On Tuesday, Ella Ponter (Lower Sixth) enjoyed a whistle-stop behind the scenes tour of the Palace of Westminster.

Also known as the Houses of Parliament, the world-famous buildings are made up of the House of Commons, House of Lords and Westminster Hall. It’s also where you’ll find the famous clock tower, Big Ben.

Ella reflected on her inspiring visit: “On Tuesday I had the pleasure of travelling to Westminster to have a tour around parliament. I had arranged the trip so that I could gain further understanding and knowledge of our political system.

“As an A Level politics student, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more and to watch political debates in the Houses of Commons. When I toured around the Houses of Parliament, it was fantastic to see how the government was running and the different aspects of the political system in action. My favourite part of the tour was when I got to visit both Houses, my favourite being the House of Lords as it was very ornate and wonderfully designed; it was definitely the highlight of my day!

“When I visited the House of Commons, I was lucky enough to watch a debate on health and the NHS, as it was an opposing day the Labour Party got to choose the topic up for debate. It was very interesting to watch the MP's debate about their policies when it came to the public’s health.

“As I was walking around, I had a brief conversation with the Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire, Richard Fuller, which was a marvellous opportunity.”

We are always so proud to see our students taking the initiative and grasping all opportunities to extend their knowledge and interests.