A group of our Year 10 and Year 11 students recently enjoyed an exciting visit to South West Skills Campus (SWSC), Weston College, where they gained first-hand insight into life as a further education student and explored potential career pathways within the construction industry.
We are delighted to share some fantastic news following a recent review of marking for one of our students’ History GCSE.
There is so much happening at Gordano beyond the classroom, from enrichment and trips to clubs, competitions, community projects and opportunities that help our students to flourish.
Our annual Careers Convention is always one of the busiest and most exciting events in the school calendar, and this year was no exception!
Gordano School welcomed hundreds of prospective Year 7 students and their families to its Open Evening, offering visitors the chance to explore the school, meet staff and students, and experience the breadth of opportunities and community that make Gordano special.
Families were welcomed on arrival by live piano music, while a student band performed outside the Music Department, complete with a song request board for visitors to choose their favourites! Across the school, students and staff brought the evening to life, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere from the moment families arrived.
The evening began with a welcome from Headteacher Louise Blundell, followed by an inspiring presentation and student Q&A across a range of year groups. Students also performed a poem and sang for visitors, showcasing the confidence and creativity that are such an important part of life at Gordano.
Families explored classrooms and specialist facilities, met teachers and students, and saw learning in action across subjects including languages, science, art, Design Technology and sport. Visitors also had the opportunity to explore Gordano’s sports facilities and find out more about its three new specialist SEND provisions, reflecting the school’s commitment to inclusion and ensuring every student feels known, valued and included.
A particular highlight was the opportunity for families to discover more about Gordano’s House system. The Elliot Hall, a Hogwarts-inspired space specifically for Year 7 students, showcased the House system; an important part of Gordano life, helping students build friendships and connections beyond their year group, develop a sense of identity and belonging, and take part in competitions, activities, leadership and community initiatives. It gives every student another community within the wider school and provides opportunities to Dream Big, Give Back and Do Your Best together.
Families rate their Gordano experience 4.5/5
Feedback from parents was overwhelmingly positive, with the overall experience receiving an average rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Parents particularly praised the student guides, describing them as knowledgeable, helpful, enthusiastic and welcoming. Many valued being able to ask current students questions and hear directly about life at Gordano, while student contributions to the main presentation and opportunities to speak with teachers were also highlighted.
The Headteacher’s presentation was described as warm, welcoming and informative, with families praising the way it communicated Gordano’s culture and values.
One family explained that they had specifically chosen to move to Portishead partly because they wanted their child to attend Gordano School.
One Year 6 parent summed up their experience:
“We had such a great evening, and I wanted to make sure the efforts of your students and staff were recognised.”
Their student guide, a Year 10 student from Shannon House, spent around two hours showing the family around the school.
“He was an absolute credit to the school; enthusiastic, proud and a real pleasure to be around.”
The family also commented on the enthusiasm they encountered throughout the evening, from a French Guess Who game and student artwork to Design Technology projects, sport, science and canteen food tasters.
“The passion, enthusiasm, and pride of everyone we came into contact with was clear to see. We left with one very happy Year 6 student who cannot wait to start!”
The feedback highlighted that the evening was about more than showcasing subjects and facilities. It gave families the opportunity to experience the people, culture, opportunities and sense of belonging at the heart of Gordano.
Headteacher Louise Blundell said:
“Our Open Evening is always a wonderful opportunity to welcome prospective families into our school and give them a real sense of what makes Gordano special. We were incredibly proud of the way our students represented the school. Their confidence, warmth, enthusiasm and pride really shone through. Our thanks go to all of our students and staff who gave their time to make the evening such a success. We hope our visitors left with a strong sense of our culture and values, as well as the opportunities available to every student who joins the Gordano community.”
For families who would like to experience Gordano for themselves, the school will also be opening its doors for Open Mornings from Friday 9 October to Tuesday 20 October 2026, offering prospective Year 7 students and their families another opportunity to see the school in action and experience the Gordano community.
Gordano School Open Mornings at Gordano School event tickets from TicketSource
A huge thank you to everyone who baked, bought, donated and joined us for our Macmillan Coffee Morning during INSET. Pullins Bakery also kindly donated some tasty treats for the cause.
