Dr Neil Hudson MP met youngsters from across Epping Forest when he visited Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School and Roding Valley High School.
Dr Hudson visited Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School where he was invited to speak at the school's assembly and was quizzed by school councillors on the cost of living, road safety and food waste. Dr Hudson was incredibly impressed by the quality of questions from the young people and spoke to them about his role as an MP, his veterinary career and our Parliament.
Dr Hudson is working closely with the school to help improve road safety at pick up and drop off times where members of staff have expressed concern about pupil welfare given the tight and busy cul de sac that the school is located on. Dr Hudson is now in the process of working with school leaders to provide a solution for young folk.
Then in the afternoon Dr Hudson went to Roding Valley High School in Loughton. He met with Governors, Trust leaders and the Headteacher Daniel Charlton, before being given a tour of school by two incredibly mature and informative students. Dr Hudson then met with the Student Voice, a selection of pupils that meet regularly to discuss key ideas and initiatives that can be rolled out across the school. Here students spoke about their concerns over young people vaping, social media's role in young people's mental health and smart phones in school.
Both schools are impacted by RAAC which has forced building closures and disrupted students' learning. The building concerns represent the tip of the iceberg for young people in some regards, and Dr Hudson heard from students and teachers about the impact on the schools from this major issue.
Dr Hudson has written to Government Ministers, Essex County Council Cabinet Members as well as local stakeholders to seek vital solutions for the schools. Both are now in the process of reconciling RAAC-affected buildings and Dr Hudson will continue to monitor the situations closely.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest, said:
"We are blessed here in Epping Forest with a wealth of world-class schools, both state and independent, and so it was a delight to see this education in action.
"As someone who is passionate about education, I believe deeply in the transformative power of education on young people's lives - helping them achieve their full potential and have the best start in life.
"However, with RAAC, traffic concerns and infrastructure frustrations, I am aware there is more we can do to support our wonderful young folk to succeed. As such, I look forward to working closely with Headteachers, Governors and Trust leaders to deliver for our young people and have come away from my meetings with an array of plans I am now putting into motion."
Kiel Richardson, Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School Headteacher, said:
"It was lovely to meet Dr Neil Hudson. The school council enjoyed asking him questions about what life was like as an MP and how people can become MPs. It was also a great opportunity for the assembled Year 4-6 children to raise awareness of issues such as food wastage, cost of living and in particular for our school how he can help us with our RAAC situation and our Road Safety Crisis.
"Dr Hudson viewed our site, looking at temporary classrooms and also met with our CEO, Headteachers from other schools and our Councillors to discuss the current situation with our road and discuss timelines for our essential new building.
"Dr Hudson also met our School dog Barney. The children were fascinated that Dr Hudson was a Veterinary Surgeon... Barney also felt very safe in his care!"
