Our recent visit to Nisbets Catering in Avonmouth proved to be an inspiring and memorable experience for a group of our Year 9 students. The trip offered a unique opportunity to explore the vast range of career pathways within a leading industry organisation, while also building confidence, teamwork, and new skills.
Today, we were delighted to celebrate the graduation of our Year 7 Nurture Hub students, marking the completion of their learning journey focused on communication, friendship and understanding emotions.
Gordano School is preparing to celebrate a remarkable milestone as it approaches its 70th anniversary in 2026/27.
Under the banner of Gordano70, the school is launching a year-long programme of activities designed to bring together current students, former students, staff, families and the wider community in celebration of seven decades of learning, achievement, and local history.
The celebrations will focus on three key themes: celebrating the past, inspiring the future and creating together.
Throughout the year, there will be opportunities for people to share memories and photographs, reconnect with former classmates and colleagues, take part in community projects, fundraising initiatives, and creative arts events, and help create a lasting legacy for future generations.
Headteacher Louise Blundell said:
"Gordano School has been at the heart of our community for 70 years and has played a part in the lives of thousands of students, families and staff.
Gordano70 is about celebrating those shared experiences and bringing generations together to reflect on the past, celebrate the present and inspire the future.
We want this to be a community celebration and we're excited to invite people of all ages to get involved."
For the first Gordano70 project, all children and young people across the local community are invited to play a part in this special milestone by designing the official Gordano70 logo.
The school would love as many young people as possible to get involved. The winning design will be used throughout the anniversary celebrations and, alongside this, a large creative installation on the school site will incorporate all suitable entries. Gordano hopes that this project will not only celebrate the school's history but also create a legacy that reflects the creativity, talent and community spirit of young people in the community.
The competition is open to:
The deadline for logo competition entries is Friday 10th July 2026.
The school is also inviting former students, former staff, families and members of the community to contribute memories, photographs and memorabilia as part of the anniversary celebrations. Organisers are particularly keen to hear from alumni living elsewhere in the UK or around the world, as well as anyone with connections to notable former students or public figures who may wish to support the celebrations.
For more information and to download a logo competition entry form, please visit:
www.gordanoschool.org.uk/community/gordano-70th-anniversary
To get in touch please email:
70 Years. Hundreds of Stories. One Gordano.
Gordano School is celebrating the achievements of 22 students and former students who attended a prestigious Gold Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award celebration at Buckingham Palace.
The group, comprising current Year 13 students and recent alumni, joined award recipients from across the country for a special event marking the 70th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The occasion recognised the dedication, resilience and commitment demonstrated by young people who have successfully completed the highest level of the award.
The Buckingham Palace celebration provided a memorable afternoon for all involved. Students enjoyed tea and Buckingham Palace cupcakes, listened to speeches from the Duke of Edinburgh, and were entertained by performances from the Royal Bands. The event also featured inspirational guest speakers, including television personality Sam Thompson and renowned choirmaster Gareth Malone.
The achievement reflects Gordano School's long-standing success in delivering the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. The school is recognised as one of the leading DofE centres in the South West, having recently celebrated the highest number of DofE starters in the region for the second consecutive year. Gordano students have also contributed nearly 5,000 hours of volunteering through the award scheme, making a significant impact within the local community.
Rachel Allen, Duke of Edinburgh Leader and Deputy Lead for Outdoor Education at Gordano School said:
"It was a very special afternoon and a great chance to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful students. We had fun reminiscing about their expeditions and it was great to hear how their DofE experiences have given them the skills and confidence to embrace new adventures."
The Gold Award represents the culmination of months, and often years, of commitment to volunteering, physical activity, skill development and expedition challenges. Gordano School is immensely proud of all students who have achieved this prestigious award and looks forward to seeing the positive impact they continue to make in their communities and beyond.
Gordano School’s Year 7 girls produced a superb display to win the Somerset Cup in emphatic fashion, defeating Hugh Sexey’s School 9–0 at Bridgwater College.
Competing in a 9-a-side format, Gordano demonstrated outstanding teamwork, skill and attacking quality from the opening whistle.
Wearing a brand-new kit sponsored by Macron, the team looked confident and composed throughout the final. The kit must have brought the team good luck!
Opposition Player of the Match:
Isla H
Opposition Coaches Player of the Match:
Flick G
Players Player of the Match:
Sophia T
Coaches Player of the Match:
Meg S and Sienna AR
Goals scored by:
Charlotte L - 3
Isla H - 2
Meg S - 1
Flick G - 2
Sophia T - 1
Gordano controlled possession for long periods, created chances consistently and defended with determination to secure an impressive clean sheet.
The victory continues Gordano School’s long-standing reputation for sporting excellence, with the PE department led by Emma Harradine, who was recently selected to join an England Women’s Table Tennis initiative promoting elite female coaches for the future.
The Somerset Cup triumph caps an outstanding run for the squad and highlights an exciting future for girls’ football at Gordano School.
