News from Politics

December 18, 2025/in Politics, Trips & Visits /by Presdales School

Year 12 Politics Trip to Parliament and the Supreme Court

Visiting Parliament and the Supreme Court gave me a powerful insight into how the political system functions. We Initially visited the Supreme Court where we were able to witness two cases being heard by the justices. The courts provided a calm, structured and focused atmosphere whereby the KCs and judges gave detailed legal reasonings towards the cases provided. This enhanced my understanding on how carefully the law is interpreted at the highest level. The two cases, one involving taxation and the other criminal, were very engaging especially as we witnessed divisive debates in action between the members of the court. After we left the Supreme Court we began our journey to Parliament where we were disrupted by a farmers union protest, reminding me how public voices can influence political debate and draw focus. It was also very exciting to see the tractors and even a cow cross the streets of Westminster and the attention it drew towards members of the public, carrying on the idea that everywhere and everything is political. Once we arrived at Parliament we were greeted by tour guides who informed and helped us navigate around Parliament. We visited the House of Commons which felt very surreal as I was standing in a room that I have only ever admired on TV. From gallery, we were able witness the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper, answer urgent questions on decisions made by the UN Security Council the night before. This was very exciting and I enjoyed being able to observe first handedly discussions over national decisions. This made the whole experience incredibly mesmerizing as we were stepping into a place you normally only observe from the outside. We also had a Q&A session with the school’s MP, Josh Dean. We were able to ask him questions not only to help further our understanding of what we have been studying in A-Level Politics, but also question him on what he has been doing since taking office to make life in our constituency better for us. The Highlight of my day was casually passing David Cameron on our journey up to the House of Commons which expressed how close the public can come to major political figures within this environment. Overall, this day was a lot of fun and helpful for widening my understanding of politics and experiencing all the different aspects of democracy in one day. It helped me to further develop my understanding on the interconnectedness of legal decisions, political leadership as well as public opinion.

Athena Chrysostomou

Politics Trip to New York and Washington DC – October 2024

November 20, 2024/in Events, General News, Politics, Trips & Visits, Trips and Reminders /by Presdales School

We began the trip in NYC, exploring famous landmarks and getting a feel for the culture and atmosphere of the city. Notably, we visited Ground Zero, marking the area where the Twin Towers used to stand, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. This was an educational yet devastating experience as it brought to light the horrors of the 9/11 attack and how widespread the effects were across the US and globally. We were given plenty of opportunities to explore the city in smaller groups, shopping, trying new food, wandering through Central Park, etc. Highlights of the time in NYC were going to Times Square, the top of the Rockefeller Building, having a 360 view of the famous skyline, our ferry trip to Staten Island where we could see the Statue of Liberty up close, and Central Park.

We then made our way out of New York, seeing the beginnings of a Trump rally for the upcoming election as we left. We travelled through New York State, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and finally arrived in Washington D.C. We went on an amazing tour around the city, which was not only educational but incredibly interesting and a fun experience, visiting many memorials, such as Martin Luther King’s, Abraham Lincoln’s, the WW2 memorial and the Kennedy’s family grave plot (the eternal flame) in Arlington Cemetery. We also saw the Washington monument up close, the White House, and other political institutions like the Supreme Court and the Capitol building; where we received a guided tour through the House of Representatives and the Senate. We were lucky enough to also experience the passionate atmosphere of a Kamala Harris Rally. This was like nothing we had ever seen before and we could all feel the sense of community in what seems like a very divided country. On our last day we went to an immersive Spy Museum and ended the trip on a very positive, fun day.

Julia Neilson (Year 13)

News from Politics

October 20, 2023/in Departments, General News, Politics, Trips & Visits /by Presdales School

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: Reviewed by Lucy White

: Reviewed by Constantina Nichola

Year 12 Trip to Parliament

On the 6th October the Year 12 Politics students set off to London to visit some of the most important political buildings in the country. After catching a train, bright and early, we arrived at Westminster for our tour of Parliament. We were led by two tour guides, equally witty and insightful. We were stunned at the decorative design of the House of Lords – covered in gold leaf and the famous red leather – howether we made sure not to sit down! Our friendly tour guides talked to us about the job of the Lords and how they become appointed. Next we wandered into the House of Commons where we were informed about where different parties sit and the history of the rebuilding of this half of Parliament. We had time to look at the central lobby of Parliament and its incredible statues, before taking a group picture and saying goodbye to Emmet and Ben – our lovely guides.

After our tour we went to the education centre and took part in a group activity to help us understand the role of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. We were split into teams and debated on the topic of free university education. A big thank you to our group leader Celeste.

After a lunch break in the sun, we headed to the Supreme Court, where we experienced a fascinating exhibition about its history and importance in our government. We read about the compelling stories of minority and female judges paving the way of our country’s legal system before having a chance to look around the courts themselves – where we took a group picture. Overall we think everyone would agree this day was both informative and fun,

We would like to say a big thankyou to Miss Chandler and Mr Spurgeon for organizing this wonderful day and ensuring everybody got there and back safely.

Lexie Harrington

Tinaye Dzapasi

News from Politics

May 26, 2023/in General News, Politics, Trips & Visits /by Presdales School

Year 12 Parliament Trip

Well, that was quite a visit, and, in truth, I am not entirely sure it wasn’t just some crazy dream sequence we all experienced collectively. Previously, as reported in the Head’s update, we have never got beyond the door at No.10 before going on to Parliament, but this time we found ourselves on our trip shaking hands with the PM’s wife and eating our packed lunches on the state dining table.

As well as getting a tour which took in the famous staircase with all the prime ministers’ portraits (which features in ‘Love Actually’) and the Cabinet Room with the feted oval-shaped table, we also had a Q&A session with Mrs Murty and officials (civil servants and ‘spads’) who work for the Prime Minister. We learned a lot.

For example:

We learned how “Downing Street” got its name. (It was built by Sir George Downing who was a political operator at the time of the English Civil War – siding sometimes with the King and sometimes with Parliament. No.10 is effectively 3 houses joined together by the architect William Kent and gifted to the Prime Minister of the day by the Crown)
We learned the difference between a ‘spad’ (special advisor) and a civil servant. (Civil servants are neutral, work for any government and don’t change – spads change with the politicians and are not paid for out of taxpayers money)
We learned that speech writers have to be very adaptable in how they work with PMs (David Cameron always operated person to person and never touched a keyboard whereas it wasn’t uncommon for Gordon Brown to send 100 emails a day)
We learned that Rishi’s Media spad had a passion for cheerleading when she was young, and
We also learned that Rishi and Akshata met while they were studying at Stanford University in the States and that he proposed to her on a beach in California where a Scottish bagpiper played.

The trip round Parliament seemed a little more subdued than normal in comparison, although the political aficionados among us spotted that the group in front was being lead round by John McConnell (Jeremy Corbyn’s ex-shadow chancellor). We also subsequently had another Q&A with Lord Aberdare in the parliamentary education unit before returning home at 7pm.

It was a long day!!

Politics Trip to New York and Washington

November 11, 2022/in Politics, Trips & Visits /by Presdales School

“39 LADIES AND GEORGE”

New York / Washington Trip

From Friday 21st October to Thursday 27th October, 40 sixth form students (“39 ladies and George” according to our American tour guide) and 4 members of staff reacquainted themselves with the United States of America after 4 long years apart. The trip involved 2 days in New York taking in the 9/11 Memorial Museum, Top of the Rock, Central Park & Times Square among other sites and 3 days in Washington DC visiting Capitol Hill, Arlington Cemetery, Georgetown, the Washington Monument etc.