Archbishop of Canterbury visits Johanna Primary School

Johanna Primary School near Lower Marsh opened its doors on Thursday afternoon for an event called "Say and Play" designed to showcase children's work and as a consultation exercise for local residents to help shape the future of Lambeth Council services.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, walked the short distance from his London residence at Lambeth Palace to visit the school, tour stalls and meet pupils and staff.

"How many times can you introduce a local resident who lives in a palace to the children?" said chair of governors Dr Scott Rice as he invited the Archbishop to say a few words.

"It's a real privilege to be with you this afternoon as a local resident," said Dr Williams.

"We do try down the road at Lambeth Palace to keep the doors open a bit for people to see what we get up to there and I hope we'll see more of you in there at some point."

He added: "A really good school is never just a place that you send children. It's a place where a whole community gets on with its learning; its learning about what it can do as a community, its learning about what's possible for people in this area.

"And that's why I'm so enthusiastic about what today has been about ... it's been looking at a school as a place that can draw together lots of hopes, lots of aspirations, lots of skills. A place that really does open doors not just for the children who are looked after so wonderfully here day by day, but opens doors for everybody in the neighbourhood."

The event included a fashion show organised by the Great Lakes African Women's Network.

Other guests included Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey, London Assembly member Val Shawcross and Bishop's ward councillor Peter Truesdale.