Cornwall's Voice: Supporting hardworking families in South East Cornwall
IN South East Cornwall, we have some excellent schools and educational centres, with truly dedicated teachers who are passionate about supporting the next generation throughout their school years.
But I know the pressures working families are under, and how important it is to support them.
This starts right from the beginning of life. Families in South East Cornwall are now accessing 30 hours of government-funded childcare per week from just nine months old, which is the largest expansion of free childcare ever. I am proud to unlock opportunities for every child, whatever their background.
Support doesn’t stop there. With more than 4,000 new places already being created this month in government-backed school-based nurseries, we’re cracking on with our Plan for Change and rolling out another 300 locations next year.
So, I’m calling on schools in South East Cornwall to come forward and apply to be part of this exciting change to early years education, which will ensure our children get the best start in life.
Moving forward, this childcare is both a milestone and a launchpad. I am glad that more support will also be available through Best Start Family Hubs. These bring together trusted information, guidance, and support, all in one place - making parenting easier.
That being said, recently, some of our young people have been struggling to get to school using buses in Saltash. It’s really disappointing to see that poor public transport in our area is impacting on our children’s education. That’s why I asked you to contact me with your concerns, and I have been demanding that Stagecoach take action. I’ve also been in contact with Cornwall Council, Plymouth City Council, and Saltash Town Council to see what they can do to sort out the issue. Going forward, the Bus Services Bill will give councils more power to take control over bus routes, and I’ll be pushing Cornwall Council to improve our services ensuring they are more reliable.
I am determined to help support our children throughout their time at school. I am supporting UK Parliament Week (UKPW), which is from November 24 to 30 this year. There are various activities designed to teach our future generation what Parliament is all about, how it works, and its importance to our country’s proud democratic history.