Eastbury Community School was, yesterday, awarded The Parliament Week of the Year Award for 2019.

UK Parliament Week took place from Monday 12 November and is an annual festival that engages people from across the UK with Parliament. 

During the week, the Politics Department at the school facilitated the following activities and all 1800 students and over 200 staff were invited to participate:

• Mock Teacher Election –Teacher candidates created their own manifesto and campaigned for everyone to vote. Year 13 students then counted the votes and compiled a detailed analysis on voter turnout in lesson. Factors that affected turnout included: students may not have voted as they were in the canteen queues for lunch, some students may have been in break time detention, and staff may not have voted as they might have been on break duty or be planning their lessons.
• An Equali-Tea Fundraising stall – sixth form students raised funds to provide more activities to help close the gap between young people and politics. 
• The #VOTE100 fingerprint mural stall – Students and staff came along and put their fingerprints on our Parliament mural. Each fingerprint represented a vote. 
• Model UN Oxford Global Debate Conference – The Year 11 Senior Prefect team and three year 12 students attended a residential Model UN global debate conference trip at Oxford University. For the Oxford Global Conference, students had regular meetings to plan and discuss their research on key topics such as Preventing Sexual Violence and Governance of the Internet.

All activities were student led, leading on communication and supervising the daily stalls. They engaged with all staff and students and used their ‘politician’ voices to promote the week.

The Politics Department applied for the award in January and, last night, two students and their teachers attended the awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament to receive the award. 

David Dickson, Executive Head Teacher of Eastbury Community School said: “It is important that we prepare our pupils for life in modern Britain and that they have clear understanding of democracy, actively take part in elections, and respect different beliefs and points of view. 

“I am thrilled that the hard work of pupils and staff has resulted in a greater awareness of Parliament in the school and has been recognised by this prestigious award.”

Fahad Mohammed, a Year 12 Politics student said: “We participated in Parliament Week simply to demonstrate that politics is more than a subject, but a vital component in everyone’s life that affects everyone every day.  Receiving this award has been great recognition for us, as young politicians, and has helped boost our self-esteem to continue educating people and emphasising that every vote counts. We will continue to make a difference because as Gary Low says ‘this is your world; shape it or someone else will’.” 

Stephanie Harrison, also a Year 12 Politics student, commented on the experience: “Parliament Week was a great opportunity to involve our school as a community and get them involved in politics. In the current political climate, engagement in politics is becoming not only a want but a need and Parliament Week was a step towards that. It really was wonderful to have the entirety of the school vote, learn and create on a political platform increasing young adult engagement. Parliament Week allowed our community a voice and will undoubtedly aspire more to speak up. Politics is our past, present and future.” 

Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement said: “I’m delighted that Eastbury Community School have received this award after their wonderful efforts during Parliament Week last year.

“It is incredibly important to engage young people in politics so that they are keen to get involved in the democratic process for years to come.

“I sincerely hope that the students at Eastbury have developed a taste for politics, and that they enjoy their forthcoming trip to the Houses of Parliament.”