We paid our first visit this morning to Drapers' Brookside Primary School, Harold Hill, to speak to dynamic and inspirational head teacher, Mrs Angela Winch. I had arranged to visit Drapers' Brookside as part of my work to understand the opportunities and challenges facing our local schools, and to offer help in connecting schools' leadership teams to useful people in Westminster and the constituency. 

Mrs Winch has many years of experience at the school, and has worked tirelessly to improve the education and health outcomes of her students. Drapers' Brookside serves the Harold Hill community, where 60 per cent of adults are unemployed and 34 per cent have no qualifications, and the school is passionate about supporting parents as well as students in order to raise the aspirations and skills of the entire family. 

Drapers' Brookside is part of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) in Harold Hill that includes Drapers' Academy, Drapers' Mayland and Draypers' Pyrgo Primary Schools. Over 22 different languages are spoken across the MAT, and 2226 children educated by schools in the Trust. 

Our visit to Drapers' Brookside followed meetings at MyPlace with Harold Hill's local councillors in Gooshays and Heaton wards, and local residents' group, EPAGRA.