THE marked improvement in schools in Warrington has received praise from the Education Secretary.

Warrington South MP Andy Carter says education reforms since 2010 have raised standards in Warrington South schools, resulting in better outcomes for young people.

With Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, the Conservative politicians reflected on the latest round of Ofsted inspections in the town.

These show that every school in Warrington South is now rated either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ – up from 72 per cent of schools in 2010.

The achievements make Warrington one of the best performing areas for schools in the UK, outperforming the national picture, with 89 per cent of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted – up from 68 per cent 14 years ago.

The Education Secretary also remarked on the increased uptake in apprenticeships in Warrington since 2010.

She said: “As well as making sure that everybody gets to go to an excellent school, we have also trained 13,000 apprentices in Warrington South, making sure that they have all the routes into a fantastic career.

“Under Labour, all this progress would be put at risk, as every step of the way they have rejected every single one of the Government’s educational reforms.”

Mr Carter said: “Education is at the forefront of my priorities, not just as an MP, but as a parent myself.

“I try to visit a school in Warrington South every week to meet with teachers and pupils to hear firsthand about their achievements, as well as for them to raise any issues where I can support them as their Member of Parliament.

“I am delighted that 100 per cent of schools in Warrington South are now rated good or outstanding, up 28 per cent since the Conservatives took office.

“A big part of ensuring our young people can achieve good results is for them to have the best modern facilities which create a safe and engaging learning environment.

“That is why, for example, I have been working so closely with Penketh High School to secure £6million from the Schools Rebuild Programme.

“It was brilliant to have the Education Secretary visit for herself to see how this funding is being put to use.

“I am also keen to make sure young people are aware of all the career pathways they can pursue once they leave school, both academic and technical.

“We have seen a massive surge in apprenticeships since 2010, with more than 13,000 new starts in Warrington South alone, as part of 5.7million nationally over that same period.

“I am looking forward to once again hosting my jobs and apprenticeships fair in April, totally free for pupils, parents and anyone local looking for work to come and talk to employers about the options available to them and their children.”

The Warrington South MP’s jobs and apprenticeships fair will take place on Friday, April 19 at Parr Hall, running from 10am to 2pm.