Nick White Landscaping is proudly sponsoring this year’s Year 11 Prom at Ashton Gate Stadium, helping Gordano School students enjoy an even more memorable evening as they celebrate the end of their GCSE journey. The prom is taking place on 23rd June at Ashton Gate and marks an important milestone for Year 11 students as they look ahead to the next chapter.
Gordano School’s proms have become a standout tradition, with previous celebrations described by the school as “unforgettable evenings” hosted at some of Bristol’s most iconic venues.
Last year’s event, again at Ashton Gate, featured red-carpet arrivals, food, music, and a packed dance floor, giving students the perfect chance to celebrate friendships, achievements, and years of hard work together.
This year’s sponsorship from Nick White Landscaping will help build on that success, supporting an occasion that students will remember for years to come.
It follows a vibrant end-of-year season at Gordano School, where Year 11 students recently marked Leavers’ Day with colourful costumes, creativity, and strong community spirit.
Any local businesses who wish to support Gordano School in a similar way can contact marketing@gordanoschool.org.uk or consider joining Gordano Community Partners.
Year 10 students recently attended a live performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, performed in school by the visiting theatre company Box Clever Productions.
This term saw an exciting and lively addition to the Year 7 calendar as students took part in the General Knowledge Quiz. Designed to be inclusive, engaging and fun, the competition brought together students from across the year group, encouraging teamwork, creativity and house spirit.
Gordano School is celebrating the success of 88 students from Years 9 , 10 and 11 who took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge. Students achieved a fantastic 13 Gold certificates, 25 Silver certificates, and 14 Bronze certificates. Haydn and Beatrice scored best in Years 9 and 11 respectively, while Jacob scored Best in Year 10 and Best in School.
Gordano School is proud to announce the official launch of Gordano Community Partners (GCP), an exciting new initiative designed to bring the school and local business community together to create meaningful opportunities for young people.
By joining GCP, the scheme offers local businesses and organisations the opportunity to connect with the school in a meaningful way, raising their visibility within the local area while making a direct and lasting difference to students’ education, wellbeing and future aspirations.
The launch comes at a time when Gordano School’s contribution to the wider community is receiving increasing recognition. The school is encouraging local residents to support them in the Together Portishead ‘Community Impact Award – Giving Back’ category, which celebrates organisations that make a positive difference locally, as part of the Together Portishead Awards.
Kelly Harmer, Marketing and Business Development Lead at Gordano School, said:
“Gordano School has always been at the heart of its community and GCP is about strengthening those connections and creating real opportunities for students.
This is not simply funding. It is about collaboration, connection, shared purpose and investing in young people. We believe that strong communities help young people thrive, and that by working together, more can be achieved for everyone.
We are proud to already be working with fantastic local organisations and would love more businesses to join us.”
Partners are recognised as part of the school community, with opportunities for on-site visibility such as sports pitch banners, features in school communications, and presence at events, whilst demonstrating their support for local education, social value, and community leadership.
A huge thank you to our members already on board:
CommunityPartners@gordanoschool.org.uk
Gordano School - Together Portishead Community Business Awards
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Gordano School was delighted to welcome Year 3 and 4 pupils from partner primary schools for the latest instalment in its Legacy Festivals programme: the ‘Give it a Try’ Quadkids Festival.
The event provided a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to experience a multi-discipline athletics challenge in a fun, supportive and inclusive environment, reflecting the School Games values of passion, determination, respect and teamwork throughout the day.
The festival forms part of Gordano’s wider Legacy Programme, which continues to provide high-quality transition and enrichment opportunities for primary pupils (read more here). This includes a growing range of sporting festivals designed to inspire participation and build confidence ahead of secondary school experiences.
This focus on smooth and positive progression is echoed in the school’s wider work, including its comprehensive transition programme for new Year 7 students, which ensures pupils are well supported as they move into secondary education and continue their journey with confidence.
Pupils took part in four core Quadkids events: the 50m sprint, standing long jump, Vortex howler throw and the 400m endurance run, along with a bonus speed bounce challenge. Across all activities, children demonstrated excellent enthusiasm and resilience, with some outstanding individual and team performances on display.
Staff and spectators were particularly impressed by the supportive atmosphere that ran throughout the festival. Children actively encouraged one another across all events, celebrating achievements and showing genuine respect for every participant’s effort and contribution.
The final event of the day, the 400m endurance run, proved a real highlight. Much like Olympic heptathlon and decathlon athletes, many participants admitted this was the most challenging discipline. However, pupils responded brilliantly to pre-race guidance on pacing, with all competitors encouraged to run at a sustainable speed and focus on completing the course.
The determination shown in finishing the race, regardless of position, was a powerful reflection of the event’s ethos: striving for personal bests and celebrating effort as much as performance.
Overall, the Quadkids Festival once again highlighted the strength of partnership between schools in the local area and reinforced Gordano’s commitment to providing inclusive, engaging and aspirational sporting opportunities for all young people.
Year 13 students at Gordano School marked the end of their Sixth Form journey in memorable fashion as they came together for a joyful Leavers’ Day celebration filled with laughter, creativity and reflection.
