Why would I want to
teach at Gordon’s?
Welcome to
Robert Gordon’s College
Robert Gordon’s College is an independent co-educational
day school in the heart of Aberdeen. The school educates
over 1,651 girls and boys from the age of 4 to 18. It
provides a wide curriculum to the highest academic level
and a range of extra-curricular sports, clubs and societies
to engage and stimulate pupils of all interests.
Classes are small with generous time allocation and the
support of high calibre specialist teachers. Add to this the
stimulation of so many other able and motivated pupils
and it is no wonder that academic success comes as
standard at Gordon’s.
www.aberdeen-grampian.com
www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk
© Shelley Lee
© Shelley Lee
As a city, Aberdeen has a very high standard of living and
is a wonderful area to bring up children. The coastlines,
forests, fields and mountains of North-East Scotland create
a beautiful environment and the castles, golf courses and
distilleries are world-renowned. There are many people
in the city from all over the world who, having come here
not knowing much about the North East of Scotland, have
chosen to remain for the rest of their lives. It is a city which is
big enough to provide all the amenities you would want and
yet intimate enough to feel part of. Above all, thanks to the
oil industry, the city, like the school, is a very cosmopolitan
community with families moving here from every part of
the world, including many people with multi- cultural and
international backgrounds.
You are looking into the possibility of
teaching at Robert Gordon's. The questions
you need to ask yourself are these:
Am I prepared to put in extra work which
would be involved?
Would I appreciate the extra rewards
which can be gained?
Teaching at Gordon’s is not a different
job from teaching in any other school but
there are particular characteristics which
make it a more challenging and interesting
one. The first and most obvious challenge
comes from the pupils. They have high
expectations of the quality of their teaching,
just as the teachers have high expectations
of them. They are motivated and do a lot
of work themselves, with the consequence
that the teachers’ planning and marking
are both demanding. They are respectful
and they work hard.
They know that they are lucky to be here
and they know what they want from their
time here. They are not in a rush to grow
Countesswells Playing Fields
up which spoils childhood of many other
pupils. Academic success is expected at
Gordon’s but it is built on good classroom
relationships and the development of
pupils’ emotional intelligence. In the end
the most rewarding aspect of all teaching
at Gordon’s is watching the pupils realise
their considerable potential, while enjoying
the stimulation of their company.
The quantity and quality of the resources
available to support learning and teaching
in the school are exceptional. The school
takes the view that it will provide staff with
the means which they require to do the job
well. All teaching staff are equipped with
their own iPad for high quality teaching and
learning. Having said that, it is expected
that resources are used effectively to
benefit the pupils’ learning.
The school will provide the support needed
for professional development as well,
both internally and beyond the school and
Aberdeen. Staff have many opportunities
to participate in high quality and innovative
professional development and curriculum
and assessment work on the national
scene. The membership of the Scottish
Council for Independent Schools (SCIS) and
the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’
Conference (HMC) both provide touchstones
for the high expectations which teachers
here have of themselves.
Gordon’s is a learning community where
stimulating professional conversation takes
place. There are, for example, committees
looking at Learning and Teaching, ICT and
Primary/Secondary Liaison, to name but
a few. Formal and informal classroom
observation, self-evaluation and good
development planning are part of the
school’s way of working.
Gordon’s aims to develop the whole
personality of its pupils, to find out what
pupils excel at and bring out the best in them.
Very obviously, additional time is expected
from all staff in contributions to the activities
of the pupils, whether in sports, in the 60
or more extra-curricular clubs or in outdoor
education, which ranges from curricular
Junior School
fieldwork to hill-walking trips and annual
expeditions by pupils of different ages, in
Scotland and beyond. Staff at Gordon’s
know well that the more time you spend
with pupils outside the classroom, the better
the working relationships are within the
classroom. This extracurricular commitment
of the staff at Robert Gordon’s is vital.
We aim for a world class learning community
at Robert Gordon’s and the College is
committed to a global alliance of first class
schools – one on each continent.
Robert Gordon’s is firmly committed to the
highest standards of teaching and learning,
including digital literacy and independent
learning. Our pupils have a one to one
provision of iPads and our staff are issued
and trained with these too.
Coming to Gordon’s you would be joining a
school community with a very strong sense of
identity, built on its history and long tradition
of excellence. The school has an unusually
high profile within the city of Aberdeen, not
just in the sense that the uniform is well
known around the city but also in the huge
range of people in the community who have
an interest in the well-being of the school,
whether they be former pupils, current pupils
and parents or those looking to send their
children here in the future. Aberdonians with
no direct connection to the school take pride
in it as a local institution. It is a most friendly
as well as a purposeful and well-focused
school, which is confident in its core business
of effective learning and teaching while at
the same time providing an enjoyable social
and community life for its staff.
We reward our teaching staff well with
a generous Robert Gordon’s allowance
(currently 6%) above national pay scale
to recognise the commitment of our
professional staff. In addition there is a
provision for the children of staff to attend
the college at reduced fees subject to entry
procedures.
We would want to welcome you here to
Robert Gordon’s as a teacher if you believe in
the potential of young people, given the very
best that we can offer in terms of resources,
activities, standards and above all teachers’
hard work and high expectations. If teaching
in an environment such as this appeals to
you, we hope to be able to welcome you as a
member of staff in the not too distant future.
Simon Mills
Head of College
A96
How to find us
A90
Turriff
Peterhead
Huntly
A95
Ellon
Oldmeldrum
A96
A90
Inverurie
Alford
Dyce
Westhill
ABERDEEN
Banchory
Ballater Aboyne
Braemar
Stonehaven
A90
Laurencekirk
Inverbervie
A92
Brechin
Montrose
A96 route: Continue along the A96 Inverurie
Road, which becomes Auchmill Road. Go through
two roundabouts. At the third roundabout, take
the 3rd exit onto Gallowgate. Turn left and stay
on Gallowgate. Turn right at Upperkirkgate and
continue on this route to Schoolhill, turn right
then through the College gates
Forfar
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From South: Driving on the A90, take the 2nd exit
at the Bridge of Dee roundabout. Cross the Bridge
of Dee, take the 3rd exit at the next roundabout
onto the A9013. Continue to Holburn Junction,
turn right onto Union Street. Go through 3 sets of
traffic lights, turn left onto Union Terrace B983.
Turn right at Rosemount Viaduct, continue on to
Schoolhill past mini-roundabout, take next left
then through the College gates.
By Train: we are within 5 minutes walking distance
of Aberdeen Train Station.
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By Car: From North: A90 route: Driving on the
A90 towards Ellon, take the 2nd exit at the
roundabout onto Ellon Road - A956. Continue on
this route, at the next roundabout take the 2nd
exit onto King Street. Continue onto Union Street
- A9013. Turn right at 2nd set of traffic lights onto
Broad Street, then left at the next set of traffic
lights onto Upperkirkgate. Continue on this route
to Schoolhill, turn right then through the College
gates.
By Bus: we are within 5 minutes walking distance
of Aberdeen Bus Station (which is located right
next to the train station).
By Air: we are around 7 miles from Aberdeen
Airport. You can get a bus or taxi from the airport
which would take 15-30 minutes depending on
traffic.
T
Mount Keen
Schoolhill, Aberdeen, Scotland AB10 1FE Tel 01224 646346 Fax 01224 630301
e-mail [email protected] www.rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk
Robert Gordon’s College is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC000123