Gordonstoun first school in Scotland to receive prestigious education award
Gordonstoun has become one of only ten schools in the UK to be awarded a prestigious
education award for its extensive research work.
The school, which educated HM King Charles III, is the first in Scotland to receive the rare accolade of ‘Research Mark Plus’ status from the esteemed Chartered College of Teaching (CCoT), following an eight-month assessment process.
Gordonstoun, set in 200 acres of countryside by the Moray Firth, now joins a select number of schools across the UK to hold the award after staff were praised for their extensive research work across the school. They were also commended for their collaboration with Edinburgh University and numerous other schools around the world, including those in Germany and Australia.
The school was praised by assessors for its initiative on removing mobile phones from classrooms several years before the introduction of new Scottish government guidance on the use of devices in schools.
Gordonstoun was also recognised for its pioneering work on student nutrition. The school’s menu has been revamped with the introduction of a range of “brain-boosting” foods to enhance concentration, memory and focus during exam time and sports events.
The school is also a champion of supporting children that are neurodiverse, with an extensive programme in place across the school to ensure that every student who needs extra support receives it.
The CCoT said Gordonstoun is now ideally placed to become a ‘Research Hub’ for other schools in Scotland and beyond.
Vicki Medina, Head of English and Head of Scholars and Research, was instrumental inputting forward the case for the school to be considered for the research accreditation.
Vicki Medina, an advanced practitioner and fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, said:
'This is a real gold star for the school and testament to the extensive work carried out by staff and students each day to deliver a highly personalised education.
'Research is engrained within the culture of the school and underpins the school curriculum, ensuring we are sector leading in the education offered to all our children.
'We are proud to remain true to the traditions of the school while continuing to be at the forefront of modern education techniques.
'It was particularly pleasing that the assessors recognised the work by staff in ensuring lessons are tailored to ensure neurodiverse students are supported to reach their full potential.'
Gordonstoun has been an industry leader in research since it was founded by renowned educationalist Kurt Hahn 90 years ago. He is credited with founding the ‘Outward Bound’ movement, an outdoor learning programme for young people that is now carried out in 35 countries. Hahn was also instrumental in setting up the Moray Badge, which former student HRH Prince Philip received after completing various life-saving challenges and expeditions during his time at Gordonstoun. This inspired him to launch the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956.
Today, the school is working closely with Edinburgh University in several innovative research projects, including evaluating the effectiveness of Gordonstoun’s renowned co-curriculum, which offers students the opportunity to take part in outdoor education activities such as sailing to the Arctic on the school’s yacht, ‘The Ocean Spirit of Moray’, climbing mountains and snow holing.
The second project involves exploring children’s perceptions and understanding of‘ Hope’ through artwork. A piece of work by one of the students is now being used as the cover art for a new book on Hope in ÍÑ¿ã°É by renowned academics Mona Siddiqui and Nathanael Vette.
Simon Cane-Hardy, Head of Gordonstoun, said:
'Gordonstoun has been at the heart of education innovation since it first opened its doors 90 years ago.
'We continue to be a beacon for educational excellence, ensuring all our students are challenged through our unique co-curriculum.
'It’s a tremendous accolade for the school to be awarded 'Research Mark Plus’ status and a reflection of the hard work and innovation shown by staff and students.
'Crucially, staff are given the autonomy to drive ahead with new approaches in the classroom, underpinned by robust research, allowing the school to remain at the forefront of modern education.
'We are now exploring how we can become a Research Hub for other schools in Scotland so we can share best practice across the education sector.'
To gain the award, schools need to show that they meet the first five areas of the Research Mark Standard, around culture, development of schools and staff, critical engagement with research and collaboration.
If a school can show that research engagement is embedded within their policies and practices in a sustained and manageable way, they can apply to be ‘Research Mark Plus’ accredited.
Gordonstoun was praised for its commitment to long-term research engagement across the school. Every aspect of the Gordonstoun curriculum is founded on research and teaching staff are given more non-contact time in their timetable than is the national average, meaning that there is time for collaborative planning and marking for sharedclasses.Staff also have autonomy and trust from the senior leadership team, meaning that discussing strategies and new approaches is part of the ‘daily diet’ for teachers at Gordonstoun.
Assessors said that 'student voice is greatly valued', adding that there 'are robust systems in place to collect this data to inform school development activity'.
They pointed to how advanced practitioners work 'collaboratively to improve data use across the school, trialling and tweaking policies and practices to ensure they are effective for all staff and students'.
Awarding Research Mark Plus, the assessors pointed to Gordonstoun’s 'robust systems to collect both qualitative and quantitative data' and a culture of research engagement widespread amongst all staff, who are encouraged to 'engage with research evidence within and beyond school'.
April 2025