Head of College: Mr Gardner
Deputy Head of College: Ms O'Hana
College Pastoral Manager: Ms Sacoor
Annie Wood was born in London in 1847. When her father died, in 1852, Annie’s mother was unable to make ends meet and she was raised instead by her mother’s friend.
However, it was her marriage to Rev. Frank Besant, at the age of 19, which was to be the making of her. She tried to help her husband's parishioners, who were in need; but she came to believe that to alleviate poverty and suffering, deeper social changes were needed beyond immediate service. She quickly realised the poor needed better living and working conditions rather than handouts.
Besant was a woman of action. She felt unable to reconcile the ideals of “Christian charity” with the lack of action she felt was happening in her husband’s parish and so, following her principled refusal to attend Holy Communion, they were separated in 1873 and Besant moved to Lambeth.
This woman of action became someone who stood up for what she believed in, no matter what. She fought against social injustice, against imperialism, for women’s rights, for Free School meals, and, perhaps most famously, led the Match Girls Strike in 1888.
She was also not afraid to change her mind and thought carefully and frequently about her beliefs; changing them if she felt they no longer fitted with her view of the world. During her life she was considered a radical freethinker, atheist, social reformer, Theosophist lecturer and writer.
How will Besant help build the identity of BESanT college?
Like Besant, we must aim to show conviction in our beliefs. As a college we believe that every student can and will achieve. Beyond this, Besant taught that what matters it what we learn and how this impacts upon what we believe. As a college we will strive to be life-long learners, who always think and reflect upon what we believe in and how we can make the best impact. Underpinning this all, Besant remained committed to social justice and equality for all. As a college we believe that through supporting one another and standing up for those who are treated unfairly, we will all be able to achieve our dreams.
“Not out of right practice comes right thinking, but out of right thinking comes right practice. It matters enormously what you think.” (A. Besant)
“Better remain silent, better not even think, if you are not prepared to act.” (A. Besant)