Staff came together to enjoy some delicious homemade treats, catch up over coffee and support Macmillan Cancer Support. Thanks to everyone who contributed, we were delighted to raise a fantastic £345 for the charity.
The event was organised by Mrs Beth Luton, Assistant Headteacher and Head of KS3 Inclusion, and reflects the spirit of Gordano’s Kindness Collective, our whole-school initiative celebrating kindness, connection and the positive difference we can make to others. It also puts our school value of Give Back into action, bringing colleagues together to support people and communities beyond our school.
Mrs Beth Luton said:
“It was wonderful to see everyone coming together to support such an important cause. The generosity of staff, whether through baking, buying or donating, was fantastic, and it was lovely to see our Gordano community putting kindness and our ‘Give Back’ value into action. We are so grateful to everyone who helped us raise such a brilliant amount for Macmillan.”
A big thank you to everyone who helped make the morning such a success and to all those who contributed to this fantastic total.
Gordano School’s Sixth Form boys’ football team have secured their place in the county cup quarter-finals after a thrilling Round of 16 encounter against Beechen Cliff, winning 7–6 on penalties following a 3–3 draw after full time.
Our Sixth Form BTEC Business students recently enjoyed a fantastic visit to Nisbets, gaining valuable insight into the international operations of one of the UK's leading catering suppliers.
Gordano School is inviting former students, staff, parents and members of the local community to share their memories as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations.
The school, which has been at the heart of the community for seven decades, is collecting stories, photographs and memorabilia to help capture the history, achievements and spirit of Gordano through the years.
From memorable lessons and lifelong friendships to school productions, sports teams, trips and special milestones, the project aims to build a rich picture of life at Gordano across generations, and celebrate the sense of connection and belonging that makes Gordano special.
The memories shared will help form part of the school’s anniversary celebrations, highlighting the people and experiences that have shaped Gordano since it first opened its doors, and the lasting connections that continue long after students and staff have moved on.
The anniversary celebrations have already brought the wider community together. During the summer, the school launched a Gordano70 logo competition, inviting children and young people across the community to create a design to mark the milestone. More than 200 entries were received from children aged 4 to 18, showcasing the creativity and connection that exists across the Gordano community. The winning design will feature throughout the school’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
Louise Blundell, Headteacher at Gordano School said:
“For 70 years, Gordano has been more than just a school, it has been a place where friendships have been made, talents discovered and futures shaped. We know there are so many wonderful stories out there, and we’d love to hear them as we celebrate this special milestone together.”
There will be plenty of opportunities to come together and celebrate throughout the anniversary year. To stay up to date with Gordano70 events and other school news, members of the community can sign up to Termly News and follow Facebook.com/GordanoSchool
70 years. Hundreds of stories. One Gordano.
For more information, or to submit memories, visit Gordano School – Gordano 70th Anniversary at gordanoschool.org.uk/community/gordano-70th-anniversary.
As part of our ongoing commitment to improving the school environment for students, staff and the wider community, we have undertaken a wide-ranging programme of building, refurbishment and maintenance works across the school site over the summer holidays.
Excellent progress has been made on our new Resource Base, which is due to open in January. We have also created new office space for our Careers Team, alongside a bright and welcoming First Aid area.
A number of office and accommodation changes have also taken place across the site. New offices have been created for the Heads of Year 7, Shannon and Portland, while our Site Office has been upgraded. The Learning Hub has relocated, as has the Focus Room, and a new Compass South SEND classroom has been established.
The refurbishment of our former canteen is well underway and remains on schedule to reopen at the end of this term. In the meantime, students are being served from two catering pods in the quad, alongside a new dedicated Year 7 dining area in Elliot Hall.
Work on our new Sixth Form Common Room is progressing well and is expected to open within the next month. Designed to provide a modern, welcoming and more mature space for our Sixth Form students, it will create an important new area for students to study, socialise and spend time together.
We have also taken the opportunity to enhance several areas within our Creative Arts facilities, with new blinds fitted and new air conditioning installed. New flooring has also been laid in Humanities and staircases.
