Gordonstoun in school merger

Prince Charles's former school is merging with a girls' school in Hampshire in a bid to improve the fortunes of both institutions.

Gordonstoun in Scotland is to gain a foothold in southern England at North Foreland Lodge, near Basingstoke.

In recent years North Foreland, whose former pupils include Princess Alexandra and Queen Margrethe of Denmark, has been losing girls to competitors with mixed sixth forms.

Mark Pyper, the headmaster of 400-pupil Gordonstoun, hopes that a merger spanning 600 miles will encourage the girls to trek up to his school near Elgin, Moray.

The Times reported that a mixed preparatory school, for eight-13 year olds, is being built in the grounds of North Foreland, which will continue to operate as a girls- only boarding school under the umbrella heading of Gordonstoun Schools.

The Gordonstoun fees, £18,750 a year, make it the third most expensive school in Britain.