The Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon Justine Greening visited The Yarrow Hotel, part of the East Kent College site at Broadstairs and then visited other parts of the campus with College Chief Executive Graham Razey.

The Education Secretary had promised to make a future visit to the site following an invitation by Craig Mackinlay. The election brought that invitation forwards, and as part of the visit local headteachers then held a one-to-one open forum with Ms Greening.

The Secretary of State said: “Education is at the heart of our pledge to make this a country that works for everyone. As we leave the European Union, it’s never been more important for our country that we give all our young people the skills and training they need so they can go as far as their talents will take them. Craig is a powerful voice for South Thanet, and I’m really grateful to him for inviting me to East Kent College today to show me the brilliant work that is going on there, and for arranging a great discussion with local headteachers about the opportunities and challenges for schools in the area.”

Craig Mackinlay, Conservative candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary election for South Thanet said: “The uniqueness of The Yarrow project, which opened in July last year, is the only one of its kind in the UK where students can work in a real catering and hospitality environment. I had wanted for some time for the Education Secretary to see the great work of East Kent College, judged ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ across all measures. With concerns about school funding very topical, I also took the opportunity to invite primary and secondary headteachers from across the constituency so that they could air their views to the very top of government. It was a successful day, and my thanks go to Graham Razey and his team for facilitating the visit, and also for the outstanding quality of education provided through East Kent College, a real asset to our area that is achieving remarkable results."