23/03/2026. London, UK. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson visit St Paul’s Primary School in Walworth. Left to Right: Archdeacon Jonathan Sedgwick, Headteacher Angela Batchelor, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Florence Eshalomi MP, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and SDBE MAT Chief Executive Mark Burnett. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
Written by Archdeacon of Southwark, The Venerable Jonathan Sedgwick
This week a Southwark Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE) school, St Paul’s Southwark, had a visit from the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education. They visited their nursery, following the launch of the early years strategy 3 years ago which saw the SDBE open nurseries in all of its schools.
It was a great privilege to stand alongside the inspirational headteacher Angela Batchelor and the Chief Executive of our diocesan Multi—Academy Trust Mark Burnett in welcoming our Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education to St Paul’s School in Newington, Southwark on Monday.
They saw the school’s new nursery and also the breakfast club provision which have drawn so many children and families into the life of the school, and which are ensuring that unlike many surrounding schools numbers are strong at St Paul’s. St Paul’s is also a place of deep joy with Christian worship and celebration at its heart. Our political leaders were able to see for themselves the benefits of inclusive Christian values in the flourishing of our children and the drawing together of our community as a whole.
As a diocese we are so proud of all 99 of our schools whether primary, secondary, academies or voluntary-aided. Please pray for them all, our heads, teachers, support staff, governors, young people, children and their families.
