Archive for the Politics category

Nineteen Year 11 to Year 13 students went on a Politics and Economics trip to Brussels and Frankfurt for a week after the end of the autumn term.  Students enjoyed the chance to visit the key EU institutions of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in Brussels as well as two minor EU institutions in the form of the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee.

In Frankfurt the students also went to the European Central Bank at a pivotal time for the Euro as well as a range of Economics visits.  Thanks go to Miss Pallas-Brown and Miss Burton for giving up a week of their holiday.

The AS Politics students had an exciting Politics conference in London.  They heard from Sir George Young MP, The Speaker Bercow, Simon Hughes MP, Alan Duncan MP, Nigel Farage MEP, Tony Benn and Jonathan Edwards MP.  All of them gave interesting and different speeches with particular favourites being Tony Benn (now aged 86) and Simon Hughes with Nigel Farage proving very lively.  This was a great opportunity for the AS students, as well as three Year 13 students, to hear from a wide and diverse group of politicians.  Thanks go to Mrs Sloan for accompanying the group.

Over 50 students and staff were engaged in a lively and interesting discussion with Andrew Smith (Labour MP for Oxford East). He spoke about the role of an MP, the current political situation and the relationship between government and parliament. Many of the students then asked a wide range of questions covering how easy it is to get into politics and issues such as the environment, the current situation in the Labour Party and the economic crisis in Europe. The whole event lasted an hour. Many thanks go to Carola Binney in Year 12 for organising the event.

This year was another high-turnout election on Open Evening and one which involved 5 recounts for second place!

The result was as follows:

Carola Binney	Conservative	83 votes
Georgia Cahill	Green	168 votes
Rachel Carter	Labour	82 votes
Claudia Forsyth	UK Independence Party	29 votes
Flora Shaw	Liberal Democrat	50 votes

Georgia Cahill was, therefore, elected. Thanks go to the five Year 12 Politics students who stood and in particular Flo Greensted and the Year 13 Politics students who helped administer the election and count the votes on Open Evening.

The Year 12 Politics students hosted a lunch with the former MP Brian Sedgemoor on the last Tuesday of the summer term alongside Miss Pallas-Brown and Miss Stewart (Spanish). The discussion was lively and packed full of insight and we are incredibly grateful to him for his visit. This was then followed by Brian Sedgemoor speaking to the whole of Year 12 which was a very interesting talk full of political commentary, which was followed by a fantastic question and answer session. We are enormously grateful to Brian Sedgemoor for giving up his time to speak to the Year 12 students.

Twenty Year 12 and 13 students went on a very successful Politics and Economics trip to Washington DC and New York over October half term.

Our group arrived in Washington DC and started with a visit to the White House organised by Mrs Tseelon-Riis, where some of them even managed to see Michelle Obama.

We then visited the Capitol Building, which has the House of Representatives and the US Senate. This was an opportunity to find out about the legislative processes at work in the USA.

Sunday saw the opportunity to visit the Holocaust Museum which was a phenomenally moving experience, as well as ascend the Washington Monument, from which there were breath-taking views.

Following this a group of students visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the FDR Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. This was an opportunity to see the importance successive US governments have attached to their war dead and to their political leaders.

The students then had an exciting visit to the US Supreme Court where they found out about the highest US court in the land and how important it is in interpreting laws.

In New York the students had a superb visit to the United Nations where they visited the General Assembly as well as hearing about the differing agencies involved and the Millennium Goals.

The group had a range of Economics visits and had time for sightseeing and shopping. Quotes from the trip included:

“This has been a really amazing trip. I have enjoyed every minute.”

“The trip was incredible.”

“After this trip I can’t wait to go back and visit Washington DC and New York again – it has been brilliant.”

Many thanks go to Miss Stewart (Spanish) and Dr. Rushton for accompanying the trip with Mr Gallacher.

This year was another exciting election and the first school mock election since the formation nationally of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.

In a high turnout the result was as follows:

Behjat Ansari	Liberal Democrat	61 votes
Kate Birkbeck	Labour	96 votes
Isobel Daggitt	Socialist Workers	38 votes
Imogen Vessey	Conservative	119 votes
Milly Wickson	Green	81 votes

Imogen Vessey was, therefore, elected. Thanks go to the five Year 12 Politics students who stood and to the Year 13 Politics students who helped administer the election and count the votes on Open Evening.