Its first commandant was Major General Henry Tyndall, CB, ex 2nd Punjab Infantry, and its first home was Fort Wallingford.

[1][8] Gordon's is now a co-educational Academy school, and the pupils are a mixture of full and weekly boarders (judged outstanding in all categories of boarding by Ofsted in 2024 [9]) and day students.

The proportions of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language are in line with national averages.

[12] To the south of the original 1885 buildings is a Grade II listed building:[13] the 1894 memorial school chapel built in memory of Prince Albert Victor, eldest son of Edward, Prince of Wales who had helped fundraise for the boys home.

[14] Schools endeavour to get all students to achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBACC) qualification - this must include core subjects, a modern or ancient foreign language, and either History or Geography.

[8] In 2017, the Pipes and Drums bandmaster, Cecil McCready, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for three counts of sexual assault with a child by a person in a position of trust.

[15] McCready, a retired Irish Guard, had worked at the school for 17 years before his arrest and led the band to perform for the Queen at Commonwealth Day in 2014.