Bishop's blessing for community during Devizes ceremony (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

New school marks symbolic day for the town

12:00pm Friday 29th June 2012 in News By Lewis Cowen

The Bishop of Salisbury officially opened the first new school in Devizes in almost a decade when he presided at a service of dedication on Friday.

The Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam told the gathering in the main hall at The Trinity Primary School, Quakers Walk, that it was a really special day, not just for the school, but for Devizes.

Staff, governors and parents, including the mayor and mayoress of Devizes, Kelvin and Pam Nash, attended the dedication.

Bishop Nicholas said: “The whole community is gathered here today for the official opening of the Trinity School, which embodies symbols of the three churches – St Peter’s, St James and St John’s.

“The name works really well as it represents not just the three churches but the Trinity itself – the father, son and holy spirit.”

Bishop Nicholas had been welcomed into the hall by a guard of honour of the school’s three classes, after he had unveiled the foundation stone outside, to the sound of handbells and the singing of the school’s own Trinity Hymn.

Introducing the ceremony, headteacher Catherine Davis emphasised the importance of the day.

She told the pupils: “Today is an historic occasion. You may never experience anything like it again in your lives.

“This is a unique opportunity in our school family and we would like to share our experiences with the whole community.”

Pupils explained the school’s logo, which, they said, symbolises the three churches which support the Church of England school.

It has a crucifix at its centre, with keys, a scallop shell and a dove – representing St Peter, St James and St John the Baptist – around it.

The Trinity School, which has been open and running since Easter, replaces St Peter’s Primary in Bath Road, which had seen falling numbers of pupils because of demographic changes in the area.

Developers Persimmon Homes agreed to build the school as part of the “planning gain” in gaining approval to build homes on the site between Quakers Walk and London Road.

The last new primary school to open in Devizes was Nursteed Community Primary School in September 2002.