More money for all local schools

It’s been a strange and unsettling year for all of us, but for school-age children the coronavirus pandemic has caused them to miss months of school and be separated from their friends and teachers for lengthy periods.

Let me begin this week by congratulating all those A Level and BTEC students from Brentwood and Ongar who got the results they needed to get into the University, college or apprenticeship they wanted.

Students in England will receive centre assessment grades for this week’s GCSE results and last week’s A and AS level results, the Government and Ofqual have confirmed this week.

I write my weekly article for the Brentwood Gazette a few days ahead of its publication each Wednesday. As has happened so often throughout the coronavirus pandemic, by the time it's in the paper things have moved on.

Schools in Brentwood and Ongar are due to benefit from funding to improve school facilities.

Essex County Council is supporting a government campaign to support families to access online educational materials.

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced further support for schools, families and young people during the current school closures.

It is always heartening to see young people who are as enthusiastic about politics as me, so it was a real pleasure to bring more than 30 local sixth-form politics students together last week to take part in my second annual Mock Parliament.

As 2019 draws to a close, may I take this opportunity to thank you for your many messages of support this year.

More money for all local pupils

The Conservatives have committed to increase funding for all pupils in all schools.

After the success of the competition I ran last year with Brentwood and Ongar's primary schools to design a Christmas card I can send to constituents, contacts and colleagues, I am running the competition again this year and hope to receive even more entries.