Alongside these larger projects, a significant programme of maintenance and improvement work has taken place across the wider school site.
This includes:
New rugby posts
Repairs to the gymnasium
New roof coverings and path upgrades
New tarmac laid at the coach car park main entrance.
A new path created between the main entrance and main reception
The footbridge to the far field cleaned, repainted and repaired, alongside new fencing.
Improvements to our main reception area and adjoining staff offices, creating more welcoming and functional spaces for visitors and colleagues.
These works complement the larger projects taking place across the site and form part of our ongoing investment in the school site and in providing the best possible environment for our students.
A huge sincere thanks goes to our Estates and IT teams for the countless hours they worked throughout the summer break to help deliver these improvements. Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in ensuring that our students continue to benefit from a safe, welcoming and inspiring learning environment.
Gordano Sixth Form has maintained the substantial improvements in student outcomes achieved since 2024, with overall progress in 2026 remaining in line with national expectations. Students achieved a 72% A*-C pass rate across almost 500 A Level entries.
Several subjects recorded their strongest performance of the last three years, with particularly strong value-added outcomes in History, Biology, Physics, Psychology and Sociology.
Nearly half of Biology students achieved A*-A grades, Further Mathematics achieved a 100% A*-C pass rate, with over half achieving A*-A. History saw over 40% of grades awarded at A*-A.
There were also strong outcomes across key student groups. Students receiving SEND Support achieved significant progress. Progress for disadvantaged students improved, while students with English as an Additional Language continued to make particularly strong progress, exceeding national benchmarks.
The gap between male and female student performance also narrowed considerably in 2026.
Individual achievements included two students achieving four A grades*, with Daniel C securing a place to study Actuarial Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Lucas F progressing to Computer Science at the University of Warwick.
Across the year group, 20 students achieved an average grade of A, while destinations include universities such as Bristol, Bath, Manchester, Southampton, Warwick, LSE, Durham and Keele, alongside degree apprenticeships, specialist training and employment.
Headteacher Ms Louise Blundell said:
“Our 2026 outcomes show the continued progress made by our Sixth Form, alongside some particularly strong subject and student-group performance. We are delighted to see students progressing to such a wide range of destinations and opportunities, reflecting both their ambition and the breadth of pathways available to them.”
Gordano Sixth Form offers more than 30 A-Level and vocational courses, alongside careers guidance, university and apprenticeship support, more than 20 Sixth Form Electives, and opportunities including volunteering, leadership, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and World Challenge.
A new Sixth Form common room is also currently being developed, providing students with a dedicated space designed around their growing independence and preparation for life beyond school.
Gordano Sixth Form Open Evening takes place on Thursday 12th November, with more information to follow on the school website and Facebook.com/GordanoSchool
Find out more about Gordano Sixth Form, its courses and opportunities:
Gordano School is celebrating a particularly positive set of GCSE outcomes this summer, with students continuing to achieve strongly against a wider picture of slightly lower results nationally and locally.
There was also a significant increase in the number of students achieving the highest possible GCSE grade, with Grade 9s increasing by almost 37% this year. Our young people also achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 5.1.
These results reflect the hard work, determination and resilience of Gordano students, alongside the commitment of staff and the support of families throughout their secondary school journey.
The success of the Class of 2026 is just one part of the wider experience at Gordano, where students are encouraged to Dream Big, Do Your Best and Give Back, and are supported to develop their academic, personal and wider skills.
Read more including personal successes
For families considering their secondary school options, this autumn provides an opportunity to come and experience Gordano School for themselves.
Our Open Evening takes place on Thursday 24 September 2026, welcoming prospective students and their families to explore the school, meet staff and students, and discover more about the opportunities available at Gordano.
From the classroom to enrichment, sport, the creative arts and the many opportunities available beyond the curriculum, the evening will provide an opportunity to see what makes Gordano such a special place to learn.
We look forward to welcoming prospective families and sharing our school community with you.
Dream Big | Do Your Best | Give Back
Read an interview with Headteacher Ms Blundell who shares what she believes makes Gordano special, what she is most proud of, and what she hopes the future holds for our students and our community.
