I was delighted to visit Somercotes Academy as part of its Careers and Personal Development programme.
It was particularly moving to meet Ukrainian refugees who, with their families, have made Lincolnshire their second home. It was lovely to hear the students say they had been made to feel so welcome in their communities and at school. Huge credit must go to Somercotes Academy and Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust for accommodating them and employing Karyna Bedrekovska as a teaching assistant.
I also held a Q&A with students in which we covered topics such as ambulance queues, the economy, domestic abuse, climate and Covid.
The students were a credit to the school. I was impressed by the line of questioning – some tougher than the House of Commons! – and their enthusiasm.
They showed a real interest and passion in current affairs and put their points across with eloquence and clarity. It was terrific that they were given the opportunity to have a voice. I look forward to hosting them at the House of Commons.
I want to pay tribute to all members of staff at Somercotes Academy who make Somercotes a very special place to learn and study.
I also applaud their efforts on switching their energy system from oil to sustainable sources.
I understand funding was secured from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance, to switch to internal lighting to LED, put 359 solar panels on three roofs and install a huge heat pump.
The Academy is part of the energy solution and all involved should be very proud.
Careers leader Laura Brown was commented on the visit saying:
“It was a really inspiring session which, hopefully, has opened the eyes of our pupils and encouraged them to get more actively involved in politics at a younger age,” she said.
“Visits and trips on our Careers and Personal Development programme expose children to things they would not ordinarily have the chance to do.”