The newly elected Member of Parliament for Dartford, Jim Dickson, made a visit to a local primary school, West Hill Primary Academy, part of The Golden Thread Alliance, to hear more about the great work taking place within the academy and wider trust, as well as to discuss the local and national challenges facing educators.

Dickson met with Garry Ratcliffe, Chief Executive of The Golden Thread Alliance and Katy Ward, Headteacher at West Hill Primary Academy for a visit and a tour around the academy. Following the tour, Dickson spoke with some of the primary pupils who asked him questions about his priorities for Dartford.

During the visit, Dickson heard about the trust’s passion for equality and commitment to improving outcomes for the most disadvantaged children. The tour also featured a lesson on the history of the school, showcasing how each of the nine schools within the trust are unique but share the same core values. To round out the visit, the trust shared examples of its best practices to include all children amidst the national SEND crisis before discussing the need for a sharper government focus on SEND provisions with Dickson.

Jim Dickson, MP for Dartford, said:

“It was brilliant to visit West Hill Primary School last week. It was a pleasure to meet with the pupils there, who talked to me about their favourite subjects and aspirations and who gave me a good grilling as their representative in Parliament! It was a fabulous opportunity to learn more about the headteacher’s ambition for the school, the challenges currently facing primary schools as well as the Golden Thread Alliance’s vision for the nine primary schools it supports across Dartford and Gravesend.”

Garry Ratcliffe, Chief Executive at The Golden Thread Alliance, said:

“We were delighted to welcome Mr Dickson for a visit and to congratulate him on his election as Dartford MP. It was a fantastic opportunity to talk about the great things all our staff and pupils are working on, including further developing our SEND provision and offering enriching residential experiences, as well as discussing our ambitions for serving our shared community.”

Katy Ward, Headteacher at West Hill Primary Academy, said:

“It was an honour to welcome Mr Dickson. The pupils were thrilled to meet their local MP and ask him questions about his new position. It was a lovely occasion for them to showcase what they’ve been learning in class and tell him all about our school. They really enjoyed the visit and we all look forward to following his journey in Parliament.”

The Golden Thread Alliance is a multi-academy trust with nine academies across Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks. The trust’s vision is that ‘every child, in every school, will confidently grasp the challenges of tomorrow’, which is underpinned by its strong core values: Respect, Equality, Courage, Integrity, Ambition, Kindness and Responsibility.

Jim Dickson was elected as MP for Dartford in the July 2024 general election. Previously, he served as the local councillor for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction for more than 20 years.