Our Year 11 students recently took part in an inspiring mock GCSE Results Day by collecting their mock results envelopes from the Main Hall.
Gordano School’s recent production of Our House was a fantastic success, showcasing the energy, talent and teamwork of students from across the school.
With its iconic music by Madness, the show featured high-energy dance numbers, stand-out performances and a strong ensemble cast, supported by a dedicated backstage and technical crew. The production was the result of months of rehearsals, collaboration and commitment, and we are extremely proud of everyone involved — both on stage and behind the scenes.
The impact of the production went far beyond the stage. Students spoke passionately about the experience, highlighting the confidence, friendships and skills they gained along the way:
“I have made friends for life through Our House”
“I’ve loved working with students in different year groups. We’ve all bonded so well”
“The atmosphere on show nights was amazing. I want to do it all over again!”
The production brought together students, staff, families and members of the local community, creating an unforgettable experience for all involved.
The show has received glowing reviews from those who saw it:
“So much talent in one show, they deserved that standing ovation!”
“Wow, Our House was incredible. My daughter can’t wait to join Gordano in September!”
“The chorus numbers were epic and everyone looked like they were having a ball”
“A big thank you to all involved for your dedication and hard work”
Louise Blundell, Headteacher said: “As Emily (Year 13 student who played Joe Casey) stated after the final curtain, 'Our House became a home, bringing together a cast who became family and a community who came together to support them'. It’s a perfect example of our school values in action — collaboration, inclusion and resilience shining through every performance, we are so very proud of everyone involved.”
Gordano School is celebrating another outstanding sporting achievement after the Year 7 girls’ indoor athletics team were crowned Avon Schools Champions this week.
Demonstrating determination, teamwork and resilience at every stage, the team made up of Megan S, Martha K, Isla H, Sophia T, Naila C, Charlotte L, Flick G, and Seren B secured their place at the county finals by winning both the North Somerset preliminaries and the North Somerset finals. Their success saw them progress to the Avon Schools Championships, held at City Academy in Bristol.
The finals brought together the top two schools from Bath, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, creating a highly competitive afternoon of indoor athletics. The girls competed across a demanding programme of events, including relays, middle-distance races, sprints, jumps and throws.
With consistently strong performances across all disciplines, the Gordano team emerged as overall winners, securing a well-deserved first-place finish and the Avon Schools title.
Emma Harradine, Head of Physical Education at Gordano School, praised the team’s achievement:
“This was a brilliant display of commitment, teamwork and confidence from every athlete involved. The girls supported each other throughout the competition and gave their best in every event, which is exactly what we encourage at Gordano. Achievements like this show what can happen when young people are empowered to dream big and believe in their ability.”
Ms Harradine’s comments come as she continues to gain national recognition for her work in developing female athletes and coaches. She is currently involved in the two-year national ‘She Coaches’ programme, which aims to create a new generation of female talent and performance coaches, and has recently featured in media interviews for her contribution to coaching and sport education.
This fantastic achievement reflects Gordano School’s core values of Dream Big, Do Your Best and Give Back, as well as the school’s long-standing reputation for sporting excellence and strong team spirit.
Huge congratulations go to the eight girls who represented the school so proudly. Their commitment, hard work and support for one another truly paid off and they are a credit to themselves and the wider Gordano community.
A team of five fantastic students from Years 7–10 proudly represented Gordano School at this year’s Light House Partnership Inter‑School Vocabulary Competition, going head‑to‑head with teams from Backwell, Churchill Academy and Sixth Form and Chew Valley schools.
The Sixth Form Common Room was filled with the smell of freshly baked cakes, cookies, and pastries this week as students took part in the highly anticipated Sixth Form Bake Off. Tutor groups across Years 12 and 13 battled it out for the title of Star Bakers, showcasing impressive creativity, teamwork, and culinary skill.
As part of her Aspire role—designed to unlock student potential in all its forms—Miss Pope approached our House Captains to see whether they would be interested in leading interhouse events. The aim was to give students meaningful opportunities to take ownership, plan activities, and develop their leadership skills.
Gordano School is delighted to announce a record-breaking year for enrolments in the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award, with an incredible 400 students enrolled across Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. This milestone represents a significant increase in involvement and reflects the enthusiasm, resilience and commitment of both students and dedicated staff.
This year, 230 students are undertaking the Bronze Award, 118 are working towards Silver, and an impressive 52 students are pursuing the prestigious Gold Award. The growth across all three levels highlights the strong culture of ambition and personal development at Gordano School, as students challenge themselves both inside and outside the classroom.
Head of Outdoor Education Polly Oakman said: ‘This outstanding achievement highlights the enthusiasm and spirit of our school community and is something our team is incredibly proud to share and celebrate.'
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a nationally recognised programme that encourages young people to develop essential life skills through volunteering, physical activity, skills development and adventurous expeditions. Participation supports confidence, teamwork and independence, while also encouraging students to give back to their local and wider communities.
Gordano School has a long-standing and successful history with the DofE Award, with students collectively contributing thousands of hours of volunteering and consistently achieving high completion rates. In recent years, Gordano students have also been recognised at regional and national celebrations, including Gold Award presentations at Buckingham Palace. It has also been recognised as the school with the highest number of starters in the South West for two years running.
