I would like to add my congratulations to the increasing number of Newham Young People who are securing places at the country’s leading universities and at public schools such as Eton.

As a Newham born and educated person who is intensely proud of my heritage, it has always been my belief that given the right opportunities, resources, support and self belief, Newham’s young people can not only compete with the best but on most occasions be the best.

Over the past twenty years or so the increasing realisation that educational success was as dependant on high expectation, high aspiration and personal confidence as the quality of the school and their teaching, has underpinned a sustained improvement in the quality of both the educational experience and the ultimate outcome for Newham’s young people.

What concerns me is that we still celebrate such achievements as getting to the top university as something special (which it is clearly is and quite rightly so for the young people themselves), for me, I will only be happy when such achievements are the norm and I honestly believe that we can achieve this.

Twenty or so years ago there was very few people who truly believed that the transformations that have been achieved in education in Newham was possible but it has been achieved and with the same determination, belief and educational principles, parents and Newham young people all working together, even more will be achieved.

It is very important that the fruits of the regeneration in Newham over the next 20 years are accessible to every Newham young person if we are to achieve real and lasting change for each generation into the future.

An education system that is open to all, fully resourced and based on the principles of high expectation, high aspiration and high achievement by all is fundamental to the continued success of Newham.

We have come a long way in Newham but if we maintain our principles and provide the necessary resources we can go even further in ensuring that every young person achieves their full potential and the success we celebrate now will become the norm in the future.