Despite the immense demands on their diaries, senior leaders at the Department for Education could not have been more welcoming, carving out a dedicated working lunch specifically to listen to what our Year 13s had to say.
Pictured here with Sue Lovelock (Regional Schools Director for the West Midlands), Mark Taylor (Regional Schools Director for the North West), and Richard Jones (Delivery Team Leader – Central Sub Region for Walsall and Telford & Wrekin), these seven students (from across four Matrix schools: Barr Beacon School, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School, Etone College, Wednesfield Academy) travelled to London to share insights from their study visit to South Africa earlier this year. Between them, Sue and Mark oversee school standards, trust performance, and educational delivery for thousands of schools across two major regions of England. Having leaders of this seniority take time out of their busy schedules to engage so warmly with our students is a testament to their commitment to student voice—and to the calibre of work taking place across our trust.
Throughout the lunch, the DfE team showed great interest in our pupils’ international findings, asking thoughtful questions and listening closely to their perspectives on how the UK education system could be improved.
The itinerary also featured a visit to the Houses of Parliament with the MP for Wolverhampton North East, including tours of the House of Commons and House of Lords. More to come on this!
