Woodcote Primary School in Croydon, part of The Pioneer Academy Trust, was recently visited [Friday 15 November 2024] by Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, the MP for Croydon South and Shadow Home Secretary.
The visit is part of the school’s activities around UK Parliament Week, an annual event which highlights what Parliament is, what it does and how to get involved.
The school council enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions about British politics and local issues and even asked what they should do if they aspire to become an MP.
The pupils were also interested to learn about what inspired Chris Philp to become an MP and how to answer challenging questions. Pupils will be delivering sessions on what they learnt to their classes this week.
Here are some thoughts from pupils:
Reyansh said: “As we are learning about the UK Parliament it was amazing to meet such an important and influential figure in Parliament.”
Ruqayyah: “I had lots of fun and doing this made me feel proud.”
Chris Philp MP, MP for Croydon South and Shadow Home Secretary, said: “I regularly visit our neighbourhood’s fantastic local schools, and it was great to pop along to another today, Woodcote Primary School, to take part in a Q&A with the brilliant pupils on their school council. Their insightful questions, part of their wider Parliament Week programme, showed they have really engaged with democracy early. They were a credit to both their school and community.”
Claire Baldock, Headteacher at Woodcote Primary School, said: “This was such a fantastic opportunity for our children to learn and ask questions. They will now confidently be able to share this learning with their classes when they deliver sessions. I was so proud at the level of maturity in the children’s questions and their understanding of local and national issues.”
