James Wild has been Conservative MP for North West Norfolk since 2019 and is currently Shadow Exchequer Secretary, having previously been Shadow Minister for Education.

He spent the morning at St Clement’s High School, where he received a guided tour from our Headteacher, Nigel Willingham, before joining the School Council at its first meeting of the year to speak to some of his young constituents.

The 15 Council Members consist of three representatives from each year at our school, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“Mr Wild did a Q&A with the students,” said Abby Morton, who is Head of Citizenship at St Clement’s and organised the visit.

“They asked a series of pre-prepared questions which they came up with together, as well as asking their peers in their year groups if they had questions they wished to put forward.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed visiting St Clement’s High School for UK Parliament Week and engaging with the students, whose thoughtful questions on issues such as climate change and the role of MPS reflected a strong interest in how politics shapes their lives,” said Mr Wild.

“The school’s emphasis on the arts and its vibrant extracurricular programme, including many trips abroad, is a fantastic way of bringing classroom learning to life, and demonstrates the staff’s commitment to providing a well-rounded and inspiring education.”

Launched in 2011, UK Parliament Week is an annual event organised by the House of Commons and House of Lords in collaboration with organisations around the country, including schools, charities, museums and community groups, with 1.6 million people taking part last year.

“When I signed up for Parliament Week with the Parliament Education Service, they asked if they could contact the local MP,” continued Mrs Morton.

“We also run a whole-school competition each year. This year, they have been asked to choose which value in democracy is most important and why – Rule of Law, Rights, Responsibilities, Freedoms, and Equality. They could create a poster, do a piece of writing, create a powerpoint, or whatever they like.”

It was the second time that Mr Wild had paid a visit to St Clement’s, which participates in Parliament Week every year.

“As Head of Citizenship and Lead on the School Council, I seek to promote the importance of citizenship and the themes that we study throughout the school community,” added Mrs Morton.

“Events like this help students to understand the importance of being active citizens in a democracy.”