Bromborough MP Asks Minister to Study Golden Key Scheme

Justin Madders, the MP whose Ellesmere Port and Bromborough seat takes in the Bromborough side of Wirral, has written to Education Secretary Lucy Powell urging the Department for Education to examine a school programme he saw on a visit to Ellesmere Port Catholic High School.

The programme is Golden Key, an enrichment scheme run through the school’s Golden Key Society. Mr Madders’s office says it could provide inspiration for other schools, and he has also agreed to try to arrange a meeting between Golden Key students and the Education Secretary or an appropriate minister.

“What is happening here deserves wider recognition, and I believe other schools could learn a great deal from it,” Mr Madders said.

What Golden Key is

The programme was developed by Helen Clarke, an English teacher at the school, as part of her doctoral research at Lancaster University. She still leads it. It offers debating, mentoring, leadership development and other activities designed to broaden students’ horizons.

Ms Clarke said:

“Golden Key was built on a simple belief: potential is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We have learned that opening doors for young people is only the beginning. What matters is giving them the confidence, support and sense of belonging to walk through those doors and make the most of what they find.

“I am incredibly proud of what our students are achieving, and grateful to Justin Madders for recognising their potential and taking their voices seriously. I hope that what we are learning through Golden Key can help create opportunities for many more young people.”

The figures behind the letter

The programme reports two headline results:

• 95.7% of participants said they had experienced opportunities they would not otherwise have had.
• 67.4% reported increased confidence.

Both figures are what students themselves reported, and they come from the programme. The MP’s release does not give the number of students asked or the period covered.

What the MP saw

During the visit Mr Madders met students involved in the society. He also met Year 12 and 13 Politics students, talking about his journey into politics and his work as an MP and Government Minister before taking their questions.

“I was hugely impressed by the young people I met, particularly their confidence, curiosity and enthusiasm,” he said.

“Golden Key is a fantastic example of how schools can drive opportunity, helping students develop valuable skills, discover new interests and raise their aspirations.”

What it means for you

Nothing changes yet for pupils or parents in Bromborough or anywhere else on Wirral. The release describes a letter and a request for a meeting. It reports no reply from the Department for Education and no decision on whether the approach will be adopted more widely.

If you live in the Bromborough part of the constituency and want to ask about it, Mr Madders is your MP. For how other Wirral schools are doing, our report on Birkenhead Park School’s Ofsted inspection sets out the new report card grades.