The theme of this first week back after half term has been remembrance, as we lead up to Remembrance Sunday this weekend.  Today, we observed a short silence at 11 am, in anticipation of Sunday’s national commemoration, after which the Last Post was played to the whole school by a student trumpeter. Students were then read the ‘act of remembrance’, the verse of the poem by Laurence Binyon:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

We concluded our whole school act of remembrance with this prayer taken from Common Worship:

God our refuge and strength,
Bring near the day when wars shall cease
And poverty and pain shall end, that earth may know the peace of heaven
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

During the week students have been both making and buying poppies from the Royal British Legion poppy box, and by today the majority of students wore the symbol of remembrance. Some students lay poppies on our ‘field of remembrance’ around the altar in the main hall, many with moving short prayers or reflections written on them.

 

Bennett’s strength in the Duke of Edinburgh Award is now well established, and it is with great pride that I am able to share two pieces of news about the Award.  Firstly, Bennett has just been given independent operator status, which means that the school is able to assess and accredit the Award without reference to Kent any more.  This is a mark of the very high quality provision we offer in the Award and the confidence the Award nationally has in our arrangements.  Secondly, group of Bennett students recently went to St James’ Palace to receive their Gold Awards.  The Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award is a very high standard, and only infrequently gained by young people still in school.  We are immensely proud of David Bland, Genevieve Hinde, Rosie Scott, Chloe Challis, Greg Dykes, Daniel Wicks and James Brown who all appear, with others, in this photograph taken at the Palace on 23^rd October.