I had the great honour of being invited to an evening celebrating the outstanding achievement of pupils at Henbury School in Bristol last Thursday.

It was amazing! Simply that, Amazing.

Watching the students coming up to collect prizes and receive enthusiastic accolades from teachers, and particularly other pupils was heartwarming. It was really something to behold.

Under the firm but kind and outstanding leadership of head of school Clare Bradford and with the assistance of a brilliant and dedicated team of teachers, governors and importantly, focused and enthusiast parents, this once under achieving school has gone from strength to strength.

I went to Henbury School for a very short period in the 1960s and it was nothing like this! It brought to mind everything that education should be about. Inclusion, positivity, ambition, acceptance of others and importantly care about each other and our community. An atmosphere of ambitious kindness was everywhere.

We were particularly impressed by the inclusive atmosphere that seemed to seep from the very fabric of the school building. Positivity was everywhere!

I enjoyed giving out the prizes and hearing of the pupils achievements and kept my speech deliberately short as I felt the evening was about their lives not mine.

Young people are our future and if these young people are anything to go by that future looks very bright.

Thanks again to Clare Bradford and her wonderful team of dedicated governors, staff, parents and pupils for making the evening such a lovely memory for me.

I hope Henbury School will one day invite me back. It was an absolute pleasure. Learn more about the school by visiting  www.henbury.bristol.sch.uk/