The Gordon Schools

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The Gordon Schools

The Gordon Schools is a non-denominational secondary school in the Scottish town of Huntly in the Council Area of Aberdeenshire . In 1971, their main building was included in the Scottish monument lists in the highest monument category A.

history

The school was founded by Elizabeth, Ducchess of Gordon , widow of George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon . With the establishment of the Gordon Schools between 1839 and 1841, it united the four local schools into one, which is why the school name is still in the plural today, although it is only a single institution. Around 750 students (as of 2019) attend secondary school.

School operation

Schoolchildren from a radius of around 25 kilometers attend the six-tier Gordon Schools. German, French and Italian are offered as foreign languages. Although it is not a boarding school, when students enter the Gordon Schools they are divided into one of four houses to which they belong until graduation. Each of the houses, Badenoch , Fraser , Gordon and Seton has a mentoring teacher. The houses also compete against each other at events.

The school uniform was determined in consultation with the parents and students. It consists of a black sweater or vest with a school coat of arms, a white blouse, shirt or polo shirt with an optional coat of arms and black trousers or a skirt and a tie.

coat of arms

The Gordon Schools have their own coat of arms. This shows two boar heads, lion heads, half moons and strawberry blossoms. These elements come from the coat of arms of the Gordon clan , the Badenoch region , the Seton clan and the Fraser clan . The red ribbon with silver stars shows the connection to the Brodie family , of which Elizabeth Gordon is descended. Black and gold stripes are taken from Huntly's coat of arms. The linden leaves and the tower are elements of the school grounds.

main building

The school is at the end of an avenue on the northern edge of Huntly. It was built between 1839 and 1841 to a design by the Scottish architect Archibald Simpson . Extensions were planned by A. Marshall Mackenzie in 1888 , by R. G. Wilson in 1903, and by William Kelly in 1912 . The Gordon Schools was last expanded in 1955.

Simpsons designed a symmetrically constructed, two-story complex in the neo-Jacobean style . In its center there is a high arched passage above which a bell tower with a curved hood rises. The school bell was made by Mears in 1840 . The extension from 1888 is stylistically almost seamlessly based on the Simpsons sandstone building. Kelly's extension from 1912, however, is in the Tudor style with asymmetrically arranged cross gables .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ a b Information from the Gordon Schools
  3. ↑ a b c Handbook of the Gordon Schools
  4. ↑ a b Entry on The Gordon Schools  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)

Web links

Commons : The Gordon Schools  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 57 ° 27 '2 "  N , 2 ° 47' 0.2"  W.