CHURCH schools in the Alton cluster welcomed a special guest to their regular half-term meeting when the Bishop of Basingstoke, the Right Reverend David Williams, came to meet the children.

He was accompanied by Reverend Lesley Leon, of the Northanger Benefice, and Reverend Andrew Micklefield, vicar of the Parish of The Resurrection.

The Church of England schools in the area meet up each half term to exchange information and ideas to support pupils’ education.

This year they invited Bishop David to come and meet Church Council representatives, two year five and year six children from each school, including Bentley, Bentworth, Binsted, Chawton, Holybourne, Medstead and Selborne.

The meeting, on April 19 at Andrews Endowed School, Holybourne, was organised by Sharron Morton, the headteacher of Binsted Primary School.

The schools also work together on charitable activities and, during the last two years, have donated school clothes for the Alton Food Bank, raised money for various Christian charities, and have visited Operation Christmas Child and a night shelter.

Mrs Morton said: “I invited the Bishop of Basingstoke to our meeting because I wanted him to know what the church schools in the Alton cluster were doing and he really enjoyed his visit.

“We all had a picnic together before the meeting where, in reply to questions from the pupils, he told them just what a bishop does and his role in the church.

“He then asked them what they wanted the church to do for them and several said it would be nice to have more money for their building projects.

“The bishop also kindly stayed to have tea with us and said how impressed he was with what we do and how well informed and well mannered our pupils who acted as ambassadors for their schools were.”