When our new Labour government was elected in July, perhaps the most ambitious of all our five missions was to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child in our country. 

Many of you will know from my previous role as Labour’s education spokesperson on Suffolk County Council that this mission is an imperative to me personally too.

I spent years campaigning for better provision and support in our schools - especially when it came to special educational needs and disabilities - and I’ll continue to do so as an MP.

I remember the difference the last Labour government made to education. In fact, the transformation that occurred was one of their greatest achievements.

When Tony Blair said his top priority for government was education, education, education, he meant it. His government also lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.

However, while we can use past successes as an inspiration, nostalgia doesn’t address the challenges that face us today.

That is why I am so encouraged by the start the Labour government of 2024 has made.

Our intent is clear: from free breakfast clubs in every primary school, to hiring 6,500 more expert teachers, and from broadening our kids’ horizons by widening the curriculum, to putting a mental health specialist in every school.

It is also an essential precondition that, for kids to benefit from our education system, they must be in school. This might sound obvious, but the truth is that this is a bigger issue than it may seem.

Over the last decade, school absences in Suffolk have been getting much worse. The number of persistent absences - that is, where a child has missed more than 10% of the school year - has more than doubled since 2015/16.

In 2021/22, the percentage of persistent absences in Suffolk hit an all-time recorded high and, in 2022/23, the percentage of unauthorised absences also hit an all-time recorded high, doubling in only two years.

With this in mind, I welcomed the Secretary of State of Education, Bridget Phillipson, to Chantry Academy in Ipswich last week.

The visit had two purposes. Firstly, it was an opportunity for the Secretary of State to announce a £15 million funding package to tackle school absences, helping thousands of kids across the country, including here in Ipswich.

Secondly, it was to show her the brilliant work that Chantry Academy has been doing to tackle this issue.

Chantry has been a model of how to deal with this mounting crisis, resulting in a significant increase in attendance across all year groups as a result. By treating this issue not simply as a disciplinary one, but a cultural one, their approach is pioneering. By not leaning on exclusions and instead creating an inclusive school environment, their approach is pioneering.

It filled me with pride not only to see the staff proudly explaining to the Secretary of State their pioneering work, but also to meet the children whose lives are being transformed.

The announcement by the Government is one that shows the seriousness with which we are treating our education mission.

The expanded mentoring scheme means that children with special educational needs, mental ill health, or other complex learning needs which make them more vulnerable to long-term or repeated school absences, receive targeting mentoring to boost their attendance rates.

It also means that areas where this issue is particularly challenging - including here in Ipswich - get a more tailored, targeted support package.

I will continue working with the Education Secretary and with brilliant local schools like Chantry Academy to help drive forward our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every single child here in Ipswich, in Suffolk and beyond.

That is the difference this Labour government will make.