Shaun Davies, Member of Parliament for Telford, visited Wombridge Primary School during the pupil drop-off period this Friday, to talk to parents about the challenges they’re facing as the new school year begins.

Shaun also talked to parents about how the Government can help them through its stated mission of giving children the best start in life, having pledged to break down the barriers to opportunity at the last election. Since winning that election, the Labour Government has introduced a number of measures to support schools, parents and pupils, including levying VAT on private schools in order to fund state schools; rolling out free breakfast clubs at hundreds of schools; placing a cap on school uniform costs; creating new school-based nurseries and Best Start hubs; and expanding free school meal eligibility to all pupils in households receiving Universal Credit.

Just this week, working parents across the country began to access 30 hours of government-funded childcare a week, one of the Government’s flagship policies. This move is expected to reach more than 500,000 children this term, and generate savings for parents of up to £7,500 per child.

Wombridge Primary is one of two schools in Telford, along with Lawley Primary, benefiting from the Government’s £37m investment in new school-based nurseries, which began this week.

After the visit, Shaun said: “As a Dad I understand just how hard it’s become in recent years to be a working parent. Pressures on our education system and sharp rises in the cost of living have stuck parents between a rock and a hard place and this needs to change.

“It was good to hear directly from Telford parents about the challenges they’re facing, and what they want to see change. Families tell me they’re being left behind and that simply isn’t good enough.

“That’s why I’m committed to making sure Government support actually reaches the families who need it most and that childcare and local education challenges are tackled head-on. We owe it to every child in Telford to make sure they have the best possible start in life. Standing up for Telford means standing up for our families, because when they succeed, our whole community succeeds.”