We were given a tour of the Palace of Westminster, beginning at the Sovereign’s Entrance — the route taken by monarchs on important state occasions. Beneath the magnificent Victoria Tower, where the nation’s laws are kept, we admired the breathtaking architecture.

Inside, we explored the lavish Robing Room and saw a smaller throne once used by Queen Victoria, which has not been used since she passed away. Our guide explained how the Palace has been redesigned many times due to age and historical events. 

During our visit to the House of Lords, we saw where the Bills are kept before being discussed in Parliament. We also looked at where the Speaker sits, where Members of Parliament sit, and where the visitors’ gallery is located. We learnt that, unlike at school, when MPs want to speak in the House of Lords or the House of Commons, they stand to let the Speaker know they would like to contribute — and hope that the Speaker chooses them, a process known as “bobbing”.

We also visited Westminster Hall, one of the most historic parts of the building. We learned that it was recently the place where people paid their respects to Queen Elizabeth II and that it was once used as a royal court during the reign of King Henry VIII.

One of the highlights of the day was taking part in a fantastic workshop. The children completed activities and answered questions such as, “What do MPs do?” They gave brilliant responses, including, “Think and make laws to protect people.” When asked what laws they know about, they said, “It’s against the law to park on double yellow lines” and “It’s the law to drive at 20 miles an hour in a school zone.”

To end our visit, we were delighted to meet our local MP, Bambos Charalambous. He invited the children to ask questions such as, “What inspired you to become an MP?” and “How long have you been doing it?” He explained that he had been a member of his own school council when he was younger, enjoyed helping people, and wanted to continue doing this on a larger scale.

It was a truly inspiring day. The pupils left feeling proud, informed and motivated — and we were especially pleased to hear how impressed everyone was with the way our School Parliament operates and its strong commitment to democracy.