A PIONEERING partnership between a church and school will see them share a new children’s and families’ worker.

(left to right) Andy Stockton, headteacher at Sarisbury C of E Junior School; Debbie Boyt the new children & families worker in Sarisbury; and the Rev Sandy Matheson, vicar at St Paul’s Church, Sarisbury Green.

Debbie Boyt will start working with children and families at St Paul’s Church, Sarisbury Green, and Sarisbury C of E Junior School in May.

The appointment was the brainchild of the vicar, the Rev Sandy Matheson, and the headteacher, Andy Stockton, who realised that both church and school would be supporting some of the same families.

Debbie will lead assemblies and the Christian club at the school, and help to develop its Christian ethos. She’ll also offer advice and support to vulnerable families alongside the school’s intervention manager and special educational needs co-ordinator.

At St Paul’s Church, she’ll work with its two groups for pre-school children and their parents, help to lead all-age services, and support the crèche and Sunday School.  She’ll also help to lead the monthly Sunday teatime services that involve craft, worship and bring-and-share tea.

Debbie will also support Whiteley Church, helping with Messy Church there and assemblies at Whiteley Primary and Cornerstone Primary Schools.

The role involves working three-quarters of the time for the church and a quarter for the school.

Andy said: “There was already a part-time families worker post at the church which would have included an element of helping vulnerable families.

“It was Sandy’s idea initially to link the role with the school and create a full-time post.

“Because of her work with the church, Debbie will already have met some of our children at the pre-school stage, which will enable us to help the families at an earlier stage.

“It’s a partnership between church and school. Sandy and I get on very well.  We have similar vision and values about what church and school should be, and we’re involved with many of the same families. We believe this is actually a model of how church and church school can work together.”

And Sandy said: “We’ve seen many times that families who experience bereavement or family breakdown, or whose children have special needs or medical problems, ask for help from both church and school. This kind of joined-up thinking means that families will benefit from us working together.”

Debbie, who is 35, grew up in Ringwood and became a Christian 10 years ago. She worked as a teaching assistant and a teacher before travelling overseas to India, the Philippines and Uganda. After studying at Moorlands Bible College, her most recent job was as assistant children’s minister at Knowle Parish Church in the Midlands. “This job brings together all the things I’ve done before,” she said.

“I love getting alongside children who no one else understands. When you do work with those who are pre-school, you build those contacts with parents, so they’ll already know me before their children start school.

“I’m leaving a job I love, but it’s the right time to move on, to a role that is exciting and new.”