A day at St. George's School

They say that standing up and giving a speech in dusty Council chambers is something of a challenge. Nothing, however, has yet compared to the grilling that I got on Tuesday from two of the most engaged audiences I've ever spoken to - two Year 10 classes at St. George's School.

It was open forum for two hours last week to discuss the work of the Council and anything anyone wanted to talk about, during GCSE Citizenship classes. All of the students were informed, interested and concerned about their local communities, and I learned a huge amount. Discussions ranged from youth facilities to recycling, from school dinners to knife crime, from homelessness to public transport.

It was a real privilege to get a new perspective on Maida Vale. Thanks to everyone at St. George's for the great welcome, and for being willing to let me into their classes for a morning.

Lee