Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Goff akapinda chikoro chavakadzi muBasingstoke kusvikira ava nemakore masere. Pashure pacho, akapinda St Aubyns School, Rottingdean, uye akatanga paEton College muna September 1939, pakutanga kweHondo Yenyika II. Paaiva paEton, akaisa pfungwa dzake pamitauro yekare nenhau, achivada kupfuura zvidzidzo zvesayenzi. Ikoko, Henry Ley, muridzi wegarani uyo akanga aridza pa
kugadzwa kwaMambo George VI, kwakakurudzira kuda kwake piyano ndokumudzidzisa kuridza. Akasiya Eton muna December 1944, agamuchira kupiwa kunonoka kwekugamuchirwa kuNew College, Oxford, mushure mokunge apedza basa rake rechiuto.