EDUCATION, education, education – government after government has claimed to be intent on putting our schools first, often with speeches pumped full of emotive rhetoric about our teachers and pupils finally getting a great deal.

But ask anyone at The Castle School and Marlwood School, where redundancies are set to happen due to a combination of reductions in funding from central government and rising running costs, and they will more than likely tell you that they feel completely let down by Westminster.

Thankfully teachers are not in the firing line, but make no mistake – their jobs will be much tougher with fewer support staff to assist them and their pupils.

This, of course, means a worse education for our children.

So, if someone tells you the government is improving the education system, ask them how their changes can possibly be considered good for anyone at either of two of our finest local schools.