Academic and sportsman, Dr Woods was a South African who had won a Rhodes scholarship to study History at Oxford.
Achieving Blues in both squash and hockey, he went on to coach sports teams at Felsted where he often came into contact with Gresham’s pupils. With his wife Erica he was an excellent host, and during his time at Holt created the post of director of studies and instigated the building of a second boarding house for girls. Following some controversial appointments and a breakdown in communications, however, he moved on to further his management experience at Trent College.