Students at Mulberry School for girls shared breakfast with the newly-appointed education minister David Laws and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg yesterday morning.

The two Liberal Democrat ministers were welcomed by staff, students and parents, as well as members of Tower Hamlets council, with whom they discussed extra funding for disadvantaged children through the pupil premium programme.

Vanessa Ogden, headteacher at the Whitechapel school, said: “It was a fabulous opportunity for the girls to engage with the Deputy Prime Minister on areas of politics that are of importance to them.

“They challenged the government to continue improving social mobility and talked about their own ambitions to go into politics themselves.”

Cllr Oliur Rahman added: “Our commitment to ensuring a first class education for all our young people will shape the future leaders of the UK.”