2025 Leavers Magazine. Connecting you to your future as a Sternian.
Issue 4: August 2025
Farewell from LWC, you are now a Sternian!
FROM THE HEADMASTER As you step beyond the Acorn Gates - slightly taller, slightly wiser, and probably still with a smidge of lunch on your shirt, you carry with you a rucksack of memories: friendships forged in laughter and occasional chaos, moments of quiet triumph, and the curious sense that something quite wonderful might be waiting just around the next corner. The paths ahead of you are infinite. Some will be smooth and sun-dappled; others will have potholes, unexpected hills, and the odd hairpin bend. But that’s the joy of it; you’ll each take different routes, yet somehow, inevitably, your paths will cross again. Those chance meetings, those shared glances across train platforms or reunion dinners, will remind you that home is not just a place. It’s people. You’ve become impressive young adults, which is no small thing. We’ve watched you grow in confidence, deepen in thought, and, in some cases, finally return your library books. As a school, we’ve evolved too - new buildings, new ideas, new ambitions - but our essence remains unchanged. This is still a place where you can breathe, stretch, stumble, start again, and slowly but surely, tell your story. The 1200 acres help, of course. Room to roam. Room to dream. The best schools never sit still. They challenge, they change, they poke and prod. And we hope we’ve done that - nudged you gently out of your comfort zone and into something a little braver. The lessons you’ve learned here - of resilience, creativity,
collaboration and compassion aren’t just academic. They are quietly revolutionary. And they will serve you far better than any algorithm ever could. Although your time here as pupils has drawn to a close, your story with us is far from over. As Sternians, you are part of something enduring. The heartbeat of LWC’s legacy. And whether it’s at reunions, through LWC Connect, or just wandering back up the drive one misty morning, know that this place is yours. Always was. Always will be. We set out to help you become inwardly self-confident and outwardly modest, passionate and curious, ambitious to make a positive difference. And now, as we look at you - full of questions, full of promise, full of optimism - we find ourselves wondering: did we manage it? Or did you teach us a few things along the way? We think you did, by the way…
And so, as the sun sets on this chapter and rises on the next, go with purpose. Go with kindness. And go with just enough mischief to keep things interesting.
Adam Williams Headmaster
Class of 2025