Taunton constituency MP Jeremy Browne has pledged to put school improvements at the top of his agenda for the future of Taunton Deane. He was speaking after visiting Bishop Fox's community school in Taunton, where he was welcomed by headteacher Paul Scutt.

Jeremy Browne said:

"My biggest motivation in politics is to give opportunities to young people to reach their full potential. That is essential for their own personal development and it is also important for the future economic prospects of our country.

"There are many good schools in Taunton Deane with dedicated and professional staff. It is possible for a child to progress right through the system and gain entry to one of the best universities in the World. There is also a greater variety of vocational and training opportunities so every child can hope to achieve their ambitions.

"But even in Taunton Deane we still have too much wasted potential, with children leaving school every year without gaining five good GCSE pass grades. Just because our state schools are better than somewhere like Bristol does not mean they cannot be even better.

"I was proud to help secure millions of pounds of extra funding for secondary education in Taunton. I have visited every school in Taunton Deane. I want to see our teachers given the chance to be innovative and further raise educational standards. I am also committed to extra funding to make sure that no children fall behind with their learning."