Priti Patel MP with (left to right) student librarians and reading intervention students Tiffany, Ruby, Daisy and Sydney with Head of School, Sherry Zand
Priti joins students at Maltings Academy to support their plans for community engagement
The MP for Witham, Priti Patel joined students at Maltings Academy in Witham to support and encourage the development of their community engagement projects across Witham town.
During her visit, Priti met with Head of School Sherry Zand and pupils from a range of year groups to discuss how they would like to support and work with community groups and organisations. They discussed a variety of issues including how they could work together to help vulnerable groups through to supporting more local environmental schemes such as tree planting.
The students also shared with Priti the details of the school’s planned Christmas shoe box appeal to support elderly people living in local care homes. The MP was shown a shoe box which will be gifted and talked to the students about the local care homes they are supporting. In addition to supporting care homes and their residents with the shoe box appeal, students will be volunteering to visit care homes and sing for the residents and also spend time playing board games and providing company for them.
Ms Zand also introduced Priti to some of the student librarians who have been working hard to build up a new library at the School.
Priti’s visit ended with a discussion with Sherry Zand about how the MP could help the School to link up with local businesses that might be prepared to offer work experience to their year 10 students next summer.
After her visit, Priti said: “It is always a pleasure to catch up with Sherry and Maltings Academy. I was impressed with their Christmas shoe box appeal for people living in care homes in the Witham community, which is very public spirited and well organised. I will be supporting the school with future initiatives on community work. I will also be using my extensive experience to bring the world of commerce and business to the school to pave the way for good career engagement and opportunities in the future, through work experience schemes as we prepare these outstanding students for their future professional working lives.”
Sherry Zand, Maltings Academy’s Head of School said: “I am grateful to Priti for taking the time to visit us. We very much enjoyed showing her our Christmas appeal and bringing her up to date on what is happening at Maltings. Her extensive experience locally and in the business world will bring great benefit to our students by supporting their own personal development as they move up through the School.”
Images
