Gordonstoun

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Gordonstoun (originally in full, the British Salem School^{[citation needed]} in Gordonstoun) is a Scottish co-educational independent school. It is sometimes referred to as a public school, although strictly speaking, this is an English term.

Contents 1 History 2 Ethos 3 Alumni 4 Boarding Houses 5 Aberlour House 6 External links 7 References

History

Located in a 17th century house near Elgin, Moray, in Scotland - next to RAF Lossiemouth - it was founded as an international school in 1934 by the German educator Dr. Kurt Hahn. It was named after the first school established by Hahn, Schule Schloss Salem (School of the Castle of Salem) in Southern Germany. Although a fierce German patriot, Dr. Hahn had to leave Germany after the Nazis gained power, mainly on account of his Jewish background and critical stance towards national socialism.

Ethos

Hahn blended a traditional private school ethos with a philosophy derived, at least in part, from that of ancient Greece. This is most notable in the title "Guardian", denoting the head boy and girl, which Hahn took from Plato's Republic; the adoption of a Greek trireme as the school's emblem; and, most notably, a routine that could be described as spartan. He placed a high emphasis on militaristic discipline and physical education, particularly outdoor activities such as sailing and hill walking. It is therefore appropriate that the school's motto should be "Plus est en vous" (More is in you). The school formerly had a (possibly undeserved) reputation for harsh conditions, with cold showers and morning runs as a matter of routine and physical punishments, known as "penalty drill" or PD, in the form of long runs through the Moray countryside.

During World War II, the school temporarily moved to Llandinam in Wales.

It is best-known as the school attended during the 1960s by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, on the recommendation of his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who had himself been one of the first students to attend Gordonstoun having previously been educated at Salem in Germany. Princes Andrew and Edward eventually followed in their father's and elder brother's footsteps. Of the four princes, three (Philip, Charles and Edward) were appointed Guardian (head boy) during their time at the school. Princess Anne, the Queen's only other remaining child, was not educated at Gordonstoun, which at that time was boys only. However, she did send her own two children there and also served for some time on the school's board of governors.

The school has changed since Prince Charles's time there. It had been a means tested school with boys from varied backgrounds, the rich paying far more than the poorer families. It had not been a popular school and was not really on the list of schools to which the wealthy wanted to send their boys. However after Charles's sojourn there it became fashionable. It later became, and remains, a co-educational school.

William Boyd has written in detail about his time there in Protobiography, although he never mentions the school by name.

Alumni

Alumni of Gordonstoun are called "Old Gordonstounians" or "OGs":

This section does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) Any unsourced material that has been or is likely to be challenged may be removed at any time. This article has been tagged since March 2007.

• British Royal Family members
  • Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
  • Charles, Prince of Wales
  • Prince Andrew, Duke of York
  • Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex,
  • Peter Phillips,
  • Zara Phillips.
• 'Nasty' Nick (Channel 4's Big Brother)
• William Boyd (1952-), novelist and screenwriter, winner of the Whitbread Book Award and nominated for Booker Prize.
• Christian Castle, leading music and technology attorney, legal author and Fellow of the World Technology Network
• Jason Connery, actor and son of Sir Sean Connery.^[1]
• Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere Chairman of Associated Newspapers.^{[citation needed]}
• Dick Heckstall-Smith, a legendary British jazz and bluesmusician.
• Aleksandar Karađorđević, crown prince of Serbia.
• Charles Kennedy (economist)^{[citation needed]}
• Luca Prodan, Italian-Argentinian singer, leader of Sumo^{[citation needed]}
• Sarah Rachel Agasim-Pereira of Fulwood and Dirleton, Lady of Morpeth Castle
• Christina Rau, political scientist and wife of the former President of Germany, Johannes Rau^{[citation needed]}
• Roy Williamson of the Corries, and writer of Scotland's national anthem, Flower of Scotland
• Roger "Henry" Inker, Oracle DBA
• Alex Palumbo (son of Ministry of Sound nightclub owner Jamie Palumbo).^{[citation needed]}

The fictional Lara Croft is also claimed to have attended the school. This may have been inspired by James Bond's "attendance" of Fettes College.

Boarding Houses

There are nine boarding houses at Gordonstoun School:^[2]

Female:

• Hopeman House
• Plewlands House
• Windmill House

Male

• Bruce House
• Cumming House
• Duffus House
• Gordonstoun House
• Round Square

Co-ed

• Altyre House

Aberlour House

Main article: Aberlour House

Aberlour House, the preparatory school for Gordonstoun, was relocated to Gordonstoun's grounds from Aberlour in 2004.^[3]

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