THE shadow chancellor described Stevenage as “way ahead” of other towns after speaking to students at a specialist school this afternoon (Thursday).

Labour MP Ed Balls held a question and answer session at North Herts College’s Stevenage Skills Centre in Fulton Close after meeting pupils from the Da Vinci Studio School.

The shadow chancellor of the exchequer praised the innovative approach of the studio school, which specialises in science and engineering but offers mainstream qualifications linked to the world of work.

Speaking to the Comet, Mr Balls said: “I’ve been back to Stevenage lots of times now and the thing that strikes me about Stevenage is everywhere we go there’s a real team. The college is working with businesses, the council is working with housing developers. The whole is bigger than the sum of the individual parts.

“Stevenage shows that a model of business and education working together really works and in that sense Stevenage is way ahead of other parts of the nation.”

For more on Mr Balls’ visit see next week’s Comet.