We started out the day by going to the train station where we had to read a train timetable to work out what time and platform our train was coming from. We had a lovely journey on the train where we played games and discussed lots of topics that we wanted to talk about in Parliament. When we got to London we were able to navigate our way down to the Tube station where we read a series of maps, read timetables and navigated out way around the London Underground.

We walked past Downing street and the Cenotaph, again discussing the difference between a Cenotaph and war memorial and were lucky enough to see the arrival of the Deputy Prime Minister.

We then went into Parliament. We went in via the Royal Entrance and through the Royal Apartments. Here we learnt about the two branches of Parliament: the Lords and the Commons. The Commons being the most powerful house in the Houses of Parliament. We looked at the role of the Monarch and how a bill goes from the house to finally be passed into law by the Monarch. We have also discussed the history of voting from looking at pictures of Nelson and only 5% of the population having the right to vote, to the suffragette movement and women being allowed the vote. We also discussed and saw and original copy of the Magna Carta and its historical importance to the way we now govern. We discussed the history of Parliament and key events of the Palace of Westminster being originally a house of Henry VIII and how it was gifted to the Government. We also discussed the subsequent plot of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the repercussions of this. During our tour we got to visit the house of Lords and learn all about how to become a Lord or Baroness and the requirements for this, the current legislation that is going through the House of Lords, and examples of expertise within. Continuing our tour we were lucky enough to see the procession of the Mace with the Speaker of the House as it was Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). We then were able to take a workshop and discuss the process of submitting a petition to the government on issues that are important to us such as health and education. We were able to meet with our local MP and discuss the new role he now has and what has changed since the General Election. We have held a talking vote on one of the issues studied in Religious Studies that is currently going through the house of Lords: the assisted dying bill.