With preparations to begin soon for sending children back to school in September, it seems fitting to focus this week’s column on education and schools.

I know that parents in the west Reading area will pleased to hear the excellent news that the Wren School, which opened in September 2015 as Reading’s newest secondary school, has secured ownership of the land where it is situated.

Having worked closely with the Wren team to help secure the site on the Bath Road, I am delighted that building work can now commence on a permanent school building. This will also allow the team to focus on what they have always wanted to do: Delivering an outstanding education at the heart of our local community.

For me, the Wren School represents everything that this Government is working to achieve in our education system. The new school was set up by local parents who wanted to provide an education fit for the 21st century, which would allow every child to achieve their full potential and I wish the fantastic Headteacher Jo Broadhead and all the staff the best for their future success.

As the Prime Minister has said, we need to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Delivering an excellent education for every child will be at the heart of helping to make that a reality.

The reforms of the past 6 years have led to 1.4 million more children being taught in ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools. Central to this improvement has been the academy programme, which puts control of running schools in the hands of teachers and school leaders - the people who know best how to run their schools.

And we have had a timely reminder this month of why these reforms are necessary. Reading Borough Council has once again been blasted by Ofsted – this time for failing to provide adequate support and protection for looked after children. This follows the Ofsted report last year which condemned the Council for not doing enough to help local schools to improve.

The academies programme will allow us to tackle underperformance far more swiftly than in a local-authority-maintained system where many schools have been allowed to languish in failure for years.

The Government will focus its efforts on those schools most at risk of failing young people, and encouraging ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools to seize the opportunities of conversion, which will ensure the continued growth of the academy programme, empowering frontline headteachers, and transforming even more children’s education.