Wycombe MP, Steve Baker, writes exclusively to Bucks Free Press readers:

Next week the school term begins. Some children will be starting new schools and others will be returning to old classrooms.

Everyone will agree on the importance of education, and good schools play a critical role.

Buckinghamshire has, of course, a history of high achievement but it is crucial children of all talents are able to receive a good education and flourish to their full potential. The reforms to the education system since 2010 have had a transformational effect on education in this country, and changes to the national curriculum have seen the best reading standards in England for over 15 years.

Thanks to these improvements and the hard work of teachers, there are now more than 1.9 million more children in schools judged to be good or outstanding.

This goes a long way to ensuring every child has the best possible start in life and the opportunity to prosper.

Young people at High Wycombe schools have recently received their GCSE and A Level results.

I want congratulate everyone on their achievements, the culmination of considerable hard work and dedication by both students and the teachers who’ve been supporting them. They should rightly feel proud of their achievements.

I know the Government wants young people to have a wider choice when leaving school, whether that’s going to university, earning through an apprenticeship or in future taking technical qualifications that match the best in the world.

Nationally, this year’s results show a record rate of 18-year-olds heading to university, including a record proportion attending from disadvantaged backgrounds.

I should like to thank everyone involved in education in our town from teaching professionals whose dedication often goes unrecognised, to governors who give their time to support the education of the next generation.