Rt Revd Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, visits Trinity CEVAP School in Stowmarket to celebrate 10th anniversary

A Suffolk school has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special visit from the county’s most senior Church of England clergyman.

Rt Revd Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, visited Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Stowmarket yesterday to celebrate the milestone and the start of the new term.

Bishop Martin previously visited the school in 2014 when it was first established - and it was there that his nomination as the 11th bishop for the Diocese was announced.

He said: “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.”

Bishop Martin returned in 2016 to officially open the school and now Trinity is the first and only Church school in Stowmarket with 160 pupils aged four to 11.

Now, six months from his retirement in February, the bishop recalled the school’s opening and how it 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,” he said.

“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.”

Head teacher Linda Curran-Spain added: ‘‘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.’’