One of my central missions as an MP has been the improvement of school standards in Mid Norfolk. Only with a first-rate educational system can we boost the life prospects of our youngsters and help them fulfil their true potential.

That’s why I was keen to support the bid by Dereham Neatherd High School for National Centre for Computing Hub status (writing a letter of support to the Department for Education), and why I am delighted to report that the school has been successful.

Dereham Neatherd already has a long record of high performance in the teaching of Computer Science, and provides support to seven other high schools in Norfolk, as well as their feeder primaries. The success of this bid is a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on this success and give youngsters in our region an even greater chance to excel in this high growth area in our economy.

 look forward to attending the launch event of the new hub in September.