Dan Barnett joined Westholme in 2016 as a teacher of PE, but he was so much more than his job title could ever convey. Over the past decade, he became a defining presence within our School, teaching and inspiring pupils of every age, from Prep through to Sixth Form, and contributing immeasurably to the life and spirit of the entire Westholme community.

Dan brought to everything he did excellent humour, extraordinary patience and boundless kindness. Competitive by nature and passionate about sport, he nevertheless understood that the greatest encouragement was not reserved only for the strongest performers. He believed deeply in every individual, finding ways to build confidence, recognise effort and help each pupil discover what they were capable of achieving.

Deeply loved by pupils, parents, colleagues and former students, Dan will be forever woven into the fabric of Westholme and indelibly etched into our history. He will be remembered for his exceptional service and dedication, his optimism and sense of adventure, his infectious love of life and, above all, the kindness he showed to everyone around him.

Over the next 12 months, Westholme is organising a series of running and walking events to remember Dan and raise funds for the charity chosen by his family, Becca, Poppy and Willa.

The series kicks off with staff running the West Coast half-marathon on 11 October but will revolve around a special multi-distance festival of running at Easter. Other events will include the Blackburn 10K in December and Winter Warmer in the new year.