CITY councillors Vanessa Brown and Jayne Bennett, from the Hove Park Ward, said in a recent interview how much they had been impressed by the ethos and the learning environment at Hove Park School.

The councillors had visited the school earlier this term and in a follow-up interview explained how much they had enjoyed their visit to Hove Park with the opportunity to meet the new headteacher Rob Reed and the students and staff.

Coun Brown said that she was particularly impressed by the atmosphere at the school and thought the pupils were both “smart in their appearance and excellent in their behaviour”.

She and Coun Bennett said that the culture at the school was no surprise and thought this was due to “dedicated staff, strong leadership and good facilities”.

They also said that “students were in a brilliant catchment area” in Hove with the choice of two strong successful schools to go to.

When asked what makes a good leader the councillors both noted that good leaders are those who “work really hard and jump at every opportunity that is offered.”

They also said it was important to have a “broad and varied education and good people skills”.

For those students who aspire to become leaders one of the tips Coun Brown suggested one of the best ways for students to develop all these skills was to put themselves forward for volunteering.

This, she said, “is a good way of learning how to interact with lots of different people and that experience working in a team is essential”.

Asked about their own experiences at secondary school both agreed that a good, caring teacher was essential.

Coun Brown’s favourite subject was history as it really fascinated her and her school, like Hove Park, was supportive of those students who wanted to aim higher, she said.