Visiting the Houses of Parliament at a moment of political history was the highlight of a memorable London trip, says Mr Worthington
The humanities team took 46 year 8 students to London in July for a two-day visit. The London trip is a fantastic enrichment opportunity and has been a highlight of the school calendar for many years. It was great finally to be able to go ahead with the trip – one of many activities put on hold because of the Covid pandemic – and the students were naturally extremely excited to be setting off, despite a very early start.
The group arrived in Tamworth around 12pm to break up the long journey to London with a spot of ice-skating. Some students were very impressive on the ice; others were somewhat less graceful in their attempts to remain upright. One student, Eleanor Johnson, so impressed the staff at the ice rink that they even offered her a job! (This was after defeating Mr Worthington in several races around the track.)
When the group arrived in London, they were treated to a delicious Chinese meal in London’s Chinatown. The staff of the famous Wong Kei’s certainly made sure that staff and students did not go hungry.
After a restful night’s sleep at a venue right in the heart of London, students visited the Houses of Parliament. They learned about the story of parliament before being taken on a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster. They visited both chambers – the Lords and the Commons – and were able to stand where some of the most famous and powerful people in British history have stood. The students were fascinated with the building. It was great to be able to see up close something that they have previously only glimpsed on television. One student remarked that it was actually much smaller than it appears on TV.
After the tour the students took part in a voting workshop, running a mock election campaign to help them better understand how the process of democracy and voting actually works. As part of the visit our local MP Mick Whitley joined the group for a talk and to answer students’ questions. They were amazed to hear that Mick grew up on the Woodchurch estate, and was as local to them as it was possible to be.
Before the long journey home there was just enough time for a ride on the London Eye, which offers an awe-inspiring panoramic view of our capital city. A perfect way to round off a memorable trip.
Read and see more in the July 2022 issue of Ridgeway New Times
