ONE of the great things I get to do as an MP is spend time meeting with people who are recognised nationally for amazing work they are doing in the community.

I get to meet them and thank them for what they are doing on behalf of all my constituents.

Recently, I visited Springfield School in Crewe and met with Head Teacher Lisa Hodgkison. Springfield School caters for children and young people with severe learning difficulties and complex needs.

I visited the school to congratulate them for being shortlisted in the Times Educational Supplement (TES) Awards 2021 after being nominated for the Alternative Provision School of the Year for a ground-breaking project aiming to secure employment for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Springboard Project is delivered in partnership with Cheshire East Council and the Department of Work and Pension's access to work scheme. The project combines work experience in local businesses with taught sessions and independent learning activities so that students can get real-life working experience while learning.

I met with some of the students to discuss their experiences of the project, and chatted to them about their plans for the future. I spoke to Adam Davenport, whose journey into work was featured on Granada TV earlier this month.

Adam is non-verbal, which means he can't comprehend language or communicate through the use of words. As a youngster, Adam had no understanding of the outside world. It has been a very long and hard journey for Adam and for his family.

After a difficult childhood, Adam progressed through education and transformed his self-confidence at college. Work placements convinced his parents of his potential.

The family was introduced to The Springboard Project where Adam was able to learn and pick up essential skills for work. Now Adam has started work at Thermmark Ltd in Congleton, a factory which makes thermo-plastic markings for roads and playgrounds around the world.

He has secured a permanent 25-hour contract as a packing and assembly assistant. Adam's parents have seen for themselves the huge lift to his self esteem this has been and how valued he is to the whole team at Thermmark.

If you would like to see a great feature about Adam's success click the following link.

From my time visiting, it is clear to me that Springfield School is an incredibly special place maintained by a passionate leadership team and caring staff.

So much effort is put into building supportive relationships to build pupils self-confidence and it is brilliant news that the school has been deemed outstanding by Ofsted following its most recent inspection.

It is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of both teachers and students.

I would like to encourage any local employer interested in helping other young people that go to Springfield find work to get in touch with the school. As a community we can work together to ensure that these young people are getting the best help and support available to them to help them in to work.

Springfield School can be contacted on 01270 691 900 and at [email protected]

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