Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and only veterinary surgeon in the House of Commons supported four rural Cumbrian Primary Schools to tour Parliament and have their questions answered by the MP himself in the last week.
Culgaith Church of England School, Lanercost Church of England Primary School, Morland Area Church of England School, and Nenthead Primary School were the most recent Penrith and The Border schools to benefit from access to the Palace of Westminster and quizzing their local MP.
With a background in education, Dr Hudson is eager to promote the work of Parliament’s Education and Engagement team provide tailored age-appropriate tours for schools and can help subsidise transport for schools across the UK.
The Veterinary MP is always impressed by the range of questions asked with pupils keen to better understand how laws are passed and budgets created as well as Dr Hudson’s work in the veterinary sector and his work in Parliament on the environment, mental health and animal health and welfare.
Should other local school groups wish to visit the Houses of Parliament, they are encouraged to get in touch with Dr Hudson’s Office via [email protected]. Moreover the MP has availability throughout the year to visit local schools.
Penrith and The Border MP, Dr Neil Hudson, said:
“Access to the Mother of Parliaments must remain open to schools across the country, no matter how remote they may be. Hearing this week from some of the youngsters about how much it had enhanced their learning was so heart warming.
“Making sure the next generations are engaged with our political system and excited about seeing it is so important to our nation as a whole. Moreover, hearing the thoughtful questions from youngsters and engaging with the issues they are passionate about really is one of my favourite aspects of the job. The pupils are passionate about animals and the environment and it was great to discuss some of these issues. We even talked about the legacy of Foot and Mouth and what it means for rural Britain.
“I would encourage any educators reading this to get in touch with my office regarding tours of Parliament or if they would like me to come to their school and discuss my role with pupils.”
Lanercost Church of England Primary School Headteacher, Lexi Wilkinson, said:
“In regards to the workshop and speaking with Neil, it is incredibly important for British values and for the children to understand the importance that Parliament and members of Parliament play in UK society. Taking the trip to London, so that children can see the palace of Westminster and where all of these decisions that affect our daily lives are made, is pivotal to primary education, and the children growing into well-rounded citizens. Being situated in a rural area, this is even more fundamental.”
Nenthead Primary School Teacher, June Venus, said:
“The visit to the Houses of Parliament was a crucial part of our visit to London as it gave meaning and depth of learning to our classroom work. Pupils have been investigating democracy linked to a project on the Ancient Greeks. The visit enhanced their understanding of timelines and the development of citizenship and how our government works. Our thanks go to our excellent tour guide and Dr Hudson for giving up his time on such a busy day.”
Culgaith Church of England School Headteacher, Lynn Dobinson, said:
“From my point of view, our trip to London couldn’t happen without the visit to parliament - both educationally and financially. It is a huge part of learning about government and developing pupil voice - we also link it in with debating and writing speeches etc in our schools.
“The majority of my children (about 90%) have never been to London before this trip and most have never been on a train or used public transport. From start to finish, it is a huge adventure for them. We also come from such a rural area, that the chance to be in a city and experience all a city offers is also huge and allows them to see beyond Cumbrian life!”
Poppy, Year 5, Morland, said:
“It was much bigger than I thought it was going to be. I liked it when we got to meet Dr Neil Hudson because I did not know he was a vet, he is our M.P and I love animals.”
Isaac, Year 6, Culgaith, said:
“I was interested to learn how they did the votes and it was strange to see this in person and not on TV. The building was decorative and full of statues and paintings and that was a surprise.”
Daisy, Year 5, Culgaith, said:
“I loved the Houses of Parliament as I loved to see the things you see on the news - like where they do debates. I enjoyed being taught all about the saints and them being all around lobby.”
Morland Area Church of England Primary School Teacher, Annette Thornton, said:
“The way we travelled, the visits we have experienced and especially the link with our recent debating classwork to seeing it in a real-life immersive way at Parliament was unforgettable, so valuable for our students and a complete contrast to our quieter rural area, especially following on from previous Covid restrictions and opportunities families and schools may not have been able to pursue due to that.”
Nia, Year 6, Morland, said:
“I really liked sitting down and watching the real-life debates because it gave me a better understanding of what an actual debate is and how they set it up.”
Christian, Year 6, Morland, said:
“I thought it was interesting for the History behind it all, as I loved listening to how debates are made and why they made.”
Hugo, Year 5, Morland, said:
“I liked learning about Westminster Hall and Parliament and also about how the Houses of Commons have more power than the Houses of Lords."
