Dear Bentley Wood Community,
I hope this final newsletter of the academic year finds you well and that you are enjoying the first few days of your summer holidays.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of our school, formerly known as Heriots Wood Grammar School. To celebrate, we brought together students and staff, both past and present. I had the privilege of speaking to alumni from the very first Heriots Wood cohort in September 1956, as well as the first Bentley Wood cohort from September 1976, as they shared fond memories of old friends, teachers and magical school moments.
To give our guests a flavour of school life today, we hosted a special assembly in the hall, enjoyed an entertaining performance by the Glee Club, reminisced over old photographs, and toured the school grounds. It was deeply comforting to realise that the strong sense of community we feel today has always been at the heart of this school. The fact that we have had only five headteachers over these 70 years is a true testament to that enduring stability and care.
I have experienced many proud moments this year, and throughout my 19 years at Bentley Wood. However, I have never been prouder than when our community came together to remember the two students we so tragically lost earlier this year. Their memory remains with us.
I hope you enjoy reading the rest of this newsletter. Have a wonderful, restful summer break, and I look forward to welcoming you all back in September.
Kindest regards,
Naseema Akbar Headteacher
