As part of his ongoing commitment to supporting education across North West Norfolk, James Wild MP visited Harpley Church of England Primary School to meet pupils and staff and engage with classroom learning in action.
The visit marks another milestone in his school engagement programme, having now visited over 50 schools across the constituency.
James was welcomed by Executive Headteacher, Hilary Myhill, to the 56-pupil school, which serves the rural communities of Harpley and surrounding villages. Operating as part of the Great Massingham and Harpley Church of England Schools Federation, it educates children aged 4-11 and maintains a 'Good' Ofsted rating.
During his tour, James heard from teachers about the curriculum providers teachers use as he saw a phonics class in action, before stepping into a specialised support class in a building of its own for providing unique and tailored support to pupils, including SEND provision. In the maths classroom, James praised the use of a dartboard among other resources to make core numeracy skills interactive and engaging for pupils.
Following time in the classroom, James joined a group of pupils for a Q&A session, where they asked curious questions about his parliamentary role, local constituency issues, to “what your favourite fish?”
In a later discussion with Mrs Myhill, James explored broader challenges facing rural schools, including teacher recruitment, educational investment, and the importance of local pre-schools and nurseries as feeder pathways into primary education.
Commenting on his visit, James Wild MP said:
"It was a pleasure to visit Harpley primary and meet both the dedicated team led by Miss Myhill and the pupils themselves. Their curiosity and enthusiasm when asking about Parliament and local issues showed a strong appetite for learning.
I was impressed by the creative use of a dartboard in maths to make times tables memorable, and welcome the targeted SEND support.
Rural schools like Harpley are vital to our communities, and ensuring they have the resources to deliver high-quality education will remain a priority for me."
Executive Headteacher, Mrs Hillary Myhill, said:
Harpley primary is part of the Great Massingham and Harpley CofE Primary School Federation (GMHfed) and the two schools work closely together and enjoy federation activity days and shared trips, whilst maintaining their own distinctive characters. Children receive strong pastoral support from the experienced staff team, creating an environment where the whole child is nurtured.
The federation lives its vision 'I will instruct you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my loving eye on you' (psalm 38), with three dynamics at the heart: Living, Learning & Flourishing together.
