EDUCATION Secretary Justine Greening was visiting schools in West Somerset yesterday (Thursday March 2) to see how provision for the area’s children was progressing.

Her visit took in West Somerset College, which now comes under the wing of Bridgwater College after running into severe administrative and financial problems three years ago.

She moved on to assess how Williton’s Danesfield and Minehead Middle are progressing in a new federated partnership.

Ms Greening’s department recently announced a £2 million social mobility grant for West Somerset which will enable students to access educational facilities further afield.

But Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said he had no doubt she would be highly impressed by what she discovered during her tour.

“The fact is that the Bridgwater College team has achieved a wholly remarkable transformation in taking over the running of West Somerset College,” he said.

“It has gone from a college which without a shadow of doubt was failing and with an enormous accumulation of problems which no one had seen fit to tackle to an establishment which is now providing outstanding levels of education for its students.

“Similarly the arrangement between Minehead Middle School and Danesfield is a happy, successful and efficient one which is delivering a great many benefits for children in the crucial nine to 13 age range.

“I have little doubt that here are two models from which many other schools in the country could learn a great deal.”