Last weekend's highlights were an official visit to Wey Valley School with some Olympians and attending the Veterans Festival in Weymouth.  This weekend it has been visting the Verne, more meetings to progress Portland Academy, discussions on the buses of Purbeck and finally taking part in yesterday's celebration of the life of Steve Sinnott.

Wey Valley were feeling a bit bruised after the local paper front page in the week so I was delighted to go there with an Olympic rower and the most successful Paraolympic swimmer ever.  The announcement of the Government's National Challenge to get every school achieveing over 30% A*-C at GCSE, including English and Maths, by 2011 left the school exposed to criticism becuase it just dipped below that mark last year.  Since then it has achieved a Good rating from Ofsted and is doing well.  I was delighted therefore to include it in my roadshow around the country to promote the Olympic values in schools.  The Olympians make it - they embody courage, determination, teamwork, equality, respect, leadership and friendship - all the things we want young people to celebrate and express over the next four years and beyond.

Sunday was the Military Veterans Parade and Remembrance Service.  A particular highlight this year was the awarding of the Freedom of the Borough to the new regiment that has succeeded the Devon and Dorsets.  As always it was one of the first events for the new mayor.  I wish Tim Munro all the best in his big year.

On Friday last I paid a visit to the Verne prison on Portland.  I met with the POA who had a number of interesting points to make about morale, cpacity and violence against prison officers by prisoners generally across the service.  I went on to meet the Governor Denise Hodder to discuss some of the issues raised by the POA and to catch up with issues in the prison more generally.

Other meetings included a chat with the Portland Sculpture Trust and Jane from the Academy project to explore how the two projects for Independent Quarry might be complementary.  Then a chat with the MD of Wilts and Dorset Buses about how we might improve services at Harmans Cross, for pupils at Purbeck School wanting to do after school activities and other timetabling concerns.

Yesterday was dominated by going back to London to attend and speak at the celebration of the life of Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, who died suddenly in April.  Steve was a smashing bloke who I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with - even if we didn't always see eye to eye.  It was a very moving event, very well organised and higlighted the tremendous work he didn't internationally as well as here in the UK.