THE year is flying by and pupils, their families and teachers are in their Easter holidays with some revising hard for exams in the coming months.

Our local schools do an amazing job with nine out of 10 schools rated good or outstanding.

The Department for Education has confirmed that schools in West Worcestershire are set to benefit from an additional £2.3 million to help them deal with extra costs on top of a special payment of £2.2 million made this time last year to help with sudden inflationary pressures.

Pershore High School is part of the School Rebuilding Programme which will see a block of new classrooms alongside the recently-built £3.4 million humanities teaching block.

There’s a new free autism school planned for Malvern and the team which is going to be running it has just been confirmed.

The Department for Education has also announced that more than £8 million has been earmarked to increase school places for children with special educational needs, part of a £2.6 billion national investment to transform the SEND system.

From talking to teachers, this is an increasing issue across the county and we have a strong blend of state-funded and private education provision helping some children with the most complex needs.

It’s the time of year when schools hear about their bids to get extra funding to carry out repairs and refurbishments.

The Chase, Cherry Orchard Primary and Northleigh Primary all had successful bids.

I’ve also been briefed that, as part of the roll-out of gigabit broadband to West Worcestershire, six schools’ internet connections are being upgraded in Eckington, Overbury, Defford, Leigh and Bransford, Hanley Swan and St James’ Church of England Primaries.

We have a strong local education system with both state and private provision and I am troubled by Labour’s proposal to make our country the only one to tax education.

Good education is so vital and it could not be more important that children get the best possible start in life.

I want to thank all the teachers who do such an amazing job all year round.

Full marks to them all.