News Lower Sixth Students Explore the Corridors of Power 13.10.2026

Lower Sixth Politics IB and A Level students had a wonderful time in Westminster before October half-term exploring Parliament, Whitehall and the Supreme Court. They began the day with a tour of Parliament where they learned a huge deal about the history and functioning of this institution. They were able to go into the House of Commons and view it from the Prime Minister’s perspective, and see how the chamber is used for debates, questioning and voting. In the House of Lords they looked at historical elements such as the Woolsack and the mace. They were delighted to be joined on their tour by an intelligence analyst from the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team, giving students a sense of the range of careers available for those interested in politics.

They then explored the ‘government’ aspect of our political system, walking around Whitehall and discovering key buildings such as No 10 Downing Street, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Treasury, as well as getting real-time experience of the role of protest in our democracy as they passed a number of demonstrations. Following a lunch break in St James’ Park tracking down the pelicans, they headed to the Supreme Court where they were lucky enough to have a tour explaining the purpose of this relatively new institution. They also were able to sit in on one of the hearings of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It was very interesting to see some of the Supreme Court justices in action and understand more about the UK’s ongoing role in Trinidad and Tobago.

The trip enabled students to understand the different elements of the United Kingdom’s political system; Parliament, Government and the Supreme Court in a very tangible way. It also helped their understanding of how they might participate more in politics themselves – and it was great to see this being fulfilled immediately by many of the group heading straight back to Parliament at the end of the trip where they were delighted to watch a debate between Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch!