A-Level Politics pupils went on a wonderfully informative trip to Westminster

On Tuesday, 4^th of November, all the A-Level Politics pupils went on a wonderfully informative trip to Westminster in order to get a detailed understanding of how the three branches of UK government (Parliament, PM & Cabinet, and Supreme Court) carry out their roles.  

After an early start, we reached Westminster around 9.30am and were straight off the coach and into the Houses of Parliament. We were guided through the halls and corridors of the millennia-old building, and thanks to our incredible guides, gained a deep insight into the symbolisms of all key areas of the Palace of Westminster, learning about the rich tapestry of history that has occurred there over the past thousand years. Further into our tour, we peered into the Houses of Commons and after that found our way into the House of Lords, which was an incredible sight to see up close. We debated the merits and flaws of each chamber and considered key recent political events that have happened in them. Additionally, to conclude our time spent at the Houses of Parliament, we all took part in an amusing workshop in which we had to run a quick “mock election.” This gave us an incredible insight into how the main political process for candidates work and especially the steps that are necessary within a campaign for an election.

After coming ending our tour around the Houses of Parliament, we made our way down Whitehall, the street which holds many of the government’s vital institutions such as 10 Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence, and the Foreign Office. As we walked down the street, we stopped every now and then to listen to our Politics Teacher, Rev'd Beverly, as he informed us on the political importance of all the institutions that lay on Whitehall and events that have occurred there. We even took time to go through Horse Guards parade and up to the back garden of Downing Street to consider the “Partygate” scandal and how it led to ministerial resignations. Outside the gates of 10 Downing Street, we considered “Plebgate” and the role political pressure played in Andrew Mitchell’s resignation. Additionally, as we came nearer to the Foreign Office, we ran into a demonstration outside the building which called for more awareness and action for the suffering of the people of Myanmar under the military dictatorship. Not only was this very fascinating to see, but we also learnt a key point about rights to protest within the UK and how protests are used to bring about governmental change.

After some free time for lunch at a nearby street food market, we concluded our trip by exploring the Supreme Court and its processes alongside its short but mighty history. Luckily enough, there was a trial taking place upstairs and we were fortunate enough to watch it. It was very intriguing to see the process in which the Supreme Court interprets the law and definitely gave us all a deeper understanding about the judicial process within our country.

Overall, this excursion was not only an incredible day out but was also highly interesting and informative, and I can safely say we all gained a stronger comprehension about the processes that take place in all areas of our country’s government.

Griff J - L6^th Form
A Level Politics Pupil

Flickr album: EAL and Politics Trip to London | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

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