As a member of the Education Select Committee, it has been my privilege to be involved in the Forgotten Children: Alternative Provision and the Scandal of Ever Increasing Exclusions report over the last year.  
I came to politics after a career in education, most recently as the headteacher of a primary school. My experience included primary and secondary settings, supporting teacher training courses and managing one of the first Stage One children’s centres in my local authority. Every day working in education drove home to me the importance of politics and policy making. It was a natural step – after a lifetime in the Labour party – to step up to be a representative for my home constituency in 2017. For me, it was the next stage in standing up for those who could not defend themselves. When I was asked to serve on the Education Select Committee, I was delighted to be able to bring thirty years of experience to the role, and to be part of the inquiry into such an important issue.