CHILDREN at Kennet Valley Primary School learned some interesting facts about their local MP Claire Perry when she called in to see the school last Friday.

Her favourite animal is a guinea pig, if she wasn’t an MP she’d be a vet and she’d like to go on holiday in Costa Rica. The children fired a series of questions at her including one on Brexit. On a scale of one to ten on how messy is Brexit is going to be.

“If ten is as messy as can be then I’m determined it’s not going to get to ten,” she said, “I’m determined it stays at about four. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t get to ten. We’ll do it and we won’t let it get messy. A very good question.”

She said things had been a bit crazy in Parliament recently, but she loved her job as a minister and also as a Privy Councillor which she described as being “part of the Queen’s inner gang.”

Sarah Jane walker’s class encouraged her to join in with a song by Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s Skins, and the head teacher Emma Russell showed her around the school meeting staff and the School Governors.

Mrs Russell explained that money was the one thing the school was constantly concerned with. Juggling budgets to pay salaries, maintain the Victorian buildings and ensure there is enough cash for books and equipment.

The headteacher was also keen to say the way OFSTED rated schools needed to change to take in the whole school rather than just data.

“It’s important we look at the whole child,” she said, “they should be confident and also happy when they leave.”

The MP agreed and she also said there was more work to be done especially in Further Education in the county.