Last week I visited Alderman Richard Hallam Primary School where I talked to pupils and teachers about how it’s been during lockdown and why they love being back in school. I really enjoy visiting the schools in Leicester West and learning about all the fantastic things they are doing to […]
This morning I met with students from the English Martyrs Catholic School in Leicester to do a question and answer session through the UK Parliament Education and Engagement programme. The students asked me some fantastic questions about how I started working in politics, what motivates me, and how it is […]
On Friday I visited Babington Academy to hear about the great work to help all children aspire and achieve, especially after the last year. It was particularly good to see them supporting young carers at the school, and recognising the unique challenges they face. Thank you to headteacher Sara […]
On Wednesday I attended a meeting set up by Year 4 pupils at Braunstone Frith Primary School with local councillors, school governors and representatives from the city council to discuss the problems of traffic around the school. The pupils did a fantastic presentation which made some very important points, and […]
I recently had the chance to visit the PlayFit after-school club at Manor House Community Centre. After-school clubs are so important for children, and they help parents balance work and family life – thanks for the great work you do!
I recently visited Braunstone Community Primary School and Caldecote Community Primary School – two of our wonderful Leicester West primary schools. We spoke about how teachers and pupils are managing during coronavirus, and how important it is that students can bounce-back after their learning has been impacted so much over […]
New figures published yesterday by the End Child Poverty Coalition show that there are over 30,000 children in Leicester living below the poverty line. That’s 6,000 more than there were in 2015. Leicester saw the biggest increase in child poverty in the East Midlands, and one of the highest in […]
On Friday I visited both Fosse Primary School and Barley Croft Primary School to catch up with the headteachers, discussing the challenges the pandemic has caused. I also saw how much fun children at Fosse Primary were having on their TT (times table) Rock Stars – acting head Ms Tuffey […]
Today, I visited Imperial Avenue Infant School. I caught up with headteacher Libby Smith, who told me about the incredible work her team are doing to help children achieve their potential, despite Covid-19. The last year has been especially challenging for teachers and pupils. While it is good news that […]
In this month’s Leicester Mercury column, I talk how we must build a brighter future for our children as we emerge from this pandemic. Education must be top of the agenda. Right now, the Government’s National Tutoring Programme won’t even reach every pupil on Free School Meals, and the extra […]
I recently spoke in a Westminster Hall Debate to mark ‘World Social Work Day 2021’. I thanked the 100,000 social workers in the UK, including the 320 in Leicester, for their hard work, passion and commitment to supporting people in our communities. Social workers have faced huge additional pressures […]
Today is Young Carers Action Day, an annual campaign, ran by Carers Trust to raise awareness about the UK’s 800,000+ young carers. This year’s focus is on the amazing skills young carers gain through caring – like resilience, time management and empathy – which are so valuable in higher education […]