This record number of enrolments is a testament to the dedication of both students and staff, whose support ensures participants are well-prepared for the challenges and rewards of the programme. The school is proud to see so many young people embracing opportunities for growth, service and adventure. It really embodies the school values to Dream Big, Do Your Best and Give Back.
Gordano School looks forward to supporting students throughout the year as they progress on their DofE journeys and continue to represent the school with commitment, determination and community spirit.
Gordano School was delighted to welcome 53 Key Stage 1 children from High Down Infant School, St Peter’s and St Joseph’s Primary Schools for the Gordano Legacy KS1 Physical Literacy Multiskills Festival, which is part of Gordano School’s Outreach Programme to aid the transition for primary school students to secondary.
The visiting pupils represented their school teams and took part in an exciting afternoon of physical activity, designed to develop fundamental movement skills and promote a positive relationship with physical activity. We hope that all children and supporting adults thoroughly enjoyed the festival.
Staff were greatly impressed by the children’s passion, determination, teamwork and honesty — key School Games values — as they took on the challenge of seven Multi Skills activity stations. Each activity encouraged pupils to move in different ways and apply a range of skills to fun, engaging games.
Challenges included sending Kurling stones onto a target in the popular ‘Fill the House’ activity, using speed, balance and coordination in the Agility Relay, and stacking Giant Speedstacking Cups into a pyramid. Alongside developing physical skills, children also practised their numeracy, scoring points for their team and counting in multiples of 2 and 5 to calculate their totals at the end of each activity.
All participants were presented with a certificate to recognise their fantastic effort and participation.
The festival supported the Physical Literacy consensus statement, which explains that “Physical Literacy is our relationship with movement and physical activity throughout life.” Having a positive and meaningful relationship with movement and physical activity makes individuals more likely to be and stay active, benefiting health, wellbeing and quality of life (Sport England).
To find out more about Physical Literacy and explore the Physical Literacy Toolkit, please visit:
https://www.youthsporttrust.org/about/our-people/school-sport-activity-sector-partnership/physical-literacy-toolkit
Gordano School would like to thank all participating schools and staff for their support and for helping to make the event such a positive and enjoyable experience for all involved.
Did you know you can support Gordano School every time you shop online—at no extra cost to you?
By using the fundraising platform easyfundraising, your everyday online purchases can generate free donations for Gordano School. With over 8,000 participating retailers, including well-known brands, supermarkets, and online stores, it’s an easy way to help raise valuable funds while shopping as you normally would.
Whether you’re buying gifts, clothing, groceries, travel, or household essentials, each online shop is an opportunity to support our school.
Sign up to easyfundraising using the Gordano School link
Start your online shopping through the platform (via the app and browser)
Retailers donate a percentage of your purchase to Gordano School—at no extra cost to you
Every contribution helps and makes a real difference to our school community.
To make sure you never miss a donation, we recommend installing the easyfundraising Browser Extension on your smartphone, PC, or tablet.
The extension automatically alerts you whenever a retailer is offering a donation, so every eligible shop can count towards our fundraising—without any extra effort.
You can also watch this quick guide on how to install it:
https://youtu.be/-hpOoHPfeVo
Thank you for continuing to support Gordano School. Your everyday online shopping helps us raise vital funds and is truly appreciated.
Gordano School is delighted to announce that its Music Department has been awarded a grant from the Universal Music UK Sound Foundation, supporting a welcome upgrade to the school’s music technology and recording facilities.
The grant will enable the school to invest in professional-standard recording equipment and software, revitalising an existing but outdated recording studio and giving students access to industry-relevant music technology. The funding will support the purchase of a multi-channel audio interface and professional music production software capable of handling high-quality audio recording and production.
This investment will directly benefit students across the school, particularly those studying GCSE and A-level Music, as well as students involved in Drama sound design and extra-curricular music activities. The upgraded studio will allow students to gain hands-on experience of recording techniques, music production, and studio practice, helping prepare them for further study and careers in the creative industries.
The funding also supports Gordano School’s longer-term ambition to expand its post-16 music offer, with plans to reintroduce more practical, industry-focused pathways centred on music technology and modern music careers.
“This grant allows us to finally make use of the excellent studio infrastructure we already have in place,” said Rachel Hinchliffe, Head of Music at Gordano School. “Our students will be able to experience real-world recording and production processes, bringing their coursework and creative projects to life while developing skills that are highly relevant to today’s music industry.”
Headteacher Louise Blundell added:
“Music is an incredibly important part of our curriculum and wider school life. This funding represents a fantastic opportunity to broaden our provision, enrich learning, and inspire students who are passionate about music, technology, and creative careers.”
The Universal Music UK Sound Foundation supports schools and organisations across the UK by providing funding for music education resources, helping young people access high-quality musical opportunities regardless of background.
With over 1,000 students each year expected to benefit from the improved facilities, the grant marks a significant step forward for music education at Gordano School and reinforces its commitment to providing a broad, modern, and inclusive creative curriculum.
Gordano Sixth Form students have shown incredible generosity and community spirit during their annual RAG Week (Raising and Giving), raising over £1,350 for two vital local charities: Be More Ben and Caring in Bristol.
The Year 7 netball teams travelled to St Katherine’s to compete in the North Somerset Tournament against eight other schools, performing brilliantly throughout the day.
