This morning the team and I had the pleasure of visiting the new school farm at Mead Primary, Harold Hill, and talking to some of the pupils there about what they learn from caring for the farm animals.

We were welcomed to Mead by Executive Headteacher, Malcolm Drakes, whom we now know well through our work with nearby Broadford Primary, Mead's sister school. Broadford last year won the TES School of the Year, and Malcolm has now put Mead forward for its own prize. 

I had arranged to visit Mead as part of my aim to understand the opportunities and challenges facing our local schools, and to offer help in connecting their leadership teams to useful people in Westminster and the constituency.