As an MP one part of the role I greatly enjoy is visiting our local schools and talking to our excellent young people about their school work and answering their (sometimes very difficult!) questions. On Friday I visited Rusper Primary School, my first school visit of the new year and the new decade!
It was a pleasure to meet the students and see a group hard at work learning about ratios- an important numeracy skill.
It was great to touch base with the headteacher. An extra £14bn is being invested in schools through the National Funding Formula. I was delighted that a baseline for per pupil funding has been confirmed that at a minimum, every secondary school will receive at least £5,000 per pupil, whilst primary schools will receive at least £3,750 per pupil next year which will rise to £4,000 per pupil the following year. This aspect of the formula I was especially keen to see introduced and will help locally. However few formulas are perfect and my visit to Rusper was very useful in understanding the effect on smaller schools and appreciating the areas that could benefit from scrutiny which I will be taking up on their behalf.
I also attended the regular West Sussex MP and West Sussex County Council Cabinet meeting on Friday. This was the first meeting between all the MPs and WSCC since the General Election and it was great to be joined by the new colleagues (or at least new to representing a Sussex seat!), Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Down) and Mims Davies (Mid Sussex).
Amongst the new faces, was WSCC’s new Chief Executive Becky Shaw, we also have a new County Council Leader, Paul Marshall. There is a new atmosphere at County and I am hopeful that with the new leadership team in place positive change will be evident.
Also on Friday I visited Heathfield a residential home in Hurst Road. The home boasts no fewer than three centennials: I spoke to two who are on great form. It was also a great pleasure to meet Tom, a wartime member of the merchant marine, and former Royal Marine who for many years subsequently performed the important role as a doorkeeper (ultimately Principal Doorkeeper) in the House of Commons. It was good to compare notes!
Photo Credit: Jeremy Quin visited Rusper School last Friday to meet pupils the Chair of Governors Emma Worskett and Headteacher Nick Avey.