Gordonstoun is more than a school. It is a philosophy of education in action.
Our unique curriculum gives young people the confidence to achieve what they otherwise would not, broadening their minds as well as their life horizons and opportunities.
For everyone connected with Gordonstoun, 'Plus Est En Vous' is much more than a motto - it's the living, breathing ethos at the core of everything we do. Dr Kurt Hahn, our founder, believed that young people flourish when horizons are broadened alongside academics. This belief has served our students well for over 90 years. All students take part in outdoor education, sail training, sports, performing arts and participate in one of our eight community services. This develops their understanding of the wider world, instills a can-do attitude, and equips them with essential skills for life.
Students live in a supportive community that is one third Scottish, one third from elsewhere in the UK and one third from over forty countries around the world. We are diverse in culture, faith, aptitude and background, and take pride in the understanding and richness this brings.
Our location also sets us apart - a safe, beautiful, 200-acre woodland campus in the heart of Moray in the North of Scotland, just moments from the sea and hills. Peaceful, yet accessible, with great international transport links.
Gordonstoun is co-educational for 4½ to 18 years, a full boarding school from 8 years and dedicated to delivering an ethos which stretches, challenges, nurtures and develops every child.
What Makes Us Unique
Sailing - Gordonstoun’s founder, Dr Kurt Hahn, described the Moray Firth as his ‘best school master’. To this day, sailing is a key element of a Gordonstoun education. No other school incorporates sailing and water sports into its curriculum in the same way.
Gordonstoun has its own fully equipped 80 foot ocean-going yacht, Ocean Spirit of Moray. Every student takes part in a seamanship programme - This starts on our locally built cutters prior to Ocean Spirit. The school also has a fleet of Toppers, Lasers, Vagos and powerboats just three miles from the school. In the summer holidays Ocean Spirit takes a student crew further afield, to the Arctic or the Azores. It also regularly takes part in Tall Ships Races.
Sail training develops confidence, perseverance, leadership and teamwork. These are key transferable skills which enhance students’ ability to perform in all areas, including the academic, and grounds them as individuals.
Services and Compassion - Gordonstoun students commit their time and energy to both local and global communities. Every senior student joins one of eight community and rescue services (Fire, Coastguard Rescue, Conservation, Technical Support, Community Action, Outdoor Leadership, Pool Lifeguards and Sports Service) - taking on conservation or sports coaching roles or responding to genuine emergencies as part of the local Coastguard or on-site Fire Service. Giving up their own time develops a sense of social responsibility and compassion for others and many travel across the globe, during holidays, for service projects in India, Kenya, Romania and Thailand