If the mark of a good teacher is that former pupils want to stay in touch, Theresa Bennett must be one of the best.

The 80-year-old, affectionately known to her old charges as “Terry the Teacher” is still in contact with some of her students six decades later.

Terry celebrated her birthday last week with pupils from the very first PE class she taught at St Angela Ursuline School in Forest Gate in 1958.

Terry suffered a stroke last spring and moved to Woodland Grove care home in Loughton, where she is visited regularly by former student, Barbara Griffiths.

Barbara said: “I was in the first class that Terry taught, we eleven year olds didn't realise she was only 10 years older than we were.

“She was by far the youngest lay teacher as most were nuns of the Ursuline order. She was popular not because we all loved PE, which we didn’t, but because she was young, and she cared.”

Terry never married but had a wide circle of friends, including her neighbours at Buckhurst Hill, where she lived for many years.

The class of ’58 invited Terry to all of their reunions and she became so much part of the group that they were preparing her 80th birthday party when they heard she had been taken ill.

Since she moved into Woodland Grove, friends have travelled from New Zealand, Australia and France to spend time with their former teacher.

Home manager, Leigh Burrell, said: “It’s wonderful that Terry has such a loyal group of friends and we’re always happy to welcome them here.

“We make sure that when someone moves into Woodland Grove they can still connect with the people and places they love.

“Understanding who they are and what they enjoy is central to the personalised care we offer here.”