On Saturday, 30th April, Anna Firth, Member of Parliament for Southend West, visited Blenheim Primary School in Leigh-On-Sea, rated as outstanding in its 2020 Ofsted inspection, as part of her program to visit every school in Southend West.
Anna met with the Head of School, Mrs Amanda Wiley, who showed Anna the whole school, from the nursery through to the end of the primary school. Mrs Wiley was particularly pleased to show Anna the school’s sensory garden and the treehouse in which pupils can read and share stories. Anna was particularly impressed to see how lively the pupils were when playing outside and then how quiet and studious they were when in lessons immediately afterwards.
Anna plans to visit every school in the constituency to show her support for the outstanding schools in the area and to listen to staff’s concerns. She has made education a top priority for her as an MP and member of the House of Commons Education Select Committee which meets every week in Parliament to scrutinise the work of the Department for Education.
Speaking after the visit, Anna said: “Delighted to have been to Blenheim Primary School today and kicked off my program to visit all of our brilliant schools in Southend West. Mrs Wiley showed me everything that is outstanding about her school and I can definitely see why they were rated as such by Ofsted in 2020! I particularly loved to see the sensory garden and reading treehouse – it really struck me how the school is able to provide space for their pupils to play and relax but also makes sure that they work hard in class. Mrs Wiley and the whole team at Blenheim are to be congratulated on their truly outstanding school and I look forward to visiting all the schools in Southend West to support them and make sure that Southend West school remains nation-leading examples of exceptional education.”
