Government & Politics trip to Parliament

On Friday 27th September, our Year 12 Government and Politics class visited the Houses of Parliament. We went on a fabulous (and very informative) tour, during which we saw the House of Commons and the Lords, the voting lobby for MPs, Westminster Abbey, central lobby, and many more fascinating rooms in Parliament.

We also learned about the history of Parliament, the day-to-day running of Westminster, and the importance of the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Our lovely tour guides were great and answered our many questions!

We then attended a law making and debating workshop, where we learnt the fundamental rules for carrying out a proper, democratic debate. We also learned about the process in which laws are made and changed. Two speakers (one an ex-Presdales student) talked to us about their roles in Parliament, and the vast job opportunities the House of Commons and Parliament offer, such as Select Committee assistants, IT and graphics/creative consultants, education branches, and, of course, MPs!

It was a very inspiring and interesting trip, and we all feel we walked away from it knowing so much more about how our government and Parliament works. Thank you to Mr Spurgeon and Ms Chandler for organising the trip and navigating the tube with us!

“Within the trip we had a debating workshop, were we learned how they debate in the House of Commons. I got the privilege to be the speaker of the house. In this role I decided who could speak next and when it got too loud to say ‘order, order’. The workshop was amazing, as it taught us how to structure a debate, to make sure everyone’s voices are heard” Katy Higham

“It was a great atmosphere, especially considering the current political climate” Grace Richards

“The workshop we did on law making & debating was really interesting and the career paths available in Parliament seem like amazing opportunities” Connie Marshall

“There were little bits of history everywhere we went. Seeing the MPs’ voting lobbies and being able to walk down them was fascinating” Jamie Parker

“It was really interesting to see it all in real life” Connie Robinson

“We learned loads about the complex history of Parliament, and seeing all the possible careers there really opened our eyes to what Parliament does” Safia Sipi

One student Meg Sleath said this about the workshop, “I thought it was really interesting to see how a proper debate would work, especially as we were debating a current, divisive issue. It was very enjoyable!”