Charleton C of E Academy, part of the Learning Academy Partnership, has welcomed the Rt Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, the Bishop of Exeter, for a visit this term.

Headteacher, Hannah Ruston, gave him a tour of the school, along with Reverend Mark Neave, who is responsible for nine rural churches in the South Hams, his wife, and Ken Ball, the Bishop's appointee from St Marys Church in West Charleton.

The Bishop learned all about the structure of the small school and how the other schools in the Learning Academy Partnership work as a family to support Charleton CofE Academy. He also spent some time in the forest school area with Year 1 and 2 pupils as they took part in a session led by Pete Moore from Forest and Beach, a national award winning outdoor company.

Prior to the Bishop’s visit Charleton pupils had harvested apples from the school grounds and made an apple cake in a Dutch oven on the fire pit. The Bishop joined the children in enjoying this.

He then listened to a musical performance from some of the older pupils who had composed their own short piece of music.

The group were supported to do this by the school’s music teacher, who also provides one to one lessons for many Charleton pupils.

The Bishop rounded off his visit by taking part in a Q&A session with the children, who asked him about his role in the church.

Charleton CofE Academy had a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection earlier this year. SIAMS inspections focus on the impact of the church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults.

This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish.

In their report SIAMS inspectors noted that members of the school community show friendship, respect, responsibility and honesty to each other and that leaders model this through the ways in which they welcome, support and interact with pupils and their families.

They also stated that friendship, respect, responsibility, and honesty underpin relationships and that these values create a safe and caring environment.

Hannah Ruston, Headteacher at Charleton CofE Academy said:

“It was such a privilege to welcome the Bishop to our school and to share with him the warmth, curiosity and creativity of our children. The day really reflected what makes Charleton so special, our strong sense of community and our commitment to helping every child flourish.

“The Bishop’s visit was a wonderful opportunity for our children to share their learning, from forest school adventures to music they had composed themselves. It was a day full of joy, reflection and celebration of all that we stand for as a church school.”

Tracey Cleverly, CEO of Learning Academy Partnership said:

“At Charleton and across our family of schools, we are passionate about nurturing communities where children feel valued, supported and inspired. The Bishop’s visit was a fantastic celebration of the school’s Christian ethos and the difference it makes to children’s lives every day. “