Daniella, Year 11
"Having been a day pupil at Gordonstoun for three years now I have definitely settled into school life. Most people think that being a day pupil you miss out on all the opportunities because you go home every night but in fact being a day student means that you get the best of both worlds – you come home at night and sleep in your own bed and see your family and the rest of the day is spent in school with friends doing the stuff boarders do. I even have my own study space at school and I can also stay overnight in the House if I need to be up early or stay late for something. You really don't miss out on anything and are certainly part of the boarding life. Of course it helps if you live nearby the School as my day does not finish until after prep at 8.45pm.
I have had many amazing experiences and chances at School, which I think is what makes the school unique. The best for me was taking part in a school exchange with a Round Square school in Canada, Lakefield College. I made some awesome friends who will last a lifetime and I got to ski almost every day and oh yes the lessons were good too!
Coming to Gordonstoun I realised that I would be taking part in school expeditions and these I must admit I was dreading ...no shower for a week! But they turned out to be really good fun and a chance to bond and make friends tackling the mountains together. I also participated in a week long sail training voyage around the West coast of Scotland. I was a bit anxious - stuck on a boat for a week , storms, no showers but again it was absolutely fantastic.
So if you are feeling apprehensive about coming here as a day student don't - its great."
Alasdair, Year 13
"Being a day pupil at Gordonstoun School has many upsides and if you are organised and think ahead about your day, few downsides. Essential to being a Day Pupil at Gordonstoun is having parents who are prepared to be flexible in terms of picking up times and changes of plans. At Gordonstoun things are always popping up at the last minute; rehearsals, meetings, drama and music events and so on. Sometimes you may need a piece of kit that a parent may have to bring in during the day due to some unforeseen activity or event taking place; or lack of organisation on the student’s part. Organisation and good communication with parents (a mobile phone is essential) are vitally important to the day pupil at Gordonstoun.
Being a day pupil does not prevent a pupil from taking part in the full range of Gordonstoun activities. Day pupils can be in sports teams, drama and music productions (though these can sometimes mean later picking up times and coming to school on Sundays for rehearsals and matches), sail training voyages, seamanship and expeds, international projects and socials. Day pupils can also hold positions of responsibility such as being Colour Bearers and sometimes even Guardian. On the other hand, it does make you ineligible for House Captaincy and Assistant House Captaincy.
"House life is not adversely affected. They always get rooms in the house, there being no separate day pupil houses, a practice which in some schools leads to social exclusion and lack of integration. More often than not I have also been allocated a room with a bed in Round Square House, rather than just a study, enabling me to stay the night whenever I wished or if the situation made it practical for me to do so. Even in the terms when I have not been allocated a room with bed, I have still managed to stay the night when I have to."