A group of young people put their political hats on last week, as they were given a tour of Number 10 Downing Street.

The visit was arranged by a former Sydney Russell student and the pupils felt extremely lucky that they were able to visit the heart of government at such an important time in British political history.

After completing their security checks, the students made their way around and entered the Terracotta Room where they had a chat with Andrew Bowie MP, the Prime Minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, about the current Brexit situation and the proposal to lower the voting age to sixteen. 

A key highlight for a number of the students was being given access to the Cabinet meeting room where they were allowed to sit in the Cabinet members’ seats including Teresa May’s – which is the only one that has arms.

Following the tour, the students sat down with the Prime Minister’s Private Secretary and Press Secretary who gave them an invaluable insight into the life and workings of the government as well as an extended Q&A session.

Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement said: “This was a great opportunity for the students to learn about how politics works, and I am glad they took full advantage of the experience.

“I think it is really important that young people take an interest in politics as it affects us all, so I am really pleased that pupils asked a number of questions during the Q&A session.”