Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement today? In particular, I very much welcome what you’ve said about making funding available to encourage and support the development of federations across all maintained schools, along with better information and guidance. I think that is very important. You’re aware of my concerns on this issue.

I was also very interested in what you said about the consultation on the school organisation code being an opportunity for all concerned parties to feed in. As you know, it is not just rural schools that find the issue of school closures very difficult. All schools, in my experience, tend to be very much the heart of their community, and I know that you’re aware that I have some concerns about the school organisation code. I think it is definitely timely to review it, and would just like to ask how you see that process going forward, and in particular, how you will ensure that parents and communities get a say in the reforms that you’re looking at.