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I’m proud of our schools in Nottinghamshire. Our schools’ staff do a fantastic job, and I’ve met countless pupils eager to learn and succeed.

We are ready and willing to invest in schools in Nottinghamshire and help our pupils become the best they can be - we’ve already earmarked £16m to spend over two years on expanding schools across the county and boosting pupil places.

Of course, a helping hand is always welcome, and that’s why I’m delighted at the contents of the government’s new and ambitious white paper on schools. 

The detail isn’t yet clear on just how the white paper will be implemented in Nottinghamshire. However, having had a good read of the document, what is on offer is positive and should be welcomed.

I’m enthusiastic about the pledge to provide an excellent teacher for every child by 2024 by improving teacher training opportunities and salaries. In our ambitious ten-year council plan, we committed to providing sufficient school places and giving parents greater choice and getting more people into the profession is essential for our vision.

In the white paper, there is a focus on calm and supportive school environments, including additional funding for mental health provision. This excellent policy is very close to my heart, and in Nottinghamshire, we are committed to helping our pupils with specialist educational needs. Indeed, the council’s finance committee has just signed off £3.3m in funding to transform three schools, including the construction of calm rooms and calm play areas.

The targeted support for every child who needs it is welcome. This policy puts tutoring at the centre of our children’s education and enshrines it as a permanent feature of the school system. Every parent, teacher and pupil in Nottinghamshire has been impacted by the enormous disruption caused to education by Covid-19, so I’m delighted the government is switching to more one-on-one support.

The plan to get the school system working as a whole, with trusts responsible for running schools while Nottinghamshire County Council champions the interests of children, is an innovative policy that I feel will do great good.

I’ve always been keen on working as closely as possible with the government to benefit Nottinghamshire pupils. We have had a great deal of help; look at how our county was chosen by Department for Education in February as an education investment area. However, I believe the new white paper is something rather special and will give an extra edge to our schools in the years to come.