HEMEL Hempstead MP Mike Penning has visited Kings Langley Secondary School to see the progress it has made by working alongside other Dacorum schools, to share best practice.

The heads of secondary schools in the area, and the principal of West Herts College, have been working together to achieve success through collaboration, rather than competing against each other.

One example of this collaborative effort is a learning partnership for students, which has been set up to benefit nine secondary schools.

It encourages individualistic and flexible learning, including work experience, vocational opportunities and development of improved life skills.

Kings Langley School has provided the leadership for this project. As a result, the school was praised by inspectors, when they made a visit during a recent area-wide inspection of educational provision in Hertfordshire.

Gary Lewis, headteacher of Kings Langley Secondary School, is delighted with the progress that has been made.

He said: "A collaborative effort between schools ensures the sharing of excellent practice, from which each of our teachers and students has been able to benefit. Each school celebrates it own unique ethos and culture, and this provides an excellent foundation for a really exciting venture in the coming years.

"Colleagues in all our Dacorum schools are totally committed to maintaining and improving standards, for the benefit of all our youngsters, and we feel the future looks very bright indeed."

Mike Penning, MP, added: "I am proud to have visited Kings Langley Secondary School again and I am very excited by the way the headteachers within Dacorum are all working together.

"They are not only ensuring the progress of all students, but are also benefitting the whole community of Dacorum as well.

"I will do everything I can to support all the schools taking part in this fantastic project."