Educating Bexhill and Battle is the most important task for us

During the General Election this year, I was disappointed by the lack of national focus on education.

Perhaps it is the consequence of having a mother as a teacher but I regard it as the most important area of Government policy. An outstanding school not only delivers outstanding results but delivers young people with a better chance of leading successful, happy and healthy lives.

So how does the state education system look for us in the Bexhill and Battle constituency? This year’s GCSE results suggest that we are heading in the right direction but have more to do. From the top, St Richard’s Bexhill continues to deliver outstanding results with 73% of its pupils obtaining at least 5 GCSEs at grades A* - C (including English and Maths). Claverham in Battle follows closely behind with 70%. Both schools are rated as ‘outstanding’ by inspectors and rightly so. Robertsbridge achieved its best ever results with 66%. Heathfield is close by at 62%. All of these results are above the national, and county, average of 53% (2014 figures). The situation, on paper, is less positive at Bexhill High where the figure was 40%.

So how do we get Bexhill High to the same position as St Richard’s and Claverham? Often, the debate focuses on the school system whereas, in my view, the key is something more personal. Call it a free school, academy, local authority school or anything else you fancy: the key to a brilliant school is having an outstanding head who will hire the best teachers and inspire the pupils to be the best that they can. This is where there is great cause for optimism. In Heidi Brown, we have a new principal at Bexhill High who took her former school in Shoreham to an ‘outstanding’ rank. This year, in Heidi’s first year, Bexhill High moved out of special measures and it now sits as ‘needs improvement’. The inspectors have praised the leadership and direction of travel. Heidi has ambitions to take the school to ‘outstanding’ by 2019. The disastrous design of classrooms for 90 children has now been rebuilt this summer with new Government money.

Having worked in a formerly failing school which was transformed by an inspiring head, I have great belief that Bexhill High will continue to improve under Heidi and her new team. Whilst the results may never catch up with St Richard’s or Claverham, it is essential that pupils from all of our schools can look back and say that they had the benefit of attending an ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ school. My Government are committed to every school attaining this level or teams will be sent in to help.

Having attended a school in my local town which was considered the ‘failing’ school, I am particularly keen on this commitment. Being within the grammar system, and having failed my entrance exam, I attended the secondary modern school next to the grammar school. Every day we were reminded that we had failed and others had succeeded. For me, this provided the drive and motivation. For others, they accepted the tag and it continues to live with them.

I hope all constituents will help and support all of our schools, and the inspiring staff who lead them, to succeed. My best wishes to all teachers and children who return to, or start school, this month.