Secretary of State for Education visits Telford Schools
The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, the Secretary of State for Education paid a visit to a range of educational establishments in Telford yesterday.
The Secretary of State attended Wombridge Primary School, Thomas Telford Free School, Telford Park School, Telford Sixth and Harper Adams University at the Quad as part of the visit.
The itinerary included a tour around the ‘in progress’ site of Thomas Telford Primary Free School on the new Romans Croft housing estate on the edge of Telford. The school will accommodate 420 children over two floors.
The children are already learning on site in a temporary classroom structure, waiting for the school to be completed later this year. They lined up outside to greet the Secretary of State as she, and Telford MP Shaun Davies, arrived just after lunchtime.
The tour was conducted by Executive Head Teacher, Claire Whiting, who guided the party around the facility which is being built by principal contractor Reds10.
The Secretary of State for Education told Telford Live “It’s amazing, and the children were so excited about the prospect of the brand new school opening later on this year.
“And what was really impressive is how the school want to make sure it caters for children with a range of needs.
“A real focus on support for children who have special educational needs and disabilities.
“A really great day for the town but also for the children who will go to this school for generations to come.”
The project forms part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Free Schools Programme and is jointly funded by Telford and Wrekin Council.
The Secretary of State then travelled to Telford Park School, where she met with a group of students to discuss the school’s ongoing improvement journey and wider national issues, including a potential social media ban for under-16s, the new voting age of 16, and their career aspirations.
The students welcomed the mobile phone ban, introduced under the new management regime at the school. Phones are handed in at the beginning of the day and the students claimed that this reduced bullying and made them feel safer.
This group of students missed out on lessons covering everyday adult skills such as opening a bank account and dealing with finances which have been introduced to lower years.
Students also shared their experiences of growing up and studying in Telford, sharing both their ambitions and the challenges facing young people today.
Telford Park School is also currently undergoing an expansion project being delivered in partnership with Paveways and Telford and Wrekin Council. The development will increase the school’s capacity to 900 students, creating an additional 300 places by September 2026.
