Schools minister visits Littlehampton school

Mr Gibb, who is also the town’s MP, tried his hand at playing the ukulele, watched a chemistry lesson and enjoyed a performance by the school choir.

And he turned the tables on the children by quizzing them on their knowledge of national politics, spelling and arithmetic, and asked them about their favourite books.

Mr Gibb also saw a certificate presented, demonstrating the school’s commitment to sustainable travel, by Rosemarie Hegarty, of West Sussex County Council’s Safer Routes to School team.

This was followed by a moving performance by the school choir.

The MP’s visit was rounded off by a chat with pupils Zak Coombs-Lambert, 11, Hannah Kinnane, nine, and Ivy Ashcroft, 10, from the school council, Jennifer Nunes, 11, one of the school’s young interpreters, and bilingual pupil Alicja Szymkowiak, eight, who read to Mr Gibb in both English and Polish.

Gabrielle Phillips, eight, Archie Bridgman, 10, George Shipley, 10, Joshua Lednor, 11 and Brooke Buckland, 10, who are all involved with the school’s IT projects and its travel planning group, talked about their roles with Mr Gibb.

He said he was “very impressed” by the array of talent at the school.