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.

Year 10 students recently attended a live performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, performed in school by the visiting theatre company Box Clever Productions.

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 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.

Gordano School is proud to announce that it is seeking nominations for the Community Contribution Award category (Giving Back) in the inaugural Together Portishead Business & Community Awards 2026.

CLICK HERE FOR HELP ON NOMINATING AND HOW TO VOTE

As the only secondary school in Portishead, Gordano School is at the heart of the local community, serving more than 1,000 students and families. However, the school’s impact reaches far beyond the classroom through a wide range of volunteering, partnership, fundraising, sporting and enrichment initiatives that benefit the whole town. 

Living one of its core values of “Give Back,” Gordano School is committed to making a positive difference across Portishead and the surrounding area. 

Throughout the year, students and staff support the community in many ways, including: 

• Duke of Edinburgh volunteering placements with local organisations 

• Public access to GoShine sports facilities and wellbeing classes 

• Shine Holiday Clubs for local families 

• Student work experience placements with local businesses 

• Careers events and mock interviews with employers 

• Charity fundraising through House events and Sixth Form RAG activities 

• Partnerships with local primary schools, including transition events and festivals 

• Community performances such as Open Mic Nights and carol singing 

• Partnerships with Portishead Youth Hub, Portishead Community Centre and local sports organisations such as Bristol Bears and PTFC 

• Evening of SEND - bringing multi agency partners together who offer support, information & advice for local children, young people and their families 

• Partnering with mental health organisations OTR, MHST, Kooth, Wellspring and Talking Therapies offering support and awareness events for the immediate school community.

The school also recently launched the Gordano Community Partners Scheme, designed to strengthen links with local businesses and help raise their visibility.

Headteacher Louise Blundell said:

"We are incredibly proud of the role Gordano School plays in the wider Portishead community. Our students and staff work hard every day to give back, support others and create opportunities that make a real difference. It would mean a great deal to be recognised through these awards by the community we are so proud to serve."

Gordano School is now encouraging parents, carers, students, alumni, local residents and partner organisations to submit nominations by 31st May.

If Gordano School has made a positive difference to your family, business or the wider community, we would be honoured to have your support.

Nominate Gordano School here

Thank you for supporting Gordano School and celebrating community spirit in Portishead.

  

50 Year 9 students from Gordano School have travelled to the historic battlefields of northern France and Belgium for a memorable and thought-provoking four-day educational visit.

The trip provided students with a powerful opportunity to deepen their understanding of the First World War beyond the classroom, visiting some of the most significant sites connected to the conflict and reflecting on the human stories behind them.

The journey began with travel to Belgium, where the group stayed in Ypres, a town closely associated with the events of the First World War. After settling in, students explored the local area before attending the moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. Three Gordano students had the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of the school.

       

The second day focused on the realities of trench warfare. Students visited Hill 60, where evidence of wartime mining operations can still be seen today, before continuing to the Passchendaele Memorial Museum 1917. Interactive exhibits and reconstructed trenches gave students a vivid insight into life on the Western Front. Visits to Tyne Cot Cemetery and Langemark German Cemetery also offered time for reflection on the immense loss suffered by all nations involved.

On the third day, the group travelled into France to visit key sites of the Somme campaign. At Carrière Wellington, students descended into the underground tunnels used by Allied troops in preparation for battle. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial highlighted Canada’s important contribution to the war effort, while the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme demonstrated the scale of those who never returned and have no known grave. Visits to Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial and Lochnagar Crater further illustrated the devastating impact of industrialised warfare.

         

Max Stops, Teacher of History and Trip Co-ordinator said: “This visit gave students a real sense of the scale and human cost of the First World War. Their maturity, empathy and willingness to learn at every site was outstanding, and it was a privilege to see history come alive for them.”

Throughout the trip, students conducted themselves with maturity, respect and excellent engagement at every location. Standing in the places they had studied in lessons helped bring history to life in a powerful and lasting way.

One Year 9 student added: “It was an unforgettable experience. Seeing the cemeteries, memorials and trenches in person made everything we had learned in lessons feel real. It helped me understand how important it is to remember what happened.”

The visit concluded with a stop in Poperinge, a Belgian town used by British troops during the war for rest and recreation. It was also the site where 25 British soldiers were executed for desertion, many of whom are now understood to have been suffering from what would today be recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although the return journey was long and tiring, the trip was an incredibly valuable and memorable experience for all involved. It is one that students will carry with them as they continue their study of history.