Speaker visits schools in South East London and Kent
2 October 2012 (updated on 2 October 2012)
On Tuesday 25 September, as part of his wider education outreach programme, the Speaker visited three schools in South East London and Kent to address students about his role and to take their questions.
Beginning the day at St Augustine's Catholic Primary School in Lewisham, the Speaker received a warm welcome from staff and the children in Years 5 and 6, as well as local MP Jim Dowd (Lewisham West and Penge), who also attended the visit.
After questions from pupils at St Augustine's about his role as Speaker, Mr Speaker travelled to Maidstone to visit Bower Grove School: a County Day Special School for statemented pupils with behaviour and learning needs and associated autistic difficulties.
After a tour of the school conducted by Headteacher Trevor Phipps, during which the Speaker met many pupils keen to shout 'Order! Order!', the visit culminated in a question and answer session with a senior English class and a Year 6 class. Questions ranged from those about the workings of the Commons to whether the Speaker feared for his life, given the unpleasant fate of a number of Speakers in years gone by!
The final stop of the day was Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham, where the Speaker addressed a wide range of students, all with a keen interest in politics with many studying the subject at 'A' level.