It was an exciting time to visit the Houses of Parliament for a team of students this month. As Westminster buzzes with ministerial resignations, leadership elections and talk of government changes, the students gained a first hand look at how Parliament works.
Beginning at Buckingham Palace, the group were allowed access to Downing Street to see the homes of the Prime Minister, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer next door. No sign on the day of senior members of the Government, busy with their own election, and sadly no sign on a very hot day of Larry the Downing Street cat. But there was every opportunity for students to have their photograph taken in front of the iconic door – could any of our students turn out to be a future Prime Minster?
Moving on to the Palace of Westminster, which boasts a modern, dedicated Education Centre, where our guides introduced the work of MPs and Lords, Government and backbenchers. A tour of the Houses of Parliament was a chance to learn the history of an incredible building, as well as spotting famous faces from politics and media. Both the Lords and Commons were sitting, so students were able to observe debates from the Public Gallery, as important pieces of legislation were debated.
Returning to the Education Centre, the students put what they had seen into practice in a workshop showing them the process that Parliament follows to pass laws. On their own Government and Opposition benches the team debated the pros and cons of making travel free for all Under 18 year olds.
The Parliament visit gives students an unforgettable first-hand experience of how democracy works. The students represented the school really well, and we can look forward to repeating the visit in future.
