Excited pupils got the chance to show their work to two VIPs on Monday when politicians on the election trail came to town.

More than 20 pupils at Albany Montessori School in Holywell Hill, St Albans, met former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Daisy Cooper, who is campaigning to win the St Albans parliamentary seat for the party at next month’s General Election.

Montessori owner Fawzia Topan said: “The children did brilliantly and they weren’t fazed by the occasion. It was a great day and some lovely moments when our guests spent time looking at the children’s work.

“One of our little four-year-olds impressed Mr Clegg with what she’d written about pollution and saving the dolphins and there was another moment when he helped another child name all the planets in the solar system.

“We also discussed serious issues in education, including the fact many nurseries could fold because they won’t be able to survive with the proposed changes to nursery childcare funding.”

Speaking to parents, Ms Cooper said: “Mums and dads in St Albans keep telling me how they’re struggling with the cost of childcare and how they’re worried about Conservative cuts to education. Ninety-five per cent of our schools will be affected and headteachers are facing the prospect of cutting teacher numbers, increasing class sizes or cutting extra support.

"Liberal Democrats would reverse those cuts, and invest further in childcare, schools and colleges.”

Mr Clegg said, ‘In government, I fought to introduce the Pupil Premium, increasing funding for disadvantaged pupils. This Conservative government is dismantling that work, cutting free school meals and slashing schools budgets.

"In Hertfordshire alone, nearly £80million has been taken out of the budget. This simply is not good enough, and will have an impact on class sizes and children’s education."

The school's Tim Hodgson added: “It was great to welcome Nick and Daisy to the nursery. We raised the issue of the 30 hours' funding and how the amount we are funded falls short of many nursery school’s hourly rate.

"They recognised there are flaws in the funding formula highlighted by regional differences that really need to be addressed. It was great to feel they genuinely listened.”