I was delighted to visit Sandhill View Academy to see the fantastic work of Sunderland AFC’s Foundation of Light, supported by the Premier League.
The Premier League Inspires programme looks to help young people grow in confidence and develop life skills through mentoring and workshops.
It was brilliant to hear directly from students at Sandhill View about how these sessions are empowering them to re-engage with education. As Education Secretary, I’ve prioritised driving up attendance with over five million more days in school last academic year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent – the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade.