Parliament School Trips
Great news! You can now book school trips to Parliament online. Booking requests for the Autumn term are being accepted until 7th May 2017 via the form available here. Phone bookings will not be taken. See here for details of the tours, activities and workshops that the Parliament Education Service offers.
One example of what is on offer is the ‘Representation and Voting Tour and Workshop’; available to students through years 3-13 and adjusted depending on the age range attending. The programme begins with a tour of the Palace of Westminster, followed by activities such as a mock general election experiencing what it is like to be a candidate and voter, competing with each other in political parties, creating their own manifestos and practicing their research and speaking skills.
Additionally, there are a number of short notice bookings available for the summer term, with particularly good availability in May due to the change in dates of the State Opening of Parliament. See the dedicated short notice bookings page here. Please note that online booking is not available for short notice bookings; bookings can be made by calling 0207 219 4496 as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
All visits are free and schools may be eligible for transport subsidy; see here for details.
If you are successful in securing a visit to Parliament, you may find HandsamSchoolTripsAdvisor’s guidance ‘Walking with Your Class in a City Environment’ helpful for your trip to London. Additionally, see our extensive guidance on planning school trips.
Election Toolkik
With the government’s announcement of a snap General Election to be held on 8th June 2017, make use of the Parliament Education Service’s Election Toolkit. Suitable for secondary, sixth form students and colleges, teachers will be able to run a mock election using the resource, which includes everything you need such as a ballot box, poll cards and a handy instructional poster. Further details on the Toolkit and how to order it can be found here. The website also states that the kit will be available to download shortly.
Podcast
‘Parliament Explained’ is a new six part podcast series which explores the inner workings of Parliament: what Parliament is, how Parliament scrutinises the work of the Government, how laws are made and changes, and how the public can get involved. This is a great resource to use, especially in the run up to June’s General Election! Access the podcast here.
Speaker’s School Council Awards
The Speaker’s School Council Awards wants your entries for student-led initiatives that have made a difference in your school or community. It can be any size project from increasing the number or recycling bins in a school to campaigning to save local wildlife. Winners will be awarded in each of four age categories: Infant (4-7), Junior (8-11), Secondary (12-16) and Young Adults (17-19). The competition is open until 19th May 2017 and details on how to enter can be found here.
