At the end of February, Luke met with a number of headteachers and school stakeholders from around Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, to discuss their current concerns for children, young people and school staff. Since then, Luke has been taking on board comments made in that discussion, as well as further correspondence received on the issue, and has now written to Gavin Williamson MP to highlight these rising worries that school stakeholders have.

These include the testing system they are expected to implement and issues with it, the current narrative about young people being ‘behind’ despite their hard work and the tough year they have faced, mental health issues among young people and their parents, and those children and young people who are transitioning between schools, or from school into the workplace or further education.

Luke would like the government to consider how they can shape policy to improve the lives and futures of children and young people, and indeed the lives of the school staff who have worked so hard to support them over this last year and continue to do so.