To those of you who have collected your exam results you will be making choices about your future. To those of you who are disappointed, have another go. I got an E in History O level and ended up studying it at one of the best universities in the land.
Making sure all our children have access to good school places is a priority for me. It is why I have supported academies and why I have supported new free schools. Its about fighting the soft bigotry of low expectation. Schools should never be excused for failing and pupils should never be written off because of where they come from. Everyone should have the opportunity to be the best they can be.
Some of our schools have had excellent results, some less so. My son went to a school which was our 6th preference and has required intervention. I was quite clear with him. It would be down to him to knuckle down and work hard. He did and got fantastic results. His teachers supported him in making more effort. It is worth remembering that in our underperforming schools there are still good teachers doing their best because they care. When leadership fails in a school it is not only the pupils that are failed it is good teachers who are failed too.
I will continue to support better schools, but ultimately success in everything is down to our own determination. No one should be scared of reaching for the stars.