On Wednesday, two of our year 6 children joined with other children from across the RLT to visit the Houses of Parliament to find our more about how the government works, and to see democracy in action.

After a long bus journey, and a chance to spot some of the sights of London from the window, we arrived at the Houses of Parliament in time for our guided tour.

We were able to go to the visitors gallery of the House of Commons and witness some of a debate about housing standards. We also visited the lobby between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and were even greeted by a Baroness who walked past! During our tour we found out about the different coloured seats in the two Houses, and learnt how a bill passed backwards and forwards between the two Houses until both can agree and it can become a law. 

We also had the opportunity to visit Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth II lay in state before her funeral. We discovered that this hall has been quite important over the centuries, and that Henry VIII used to play tennis in there!

We then took part in a workshop to strengthen our understanding of how a bill becomes a law, before having the opportunity to have a Q&A session with our own MP, Alicia Kearns. 

We had a quick visit to see the Thames, before getting back on the coach to Rutland.

A great time was had by all, and always, the children were amazingly behaved, not only in the Houses of Parliament, but also on the long bus journeys either way.