This week, I pressed the Secretary of State for Education to get to grips with the challenges facing secondary schools in Sunderland.

Recent government initiatives such as Opportunity North East promise no more than small-scale cash injections. They won’t come close to addressing the deep-seated issues affecting our secondary schools. Much greater, concerted action is needed to make sure that all of our young people are given every chance to succeed.

Watch my question to the Secretary of State for Education here: