As a father and as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Education I want more, better educational opportunities for our children, and have lobbied hard for fairer funding for Somerset. I have been delighted with some of our progress over the years such as more money for some of our rural schools, recognising the challenges they face; £780 million more nationally for Special Educational Needs (something the APPG has focussed on); and an uplift for 16-19 year old funding which I personally lobbied the PM for. We have seen success in bringing T-levels, which are now being integrated into the baccalaureate model, more apprenticeships and an Institute of Technology to Yeovil College, as well as some great exam and qualification results. 

There will always be more we can do and I look forward to working with schools and the College in the coming months as well as on wider educational themes with the APPG.