NEW MPS LOCAL MPS HUW MERRIMAN and NUS GHANI MAKE PRIMARY SCHOOL’S VISIT TO WESTMINSTER EXTRA SPECIAL
02.06.2015 for immediate release: Pupils of Mayfield CE Primary School were excited to find out that their planned school trip to London would be made extra special as newly elected MP Huw Merriman organised a tour Houses of Parliament and Downing Street for them soon after the General Election.
Year 4 and 5 pupils at Mayfield Primary School recently completed a project on Parliament and democracy. Their teacher had planned a school trip to London during which they expected to see outside of the Houses of Parliament. However, when the pupils learned that Huw Merriman, who lives in their parish, may be elected to Westminster they asked if he could help them see round the inside too.
Huw was able to arrange a special tour of Parliament and a visit to Downing Street for the pupils. As Mayfield CE Primary School is located in the Wealden Constituency, Nus Ghani, the new MP for Wealden, was delighted to meet the pupils at Westminster and also joined them for their tour.
The Year 4 and 5 pupils enjoyed special access to Downing Street where they had their photo taken outside Number 10 before being given a guided tour of Parliament which included going inside the House of Commons Chamber. In Central Lobby they got the chance to quiz Nus and Huw about the role of an MP and asked questions about the Houses of Parliament. Before leaving they enjoyed a view of the Thames and the Millennium Wheel from the famous Parliament Terrace.
Speaking at Westminster Huw Merriman said “Having been quizzed by the class prior to the election, I was delighted to introduce the children, teachers and parents to the Palace of Westminster. I am full of admiration for the work which the teachers, Mrs Collison and Mrs Maddison, have put into bringing politics and democracy to their class. I hope to host many more school children to Westminster in the years ahead.”
Nus Ghani said “The best part of being an MP is being able to open up Westminster to the next generation and I was delighted to share my three weeks of Westminster knowledge with the pupils of Mayfield Church of England Primary School.
The question and answer session was robust as you would expect from pupils of Mayfield and I hope that in a small way we have encouraged the next generation of MPs.”
Mrs Collison, Year 4/5 teacher, said “For the children, the day was a culmination of all the learning we have achieved over the term about democracy and elections - to have the opportunity to stand outside 10 Downing Street and actually be in the House of Commons was such a great experience for the children, and one they will remember for a very long time. We very much appreciate the time and enormous effort Huw Merriman and his team put in to make our time in the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street such a positive one.”