Aspire Visit to the Palace of Westminster Highlights The Henley College’s Commitment to Educational Opportunity

On 17th March, a group of Aspire students visited the Palace of Westminster and had the chance to directly engage with the political and historical centre of the United Kingdom.  

The trip provided students with the opportunity to see the historic setting with a tour of key areas of the Palace including Westminster and St Stephen’s Hall, and Central Lobby. Students were able to sit in the public galleries in both the House of Commons, where the Foreign Secretary was making a statement on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the House of Lords. They were also lucky enough to see some of the ceremony of Westminster in witnessing ‘bill ping-pong,’ a unique activity where bills are transported on foot between the House of Commons and Lords. 

Following the tour, students took part in a workshop where they became political parties in a ‘Snap Election’. Each group became a new party and had 15 minutes to pull together their campaigns from the ground. Each party was tasked with electing a candidate, speech writer, campaign manager and policy expert, and building key manifesto promises from three key areas: environment, education and social policy. Our three candidates gave rousing speeches and eventually, after a tie and some drawing of short straws, it was decided that the Youth Aspire party were duly elected. Their policies focused on ensuring new buildings would be solar powered, scrapping tuition fees, and fairer maternity/paternity leave and pay. Other parties focused on a host of topics including AI, exams, and even the abolishment of the monarchy. At the end of the day, students met with Freddie van Mierlo MP who spoke to students and answered their questions.  

Student and candidate for the winning party, Lily Howard, said: “I loved sitting in the galleries and watching the discussions. I have seen it on TV before, but it was so cool to actually be there, and the rooms were so much more impressive in real life! The tour was also very informative; I particularly liked hearing about the history and how it affects how the system runs today.” 

The  Aspire programme seeks to support ambitious students in accessing competitive pathways and high-level opportunities, and experiences such as this are designed to raise aspirations. They reinforce the idea that these spaces of influence are not inaccessible to young people, but open to those willing to engage with them. Aspire Programme Lead Eleanor Witcher noted “I was particularly impressed by the students’ engagement and enthusiasm. They were so interested in learning about how Parliament works. They did not want to leave the Commons gallery – I practically had to drag them away!” 

This visit marks another step in < the college’s / our > ongoing work to transform the student experience. We are committed to ensuring that students are academically prepared, and culturally and intellectually equipped to contribute to the world beyond education.

To find out more about our Aspire programme click HERE