Blair begins whirlwind farewell tour of schools

Mr Blair visited a number of schools in a hectic helicopter shuttle to mark his school building programme.

It began in the shadow of the Dome - a more controversial legacy - with a visit to the Millennium Primary School in Greenwich, which was opened in 2001.

He was greeted by headteacher Amanda Dennison and met youngsters using the school's breakfast club, one of 5,000 across the country. Mr Blair - accompanied by Education Secretary Alan Johnson - served up orange slices, scotch pancakes and toast to the hungry children before tucking into a slice of toast himself.

"It looks very healthy. It's not for show today?" asked the Prime Minister.

Teachers reassured him that they always served up a healthy start to the day.

After just 45 minutes in Greenwich Mr Blair headed for a nearby helipad and took a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter to the rain-swept Northampton Academy.

At the academy, Mr Blair gave a short speech to students, underlining his personal passion for the Government's trust schools and academy programmes.

He told them: "We are on course now to have 80 academies this September. There will then be another 50 next year and 400 over the years to come.

"In the next few years, all schools are on the way to becoming either trust schools or academies."

The Prime Minister conceded: "I had a very privileged education. I went to a fee-paying independent school and what that left with me all the time was the knowledge that, if I hadn't had that start in life, I wouldn't have been able to do what I was able to do.

"This should be for all our children, all of them, to get the chance in life that they need."

Mr Blair also saw an exhibition of trampolining in the academy sports hall and chatted to youngsters having a geography lesson.

Seeing them sitting near a wall poster featuring the European Parliament, Mr Blair asked the teacher: "Are you doing the European Parliament?"

"No," she replied. "We are actually doing natural disasters."

Just before noon, Mr Blair arrived at Windsor High School in Halesowen, a Trust Pathway school and sports college. Mr Blair went on to its artificial playing surface to see the youngsters practise their tennis and hockey skills.

He took the chance for a tennis knock-up with 13-year-old Charlie Price, one of the Prime Minister's less famous tennis partners.

Mr Blair struggled to cope with the bounce on the surface, complaining: "It's such a low bounce."

Asked what it was like to play tennis with the Prime Minister, Charlie said afterwards: "Different."

Mr Blair's aerial odyssey then took him to Worksop, where youngsters from the Kilton Children's Centre watched in amazement as his helicopter landed on their playing field just after 1.30pm. The centre is part of the Government's SureStart programme, which helps families and toddlers from birth to age five.

Mr Blair chatted to young mothers and their children and was presented with a welcome card of handprints as well as a bouquet.

He told the youngsters: "I've got a little boy who's nearly seven. I'll take these home to Leo's mum. She will be very happy with them."

Mr Blair was later given an enthusiastic welcome by students as he arrived at South Trafford College, Altrincham, Cheshire, on the last stop of his day trip.

He was hugged by a gaggle of teenage girls and others shook him warmly by the hand as he arrived. He saw trainee beauticians giving massages and manicures and one offered: "Come and have your nails done, Tony."

Mr Blair declined the offer but was presented with a goodie bag of cosmetics by one student who joked: "This is for your wife if you want to get into her good books tonight."

He also visited the college kitchen where he saw trainee chefs preparing dishes such as beef and sauteed spinach and even tried his hand at using a blowtorch to caramelise a creme brulee. He later sat down for tea and college-baked cakes with a group of students.

Shadow education secretary David Willetts said: "Tony Blair must be desperate to safeguard his legacy on education. What is he afraid of? It must be Gordon Brown.

"Gordon Brown doesn't believe in academies. It is Conservatives who will carry forward the education reforms that Tony Blair can only dream about.

"As for today's figures on school building, the truth is we have got fewer, bigger schools, which is not what parents want.

"For example, Labour boast that there are 96 new special schools, but the truth is that 146 have closed since 1997, with a net loss of 9,000 special school places."