Banner made by the children during the Covid-19 lockdown
St. Mary’s Church, Eastry
Eastry Church and school have had a close and fruitful connection since the foundation of Eastry Church of England School in 1853.
The history of Eastry Church goes back a lot further, with the building of the present structure having started at the end of the 11th century. Eastry Church will in fact be celebrating its 900th anniversary in 2020 although there was probably an earlier Saxon Church on the site.
Eastry Church has been added to over the years and unbroken Christian worship has continued to this present day.
Links between Church and School in Eastry are as strong today as ever. Rev Andrew Brown serves on the Governing Body and members of the clergy regularly visit the school. In return the school regularly visits the Church for services including Harvest, Christingle, Founders Day, Easter and the School Leavers’ Service, as well as other major festivals.
The clergy participate in and support curricular activities in school which are exploring areas of Church life, for example how many Christians celebrate Christmas. The school use the Church building as a resource both in their direct learning and in their spiritual, social and cultural development. This starts with an exploratory visit in reception creating a sense of awe and wonder as they explore the church building. We also hold Schools Sundays at the church where members of the local community plan and lead the Sunday worship alongside the congregation. We are also fortunate to have a lunch club run by members of the church enabling children to explore bible stories in fun and creative ways.