Schools: competition prize day!

Last month we welcomed our 2016 Key Stage Three Schools competition winner to Westminster…

Slightly later than we hoped, thanks to this year’s snap election, the HPT welcomed our KS3 competition winner, Layla Barwell, and her family to Parliament. Layla attends Dartford Grammar School for girls, and was 13 when she wrote her excellent competition entry.

We asked students to write newspaper reports on either the Reformation or the 1832 Reform Act (you can find out more here). Both competitions were based on our specially-developed resources for KS3 schools, which you can find here.

Layla chose to write a newspaper piece attacking the 1832 Act, with the headline: ‘The Reform Bill could lead to the Downfall of the British Empire’.  The judges, who included HPT staff members and members of our Trustees, felt that she was the clear winner despite a very high standard of entries. They noted that Layla ‘has clearly really thought about how one might present an argument against change in the best possible light. It’s well written and full of context.’ (On meeting Layla, we were assured that she did not in fact want to repeal the Reform Act, but saw it as a good challenge to write against the bill…!)

Layla and her family arrived for a tour of the Palace of Westminster, kindly arranged by Parliament’s Education Service.

We then moved to Speaker’s House for Layla’s prize giving, presented by the Speaker, John Bercow, and our Chair of Trustees, Gordon Marsden MP. Layla also received a book token worth £75.

It was lovely to meet Layla and her family, although sadly her history teacher was unable to join us as he was away on a school trip.

This year we have decided to review our education materials, so we are not holding a KS3 competition. If you have any suggestions for our review, please do get in touch. We are however running our A Level essay competition as normal. The prize will be awarded for the best essay on a subject of the candidate’s own choice related to the parliamentary or political history of Britain and Ireland. Students should be under 19, and the closing date is 29 September (full details are available here).

Many congratulations again to Layla and best of luck to this year’s competition entrants!

EP