It is the time of year again when families across our area are finding out which schools their children will be going to in September. I know from experience with my own how stressful school allocations can be because we all want to give our children the very best start in life. I owe a debt of gratitude for the excellent state education I received and ensuring everyone has a good school place is one of the main reasons I entered politics.

The latest round of secondary school allocations for Hertsmere, announced in March, saw the number of students requiring a place rise by three per cent. Although by itself a relatively small increase, our schools are already under pressure and if we are going to build new homes in the coming years we must ensure a growing community is matched by the right infrastructure, including schools.

For this reason I have called a new meeting with education officials from the County Council to press for progress on increasing capacity in our schools to meet future demand. I will be pushing them to make sure that, in concert with the Borough Council and the Department for Education, the need for new places is properly assessed, land for construction is identified, and funding secured. At the same time, in London I continue to make the case with my colleagues in the Government to prioritise funding and resources for education.

I've enjoyed visiting many local schools over the last few years, most recently Bushey Heath Primary last month, and I am next looking forward to seeing Newberries Primary in Radlett in a couple of weeks. While other issues, primarily Brexit, dominate the headlines, I will be continuing my campaign to support and improve our local schools.