As we move into autumn, I've been reflecting on what has been a busy summer. It was kicked off by the election and a new Government getting straight to work.

I hope you all managed to enjoy some rest during these few months and pupils across the constituency enjoyed their well-deserved break.   

With schools having now returned, I want to wish pupils, staff and parents all the best as this year begins. I know how difficult the past few years have been for education, with the pandemic and the RAAC and asbestos crisis that hit two local schools. Your resilience throughout has been impressive.

Thank you to everyone who continued to work tirelessly in such tough circumstances.   

On the subject of education, I was heartened to see the announcement earlier this month that our new Government is immediately scrapping one- or two-word Ofsted inspection grades. These judgements have long been high stakes for schools and low information for parents.   

It has always been a priority of mine to visit as many local schools as possible and hear first-hand from staff and pupils about what is working and what isn't. Ofsted almost always is raised by teachers incredibly frustrated by a one-word judgement attempting to sum up their school when it could never possibly do so.

These narrow judgements add huge pressure to teaching staff who are working tirelessly to deliver the best education for our children they can.   

 Instead of these restrictive judgements, we will move towards new report cards to give parents a clearer picture of school performance.

This move will give parents more transparency and not reduce a school to a one-word judgement. It is welcome that teachers have been listened to and this decision enacted to drive up standards in our schools.   

This month also marked our return to parliament after the summer recess. It is undeniably clear that we face huge financial difficulties and if we are to deliver the change people voted for, we must fix the foundations of our country. In the first few weeks, a £22 billion black hole in the public finances was discovered.

That means the last government committed to a staggering £22bn worth of expenditure for which it did not have the funds.

Clearly, as it's in-year spending it has to be paid for so we need to find the money.

We cannot and must not rely on quick fixes because they will not root out the problems we desperately need to root out. This means tough decisions and hard work to change the country and deliver the change we urgently need and deserve.   

As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise with me. I can be reached on [email protected] or on 01926 882006.