8 September 2016

Making sure every pupil in our area gets the skills they need to succeed is vital to the long-term prosperity of our region. That’s why as a Member of Parliament over the last six years I have been working with our great local schools and teachers to make sure every pupil has the chance to fulfil their potential, and why I set up the first ever Norfolk Innovation Awards, now in its third year, to reward pioneering teaching in science and technology for which our region is known throughout the world.

That’s why I was encouraged by the evidence we saw with GCSE and A-Level results this summer where many schools showed improvement and there were some truly outstanding achievements. Such results are a credit to the hard work of pupils and teachers throughout Mid Norfolk.

Overall, in Norfolk, 60.8% of students achieved the government standard of an A* - C grade in English and Maths - a 3.6 percentage point increase on last year.

However, despite these recent improvements the figures for Norfolk are still 6.1 percent short of the national average, and serious concerns remain about some schools that are still falling below the necessary minimum standard. I have vowed to do all I can to support local teachers to make sure that Norfolk schools get further up in the league tables but I know many parents will want to get some serious questions answered on what is being done to make sure all pupils have access to the high-quality education they deserve.

I believe that for too long our area has been viewed by some as a ‘rural backwater’. Education is at the heart of making our area a centre of enterprise and opportunity, investing in the entrepreneurs, public servants and pioneers of tomorrow. To do that means answering some tough questions about improvements that need to be made in some parts of the system. Young people in Norfolk need the best start in life and the best education to equip them with the skills they need to get on. If we can combine this with ongoing investment in infrastructure, training and a new model of development based on a vibrant rural economy, I truly believe we can unlock a ‘Rural Renaissance’ in our area, creating the right environment for Norfolk to retain the young and talented with high-skilled, high-wage jobs in our towns and villages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We need a joined up pan Norfolk crusade to raise aspiration, expectations and standards across our county – especially in the areas of entrenched educational underperformance, and I am continuing to pursue this in both my new role for the Prime Minister, and with the relevant leaders in Norfolk.