Gordonstoun on tv...what were they thinking..

[wurzeldrink]

Real car crash tv,I understand the Harrow series has led to a very large increase in applications,really cant see the same happening for Gordonstoun,we watch open mouthed at how bad the school is...
Anybody else watching it?

Where is it being shown?

My Mum was going on about it. I haven't seen any of it, I feel it would make me sad.

I watched the first episode so far and I'm reserving judgment.

What's your problem with it wurzel?

haven't watched the last couple of episodes, but from what I've seen, it's better than it used to be. We had to do morning runs (and occasionally swims )

It didn't seem that bad to me the bits I watched. The parents who send there dc there know what it's like so it shouldn't be a big surprised. I also liked how normal the kids were especially the young man who was part of the fire crew team.

IIRC my Mum was on about very small bedrooms or something.

I presume they did it to show how the "colditz with kilts " view is out of date,but I cant imagine who would be attracted to the school.
The boarding facilities look dreadful,the housemasters study is a cubbyhole,the boys are crammed into very basic rooms,the singing group was truly awful,the voiceover stated that a pupil was one of four oxbridge applicants,not places,not interviews ,but applicants,the pastoral care that weve seen is so so,I could go on.

to be fair, Round Square isn't a very big building, so there will always be a fair bit of cramming in. Windmill used to have dorms and separate studies, so converting that into bedsits means the rooms are also going to be on the small side.

Gordonstoun has never been known for being especially academic, so four Oxbridge applicants doesn't seem too bad (can't remember how big the 6th form is, but in contrast, DDs 150+ year group at a "leafy comp" had five Oxbridge applicants this year). You go there for the other things they do, not the academics IMO & E.

I though it looked like exactly the kind if school I would like my kids to attend (if I lived anywhere close to Moray!).

It's on Sky1 *Screamin"

I can't understand why my mum watches it.

Thanks Myvisions

"The other things they do"mmm, I think youll find many other schools have comparable outdoor activities,(-fire brigade) and manage to have far far better facilities and academic results.
The most expensive boarding school in Scotland and four Oxbridge applicants,even for a totally non selective school that is not something to be proud of.
On the + side- the pipe band sounded good....

I went to a very similar girls school, focused on the pupil as a whole not just academic excellence. We slept up mountains and sailed and generally titted about outside as well as doing school work, if my children wanted to go I would encourage them. My dad went to Gordonstoun and had the time of his life in the coastguard, he still goes on about how awesome it was .

The school is based on the ideas of Kurt Hahn who thought teenagers were basically great people and should be encouraged to get outside and do lots of excercise and learn compassion and how to help other people. Not a bad start to life.

I've only watched one episode which I enjoyed. In response to the bedrooms, they often say that people who went to boarding school have no problems with prison!

Thanks,Im aware of who founded it and why.Sadly many other schools now do the outside stuff,thanks of course to old boy-The Duke of Edinburgh,so whats left? poor/shocking facilities and poor academics,its perfectly possible to do exercise,learn compassion and help other people in far pleasanter surroundings....Be interesting to know how many uk students are actually paying full fees....

ooh.... I know someone whose son went there (academic scholarship, special link to DC local school) only a few yrs ago. And by few I mean 1-3 yrs ago he finished, 6th form equiv. He loved it. An English boy playing Scottish sport. His mom is... she's not whatever stereotype you have about people who send their kids there. I hadn't connected to fact it was PC's school until this moment.

I was surprised at the low number of Oxbridge candidates too and rewound to check I heard it correctly. The kids are put through a selection process, do they all get in?

Boarding facilities also look surprising crap and you can tell it will stink in round square! I would appoint a captain of window opening!

Kids seem great though and I love the fire service department.

There are other 3rd level education facilities in the world apart from Oxbridge.

I don't have Sky so can't watch it, can someone tell me what is so terrible about the facilities? Is the boarding just a bit old and dated, or more than that?

The boarding for boys in round square looks dated and basic but much worse is incredibly cramped looking. Of course, there are other boarding houses not shown. The one for the girls shown doesn't look as bad.

Of course, Onlyhereforthecamping. It just seems odd for an expensive selective boarding school.

Really, OP? I had the opposite reaction. I'm not exactly a fan of independent education, but I'm watching the series (tuned into the first episode by accident then got hooked) and I think it looks fantastic. The young people seem to be delightful - down-to-earth, sensible and nice. The teachers are shown to be caring and diligent. For instance, the girl who kept getting the detentions, yes, she was punished, but none of the teachers were ever shown to be unpleasant to her, or to do anything other than chat things through with her and help her understand any difficulties and find a way to focus. I thought the head of modern languages was lovely. The performance arts stuff didn't exactly blow me away, and it's no more than I'd expect from a very well-resourced boarding school, but the outdoor opportunities are absolutely amazing. Lucky, lucky kids to have those possibilities. I didn't think the boarding facilities looked bad, in fact they seemed fine to me. I don't have anything to compare them to though. Would most boarding schools have more luxurious facilities? If my DDs were school-aged and I had the cash or access to scholarships, I'd seriously be thinking now about setting reservations re independent schools aside maybe for the sixth form years.

I have to admit to being a bit at the parents of the 18-year-old girl whose parents are forking out £60,000 to give their daughter two years in the Gordonstoun sixth form because she didn't do well enough in her A levels at her old school.

I've only watched the first episode but it's pretty much exactly as I'd expect. DS(13) would love it. He's desperate to board and I told him a few years ago that if he were still that keen by the time he gets to S5, he could apply to Gordonstoun for his final year. We'll see.

I know someone who went for the 6th form and adored it.

Even Winchester has more luxurious boarding facilities,and thats saying something!!!
Interesting that the posters who think it looks fine/ok are on the whole not in the market to spend 30k a year,a few visits to a variety of senior boarding schools would put Gordonstoun in context.