Gorsey Bank Primary School pupils took part in Parliament Week whilst taking part in lots of activities lead by some of our guests.
UK Parliament Week is a week-long national programme that aims to get the public to engage with the country’s democratic systems and institutions. As part of UK Parliament Week, people are encouraged to organise events and activities in collaboration with other members of their community.
As part of UK Parliament Week, the children discussed our British Values. We talked about democracy and having the right to vote. We discussed ways in which we have our voices heard and have a democratic vote at Gorsey Bank. As part of this process, we conducted our class councils ahead of the Gorsey Commons meeting. All of the children were able to volunteer suggestions that have been sent for debate at this term’s meet.
UK Parliament Week was an opportunity for the pupils to really immerse themselves in the idea of what parliament/government is and what they can do for us. Each class then conducted their own debate thinking about articulating themselves clearly and using specific vocabulary to argue their points. The children all had a turn at speaking and some children even acted as the chair of the debate!
Miss Ashworth, Our Year six class teacher said “In line with our Trust vision for rhetoric and Oracy, at Gorsey Bank we ensure that every child has the opportunity to develop their voice and learn how to articulate themselves effectively. The skill of communication is invaluable and as a school we are so proud of the ability that our children have to do this well. The children participate in weekly speaking sessions where they are either discussing ‘hot topics’ or sharing their own ideas in the context of Pupil Parliament groups. For UK Parliament Week 2023, throughout school we focused on the skills required for debating. Each year group conducted their own debates – just like in Parliament! They used formal language and sentence starters to introduce and rebut ideas. This opportunity allowed the children to practise articulating their own ideas and respectfully challenge the ideas of others – skills that will prepare the children for the outside world”.
