Rebecca Brennan
20 May, 2025
Schools

Royal celebration for St Luke’s CE Primary School headteacher

The headteacher of St Luke’s CE Primary School, Sonia Clews, had a right royal day out this week after being invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate and recognise her work in education.

Royal celebration for St Luke's headteacher

King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted the Education and Skills Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 14th. The event celebrated individuals from the education and skills sector and was also attended by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. 

This very special day brought together approximately 7,000 representatives from across educational fields and featured a performance from The Royal Ballet School for guests.

Sonia said of the day: “This was an incredibly special event and I am so honoured to have been part of it. My own experiences of education as a child have inspired and motivated me over the years as a teacher and school leader to make every child in a school feel safe, welcome and able to thrive on their own terms.”

St Luke's invite to Palace
St Luke's invite to Palace Credit: St Luke’s CE Primary School

This accolade marks the end of a brilliant year for the St Luke’s, which is part of the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust (PDET), having won the Environmental and Sustainability Award at the prestigious Northamptonshire Education Awards and been described by Ofsted as a ‘caring, nurturing and happy school’ that ‘welcomes everyone’, in a report that saw the school judged as ‘Good’ across all categories.

Ruth Walker-Green, CEO at PDET, said: “Sonia has led St Luke’s from strength to strength over the last 11 years, always going above and beyond to create a welcoming, inclusive school where every child is encouraged and supported to aim high. She absolutely deserves to have her dedication recognised and celebrated at the highest level.”