Mansfield MP Ben Bradley praises ‘positive trajectory’ of education in Mansfield during Westminster Hall debate

During the debate, Coun Bradley, also Nottinghamshire Council leader, highlighted the progress made on the state of education in Mansfield, including that more schools in Mansfield are rated good, there is a clear “positive trajectory” and educational standards in Mansfield are improving.

He also highlighted that in Mansfield, a small minority of children go to university and those that do rarely return to the area. This showed, he said, the need to give students choice and ‘the right information to help them get the best outcome.’

Coun Bradley also praised the work of West Nottinghamshire College, which he said has “become a centre for growth and change in our community”, and credited principal Andrew Cropley with turning the college around.

Education funding was also raised during the debate with Coun Bradley highlighting that schools will receive an extra £2 billion nationally over the next two years.

Furthermore, it was highlighted that school budgets will rise by £3.5bn next year, with Mansfield schools getting just more than £3 million of extra funding in the next academic year.

He summed up the debate by stating: “There has never been more money in our education system”.

He also raised more positive local news when he highlighted the previous announcement that three Mansfield schools were among 239 schools selected to be rebuilt or substantially refurbished.

Meden School in Warsop, The Garibaldi School in Forest Town and Mansfield’s All Saints’ Catholic Academy are set to be substantially refurbished and the old facilities replaced.

During the debate, Coun Bradley also highlighted the need for delivery on government plans for the education system, by highlighting conversations he had with people during campaigning for the local elections who had stated “show me the buildings and the outcomes”, telling the debate: “That is what we need to achieve by the next election. We need to grow our communities’ confidence.”

Coun Bradley said: “‘It was a real pleasure to contribute to this important debate around funding for our educational institutions in the Midlands. Education has always been my number one priority and passion since joining Parliament, so I always relish the opportunity to discuss this issue with colleagues.’

‘Over the nearly six years since I was first elected we’ve seen some real progress on education in Mansfield. We’ve had more schools ranked ‘good’ by Ofsted and we can see clear improvement in educational standards in Mansfield.

“Of course, it’s not just about standards of education, but the choice offered to students. I highlighted in my speech how many students in Mansfield do not go to university and so we have to present a diverse offer to these children in order to allow them to pursue what interests them. I highlighted how I think West Nottinghamshire College has done amazing work in this and praised the work of its principal.

“Sticking with positive education news in Mansfield, I made sure to highlight the positive news that Mansfield schools will be receiving just more than £3m extra for the next academic year. This news, combined with the previous announcement that Meden, Garibaldi and All Saints are to be substantially refurbished, shows government is investing heavily in education in Mansfield.”