On 10th June, Miss Quirk’s A-level Economics students and Mrs Nurses A-Level Law students joined forces and made their way on the train for a day of discovery in London.
As the group arrived in London, they navigated the London underground commute and headed to the centre of Law making in the British Isles the Palace of Westminster.
Students headed to the Parliament Education Unit and were guided around this historic Palace. They were able to literally stand where history has been made including the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Hall. The Hall has hosted numerous state trials, including those of William Wallace, Sir Thomas More, Guy Fawkes, and Charles I.
Students were able to walk on the ‘floor’ of the House of Commons and see the dispatch boxes where the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition stand each week. The students were guided through the creation of new laws through the House of Commons, the House of Lords and Royal Assent.
At the end of the tour, the students attended a workshop run by the Parliamentary Education Unit. The students were placed into groups and asked to create a political party, each selecting a candidate, speech writer, campaign manger and policy expert. The students were then asked to select three policies that they would pledge to voters during a general election campaign concerning the areas of education, the environment and social policy. All the students engaged in the activity and were able to articulate their ideas to the rest of the group before a ‘snap’ election was called. The students’ policies included new initiatives to boast further education in shortage occupations like nursing and NHS dentistry as well as policies design to make housing more affordable for young people.
Following the tour students were meet by our local MP Dave Robertson for a question-and-answer session in a committee room in the Palace. Mr Robertson spent over an hour speaking to the students about his role as an MP and all students were given an opportunity to ask their preprepared questions which covered a wide-ranging number of topics including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the impact of the Reform Party on UK politics and the cost of housing in Lichfield and beyond.
After this wonderful insight into the workings of our parliamentary democracy the Law and Economics students went their separate ways and headed to China Town and Spitalfields market for a well-earned lunch.
After a short lunch the Law students headed to the Supreme Court where students were Mrs Nurse said “the students were given the opportunity to visit the permanent exhibition in the Supreme Court outlining its role and history in the UK legal system and beyond. The students were able to sit in Court Room 3 and review recent cases that had come before the Court. The Supreme Court is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases, and for criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Supreme Court hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population.
Meanwhile the Economics students headed to the Bank of England. Miss Quirk, said, ‘at our first stop we learnt about the different monetary policies set by The Bank of England and the implications of these. The students loved being able to hold the bars of gold and were surprised to find out that they weighed 12.4 kg! The students also found out that Bank of England was nationalised in 1946 and separated from the government in 1997 which they found interesting. The new exhibit this year was all about digital money and the impact this is having on the UK economy, which supported students understanding of the changing economic climate of the UK and worlds economy.’
Students and Staff then enjoyed dinner at a local burger restaurant before travelling back on the train to Lichfield. Thank you to everyone who made the trip so enjoyable. It was a pleasure to watch the students engage and come back home feeling full of knowledge.
