I was delighted to be back post Covid to visit two brilliant schools here in South Swindon last Friday morning. Firstly, I was back at the Chalet School, which specialises in support for children with special needs, particularly Autism, and has been doing an incredible job for our community for many years now. It was wonderful to see Headteacher Helena, and her excellent team, and to learn more about the challenges they are currently facing, as well as to see all of the children and visit the new classroom on the forest side of the school. As a parent of an former Chalet pupil, it was great to be back once again.
I then went on to visit Liden Primary School, right next door, which is now part of a Multi Academy Trust, just like Chalet. Liden Primary is working really hard on standards in reading and numeracy and is making great strides. I was pleased to speak to the school council during my visit and to join some of the classes and see the excellent progress being made.
Following this, on Friday afternoon, I was delighted to be back at Lawn Primary School. It was really great to see such a busy and popular school here in south Swindon, dealing brilliantly with the aftermath of Covid, and educating and supporting children from the age of two, right through to Key Stage 2. I got a sense of a really strong community at Lawn Primary, ably led by the Headteacher, and it was a huge pleasure to see everyone and to get a sense of the challenges facing teachers and support staff as we come out of that Covid era.
Thanks to all of the teachers and the support staff for their incredible work at all of these schools, as they work to make sure that our children here in Swindon are equipped for the skills of tomorrow.
On Sunday afternoon, I was glad to join the team for a while at Peatmoor Copse for some native tree planting. Many thanks to the residents, especially the very young ones, for their incredible work in West Swindon.
Following on from my question in Parliament a few weeks ago, about burdensome energy contracts that ask for big upfront payments from businesses and what action the government was taking, I have also spoken out about the abhorrent actions of energy companies forcing pre-payment meters on the most vulnerable customers. I have called for a social tariff to be introduced for gas and electricity, which would include subsided gas and electricity prices for those deemed to be vulnerable.
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2023, I am calling for employers of all sizes here in Swindon to offer apprenticeships. By offering an apprenticeship you can ensure that the skills developed are matched to your company’s current and future needs. This will help fill any skills gaps and allow your business to source future managers and leaders from within. Further details can be found here https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/
I am pleased to hear that Swindon-based business Zurich has increased its overall number of apprenticeships for 2023, as well as created new placements.
Zurich also has a Community Trust, which is my Charity of the Week. For fifty years now, this brilliant charity has been supporting the local community through a range of grant-making, fundraising, and volunteering programmes, which makes them one of the longest-established corporate trusts in the UK. For further information on ZCT please visit https://www.zct.org.uk/en-gb
