Very happy to have joined local Labour councillors at the Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School summer fete last month to meet staff, parents and pupils in Wanstead.

Last month, I was pleased to host a roundtable with the local branch of Maximus, bringing together government, educators and employers to tackle youth unemployment. Last month, I was pleased to host a roundtable with the local branch of Maximus, bringing together government, educators and employers to tackle youth unemployment.

Yesterday in Leyton, we held a tournament for our young people to come together, play football, learn about the diverse stories in our national team, and raise our voices for England’s success.

Last week I visited Whipps Cross Hospital with Skills Minister Jacqui Smith to meet the brilliant young people taking part in Project SEARCH - a employment programme for students with SEND, supported by the Department for Education.

Too many young people want to work - but the system is failing them. We’ve just seen the Milburn review on youth unemployment, and it confirms what I hear from our young people locally. Entry-level jobs are disappearing, apprenticeships for under‑25s are down, and 3,000 young people in Leyton & Wanstead are NEET but keen to work or train.

I took them on a tour, and they spent the day learning about the role of MPs, the work my team does, and took part in some lively debates - including on whether social media does more harm than good.

I've submitted my response to the Government's SEND consultation, drawing on months of engagement with families and professionals across Leyton and Wanstead - including roundtables, a parents' coffee morning and a constituency-wide survey.

Thank you to everyone who came along to my SEND coffee morning last weekend! It was a valuable conversation with parents and carers about the Government’s new SEND proposals, what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change for families locally.

A really valuable discussion at Nightingale Primary this week on the impact of smartphones and social media on children.

Awesome to join representatives from Space UK at Leytonstone School to talk to year 9 students about the breadth of careers available in the UK space sector – both here in London and not far away in the southeast.

Leytonstone Family Hub is doing fantastic work supporting local families and children - a great example of what a Labour-led council delivers for our community.

It’s important to celebrate World Book Day today. Books can empower and open doors. But data shows that a quarter of boys say they enjoy reading in their free time, compared with 39% of girls, contributing to stark disparities in educational progression.

After visiting Build Academy in Wanstead last week and meeting learners preparing for careers in construction, I took the opportunity to raise their work in Parliament.

he school supports young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, including neurodivergent students. It’s clear the leadership team is working hard to give students the stability and support they need.

It was a really brilliant to visit Build Academy in Wanstead with Minister Chris McDonald for Stockton North and see first-hand how they are equipping our young people with vital construction and maintenance skills.

I had a wonderful time visiting Downsell Primary School in Leyton to present their Silver Rights Respecting School Award, a fantastic recognition of their commitment to children’s rights and wellbeing.

Really lovely to visit Good Shepherd Studios in Leytonstone again and catch up with Danie! From coworking and independent film to youth projects and community events, it’s a really fantastic example of how local spaces can bring people together and support creativity in Leytonstone.

Great to visit another local school in the constituency recently! Thanks to Wanstead Church School for hosting me and another brilliant set of questions from pupils in Key Stage 2.