A Week of Immersion and Inspiration at the House of Commons

Whilst Rachel Reeves MP was delivering her first historic budget in the House of Commons, five of our amazing Future Leaders from Hastings and Bexhill and Swindon got the exclusive opportunity to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of the UK Parliament.  

The House of Commons CPT and SCT Work Experience Week is a unique programme, giving students from under-represented backgrounds the opportunity to spend a week immersed in the world of British politics and discover the many roles that support democracy beyond those of elected MPs. This year marks the sixth year that Villiers Park has participated in the scheme and we are thrilled to continue this impactful collaboration 

Throughout the week, students toured parliament’s historic buildings, joined committee meetings, attended briefings, and learned directly from staff in departments across the House of Commons. And the timing couldn’t have been better as the trip coincided with the release of the Budget 2024, allowing participants to witness Parliament in action during one of the year’s most pivotal moments. They also had the chance to meet the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle in his private quarters, a rare and inspiring opportunity for our students. 

Reflecting on the week, Jess Bond, Villiers Park’s Director of Programmes, remarked: 

"It was incredible to see the transformation in our Future Leaders over the week. From observing committee sessions to asking insightful questions of House staff to then presenting their own thoughts to the team, they fully embraced the opportunity." 

The week culminated in the students delivering presentations they had researched, detailing their thoughts on how the House of Commons could encourage inclusion and reach out to more young people about the career opportunities available.  

• Anjali’s team presented their strategy to increase outreach to schools and universities, using social media to raise awareness of the roles working behind the scenes which don’t involve becoming a politician.  

• Carys and Nazita’s group also presented a strategy to increase awareness of politics in their age group by hosting school discussion sessions, online seminars, school toolkit packs and online tours and webinars.  

When asked about what the most interesting aspect of the House of Commons Work Experience was Fin and Diana shared: 

“Interviewing my hosts and other committee members about their jobs. Asking difficult questions that don’t always have an answer has enabled me to gather the most information about the civil service and those people’s specific roles.” - Fin  

“Being able to speak to a variety of staff that work in the House of Commons has given me an idea of what career paths are available and a feel of a typical working day. Meeting a range of people from different backgrounds has highlighted how diverse and accessible the House of Commons actually is.”  - Diana 

A huge thank you to the Chamber and Participation and Select Committees teams at the House of Commons, especially Robert Middleton and Claire Cozens.