
Chaplin's granddaughter acts up

3.
Lara's school days on big screen

4. Pastoral Care at Gordonstoun naming the dorms. URL accessed 2006-06-30.
5. Aberlour House homepage at Gordonstound Schools' website