London Adventures

Posted at 1:21 pm on 24th January, 2017

Thirty Two FGS Sixth Form students and staff recently  embarked on an enrichment trip to Westminster as honoured guests of our local MP Kate Green. They were invited to visit the Houses of Parliament and were lucky enough to have the opportunity of a guided tour, a workshop on the Suffragettes, rounded off with a private Q & A session in a committee room with Kate herself.

After negotiating Euston Station and the London Underground they safely arrived at Westminster excited for what lay ahead. Once inside Parliament they learnt that the building is split into three sections: Monarchy, House of Commons and House of Lords. They stood in awe of the debating rooms that our top Lords and politicians gather within to debate current affairs, each chamber appearing much smaller than it looked on the news!

In the Education Centre the workshop leader catapulted them back in time to 1908 with a 360 degree interactive dramatisation which was projected across  all the walls around the centre. This really made it feel  as though the audience was part of the Suffragettes experience.

On to the Committee room, within the depths of the main Parliament building where all students and staff nervously  took their seats around a grand table for questions with Kate Green. Kate opened up the conversation with ‘Do you think that there are enough female politicians taking seats at Parliament?’

Kate openly shared her views with the group on topics such as: Brexit, Donald Trump, Jeremy Corbyn and the building of houses on our local greenbelt land in Flixton. Students were able to speak openly on their own views which provided much debate amongst the whole group.

Lunch was followed by a walking sight-seeing tour. Strolling past the Cenotaph where the Royal Family laid their wreaths on Remembrance Day, then Nelsons Column and Trafalgar Square; marching onwards along  Pall Mall for a quick photo shoot outside the Queen residence; Buckingham Palace.

Following this exciting day all students had the chance to reflect on the trip, life in our capital city and possible future career plans as our next generation of female politicians.