HE probably wasn’t expecting a workout, but education secretary Michael Gove was happy to join in with students’ Children in Need efforts when he visited Denbigh High School on Friday.
The MP for Surrey Heath tried out ‘speed bouncing’, one of many sponsored activities taking place in the school’s sports hall, before taking a tour of the classrooms with headteacher Dame Yasmin Bevan.
The visit also saw him meet with a group of students to find out their thoughts on the Alexandra Avenue school.
He told them: “One of the reasons why I wanted to come along was I had heard so many good things about the school. Dame Yasmin always said that the best thing about the school is the students, so I thought I should have a chance to meet you if I’m going to tell David Cameron what makes a good school.”
The students were keen to tell Mr Gove all about Denbigh, with Riya Hai saying: “I would say the one word that sums it up is opportunity. The school gives us a chance to shine and show what we are made of.”
When asked who her role model was, Marvi Hussain chose Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. She said: “She’s really made something of herself. Her journey is an inspiration for us.”
After his visit, Mr Gove told the Luton News: “I’ve had a great time, Denbigh is an amazing school. Luton is a town on the up and has a great educational record which is improving all the time.
“Dame Yasmin has been doing a superb job here for a number of years and you can tell that the students are immensely proud of their school.”
Mr Gove was not able to give any immediate good news, however, to the two Luton high schools waiting to find out whether their Building Schools for the Future funding would be restored.
He said he was “sorry” that Cardinal Newman and Stopsley High School had had their funding pulled just weeks before work was due to start, and that a new programme was being formulated, under which schools in the “worst condition” would receive money for repairs and possible expansion.
But he could not confirm whether the two schools were on the new list.
Mr Gove also paid a visit to Barnfield College, where he was shown around the site’s studio school.