Aphra Brandreth, Member of Parliament for Chester South and Eddisbury, visited Huxley CE Primary School last week to learn more about its unique ‘Flexi Schooling’ initiative, which supports children with additional needs and their families in balancing school and home education.
During the visit, Aphra met with Headteacher Rachel Gourley and the wider teaching staff to discuss the school’s approach to inclusive and flexible education. The school’s innovative programme enables families to tailor their child’s learning experience, fostering a supportive environment where all pupils can thrive.
The local MP was given a tour of the school, where she explored its facilities, including the much-loved resident chickens cared for by the students. The chickens are a key feature of the school’s ethos of nurturing responsibility and connection with nature, and they are adored by pupils and staff alike.
As part of her visit, Aphra also held a Q&A session with the school’s ‘mini-governors,’ responsible for thinking about how to make the school an even better place to learn and develop. The group of enthusiastic young leaders asked thoughtful questions about her role as their local MP, her responsibilities, and how she works to support the community. Aphra Brandreth praised the students for their curiosity and leadership, and for asking such engaging questions.
Speaking after the visit, Aphra Brandreth MP said:
"It was a privilege to visit Huxley CE Primary School and witness the incredible work of the teachers and children in action. The Flexi Schooling initiative is an inspiring example of how schools can adapt to meet the diverse needs of their pupils. I was particularly impressed by the dedication of the staff and the creativity of the students, who asked fantastic questions during our Q&A session. I will be looking out for some of the mini-governors on the green benches of the House of Commons in the future!
Schools like Huxley are a shining example of pupil-first teaching, and I want to commend all of the staff for working so hard to provide an excellent education for the children.
Headteacher at the school, Rachel Gourley said:
"It was lovely to welcome Aphra Brandreth to Huxley today to discuss our school journey and the unique offer of Flexi-Schooling. Whilst flexi-schooling has been practiced since the 1980s, it is still not widely known about. Flexi-schooling helps provide a joint education between school and home, and is available for a variety of reasons e.g. supporting children with social and emotional barriers to education, supporting children with SEND, medical needs or simply providing parents with an ongoing input to their child's education when they have previously been solely home educated.
I appreciated the time spent with Aphra on her visit, and also the opportunity to discuss the need for alternative approaches to education, especially for those children with SEND and are currently out of education- desperately seeking a different approach.
Huxley not only provides flexi schooling as an option but also takes a therapeutic trauma informed approach to all we do and meeting the needs of our children whether social, emotional or academic is our main priority."
