Springfield School is a gem of our SEND offering in Crewe and Nantwich, and actually across the country, having won the School of the Year award back in 2022. 

I’ve had a close connection to the school since I supported planning permission for their building extension as a Councillor, and now as a Member of Parliament, attending their open evening earlier this year.  

The parents and staff at Springfield School are challenging the limitations that society sets on SEND students. Through their bespoke facilities, dedicated teachers and support staff, they’ve created a safe and positive working environment where all pupils can develop. 

So when Friends of Springfield invited me to take part in their Q&A with sixth form students from the 6LC class, I was only too happy to accept.  

The Q&A mirrored the format of the BBC and ITV’s ‘The Assembly’, where students with learning difficulties and neurodivergent conditions ask questions to a celebrity guest, and no topic is off the table. 

While I won’t attempt to compare myself to the likes of Michael Sheen and Gary Lineker, I hope I was able to do the concept justice. They came well-equipped with questions on career advice, national policy, local SEND provision, my allegiance to football teams and knowledge of Star Wars. 

For now, I’ve uploaded a short clip of the Q&A here, but the full version will be available on Youtube as soon as possible. 

I have to say that I was so impressed by the way 6LC approached the session. It was clear that they’d conducted their own research into the core problems faced by Crewe and Nantwich and the rest of the UK.  Not only that, but many had developed strong opinions on issues like the cost of living, rental reforms, Universal Credit and the state of the roads. 

Many of them discussed their career plans and ambitions, with a few aspiring politicians or potential journalists in the class. I am extremely proud that we have a school in the heart of this constituency where students with SEND develop the skills and the confidence to choose their own path. 

As we wait for the findings of the government’s Schools White Paper on our national SEND system, it’s schools like Springfield that I will be discussing in Parliament; a leading example of what SEND provision should look like.