By Mrs Cowie, Deputy Head

At Robert Gordon’s College, our priority is finding the right pathway for each, individual, young person. A curriculum that offers students the opportunity to make decisions about their learning fosters a sense of agency, empowerment and ownership over their educational journey; this sense of autonomy not only motivates students, but also encourages deeper engagement, critical thinking, and a more personalised approach to learning.

In S1-2, pupils study a broad range of subjects so that they can discover their own interests and strengths.  Pupils study all three sciences separately as well as two or three languages from a choice of French, German, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish. As they progress to S3-4, they have free choice of eight National 5 courses, which they study over two years. This approach provides our pupils with the greatest opportunity for success, and ensures that they continue to have a broad education whilst gaining the necessary skills and knowledge that they need to access the next stage of their educational journey. In S5-6, our pupils can choose from a range of 32 Higher and 28 Advanced Higher subjects, covering areas as diverse as Philosophy, Economics, Engineering Science, Politics, Music Technology, Mathematics of Mechanics and Classical Studies.  In addition, we offer a range of other courses such as National Certificate Creative Industries, Powering Futures, Sports Leadership, and Personal Finance Award. 

Our commitment to supporting pupils extends beyond the classroom. In 2024, almost all of our S6 leavers attained their firm choice of university place to study an incredibly diverse range of subjects, from Medicine, Law and Engineering, to Naval Architecture, International Fashion Branding and Music. Nearly half of our pupils went on to attend a Russell Group university, whilst others chose institutions such as St Andrews and Loughborough, or to continue their studies abroad. We provide extensive support through the whole application process, whether that is for a Scottish university, Oxbridge, or international study, our S6 pupils benefit from opportunities such as our Business Breakfasts, and global alumni mentoring programme, to help them take the next steps beyond school.

Pupils in our Senior School benefit from small class sizes, talented specialist teachers, a positive learning environment, and opportunities to extend and develop their learning in real world contexts.  We build our timetable around pupils’ subject selections which provides our young people with the greatest possible opportunity and choice, and the flexibility to ensure that they can achieve their potential.  Every young person is different and we place high value on finding the right combination of subjects, and academic pathway, for each individual.

Our children will become artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in fields we don’t even know exist yet: providing them with a broad education, access to the widest range of subjects possible, and supporting them to achieve their potential, is at the forefront of everything we do.  Ultimately, our goal is to support our young people to be the best they can be, and we see evidence of that every day in the amazing achievements of our pupils.