On Tuesday 7th of February, our Year 11 BTEC Travel & Tourism students had the privilege to have a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster as part of investigating Component 1 - "Travel and Tourism Organisations and Destinations".

Our students were able to enjoy a unique learning experience and get to see history being made first-hand with a tour of the Houses of Parliament. They learnt a great deal about the history of the Palace from the tour guide and we stood in the exact spot where Charles I stood trial and was sentenced to death. 

We started by visiting Westminster Hall where Parliament first sat and many historic events have taken place. We then moved on to the The House of Lords, The House of Commons, including the Speaker's Chair, the famous green and red benches and the 'lobbies' where MPs actually vote. The students were able to closely inspect the Royal Throne, the Queen's Robing Room, the Royal Gallery and many other fascinating parts of the Palace of Westminster which are not accessible to the general public.

We were also fortunate to meet Karen Buck, our local MP for Westminster North who came to spend some time with us in the Monarchy Room and answer all our questions. Our students were very engaged in this Q&A session and were quite vocal about teachers needing a pay rise for the exceptional work they do at WA!