Pupils at one school started their new term – and their 10th anniversary – with a special visit from the most senior Church of England clergyman in Suffolk.
Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Lavenham Way, Combs, Stowmarket, welcomed the Rt Revd Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich on Wednesday 4 September. Bishop Martin is no stranger to the school – he visited 10 years ago when the school was set up and it was there that his nomination as the 11th bishop for the Diocese was announced.
He then returned in 2016 to officially open the school and now, six months from his retirement in February, he was back again to help staff, parents and pupils celebrate the school’s 10th anniversary.
Trinity is the first and only Church school in Stowmarket and has 160 pupils aged four to 11. Bishop Martin was given a tour of the school, presided at a special school Eucharist and enjoyed birthday cake.
He said afterwards: ‘‘It was a joy to be back at this school, a school which promotes Christian values and embodies everything that the Diocese aims to achieve with Church of England schools. Their aim to be kind, welcoming and to care for God’s creation sums that up.
Everyone gave me such a warm welcome and I was delighted to hear how it has flourished in the last 10 years. Trinity has such spacious school grounds and this enables staff and children to fully embrace the outdoors within their extensive, broad and balanced curriculum. Many of the classrooms have direct access to outdoor learning spaces and I discovered how they are fully used to ensure that learning is enjoyable and fun for the young children.’’
Bishop Martin added: ‘‘This was the first new church school in the Diocese for 40 years when it opened. Our Church schools need to be inclusive and this is something that the Church can offer to the whole community. Where Church schools are different is that the children’s spiritual development, as well as their academic and personal development, is taken even more seriously.”
Linda Curran-Spain, the school’s head teacher, said: ‘‘We had such a wonderful celebration of what is so special about Trinity, our children and our community. As a leader of a Church school I am so privileged to be able to share the teaching of Jesus and watch our children grow and develop in so many ways. Sharing the day with Bishop Martin who has been part of the school since its first days was really special. Hearing his praise of the children and their behaviour was lovely.’’
Photography by Keith Mindham.