Mr Woodman

We did have some fun at Mr Woodman's expense but he always took it in good grace.  On occasion that suitcase he carried, the 1960s equivalent of the Blackberry, that contained all of his professional documents and text books could be found sitting in the middle of a corridor. The owner, having remembered something more important to do, had set it down on the floor and it just screamed out to be moved. The usual new location was the girl's toilets but wherever it ended-up he always found it.

It was a privilege to listen to his talks in assembly and during Religious Education classes. He challenged us intellectually and spiritually, both by his actions and in his professional dealings with us in school. He led us from childhood to adulthood during the most formative years of our lives. I remember his smile on one occasion when he invited some of us to help with a group of disabled people from the area. Philip Wright and I were tasked to help a gentleman to get into the school building, at a time when there were no disabled ramps at the front door.

Philip and I had never encountered a wheel-chair before and we nervously gripped the arm-rests to lift our charge up the steps. The offending handles were detachable and we were left standing with the arm-rests whilst the wheel-chair took off backwards, as the owner scowled at us. Mr Woodman retrieved both the man and the situation with his customary charm and we retreated into the sanctity of the school.

As a principal, I have had to cope with those sad days in school whenever a death occurs, especially difficult when it is that of a pupil or teacher. Sadly, Mr Woodman had occasion to lead us during our time of collective loss. His sense of grief for the loss of a member of his school family was self-evident but he was only ever concerned for us, as we grieved for one of our PC community. He never put his personal needs above those of his children and staff.

Fortiter et Humaniter, with Courage and Courtesy that was Mr Woodman. Remembrance Day was a special day in school and for him every poppy represented a life lost and a face remembered.  When he spoke to us there was no glorification of war.

Studdert Kennedy, a poet and clergyman, was often quoted in class and assembly by Mr Woodman. Kennedy earned the nickname "Woodbine Willy" for his habit of giving Woodbine cigarettes to soldiers during WW1. He was awarded the Military Cross for risking his life to comfort the wounded at Messines Ridge. During the war "Woodbine Willy" wrote verses for soldiers in the trenches. Mr Woodman was a Londoner and he skilfully captured the cockney nuances inherent within the poetry. I am sure that they both stand in the presence of God, as men of honour and courage.

An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. (Carl Jung)

Fortiter Et Humaniter

"He saw the good in everyone." (Dame Mary Peters)

This site is dedicated to the Memory of Mr Woodman MBE