As part of this year’s UK Parliament Week, Julia spent time with pupils across the Hornchurch & Upminster constituency to help talk to children about the work of Parliament and encourage young people to engage with the democratic process. 

Her visits began with a visit to Olive AP Academy in Hornchurch ahead of Parliament Week itself, where Julia met Deputy Head Leah McGee and spoke with GCSE Citizenship students about the role Parliament plays in shaping national policy and how young people can make their voices heard.  

The visit offered an opportunity to hear directly from students about their ambitions and the support they receive from the Academy’s specialist team. 

During Parliament Week itself, Julia spent the day visiting four more local schools. 

Her first stop was Scotts Primary School, where staff and pupils had organised their own election for Prime Minister of the School. Julia met the candidates, discussed their manifestos and answered questions from pupils about her role and the democratic process.  

Julia then met Year 6 pupils at Hacton Primary School, who came well-prepared with challenging questions about everything from inflation to the impact of ULEZ on their parents. 

At Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' School, Julia spoke to students about the day-to-day responsibilities of an MP, the role of constituency casework and how Parliament scrutinises the Government. 

The final visit was to Drapers' Brookside in Harold Hill, where Julia discussed the school’s long-standing issues with flooding and the plans now under way to rebuild the site, a project she has worked with the school closely on. 

Students at the school also had the chance to ask their own questions about Parliament, Government and the decisions taken by Members of Parliament. 

UK Parliament Week aims to inspire interest in democracy and encourage young people to engage with the democratic process. 

Pupils across the constituency had the opportunity to participate in many events, with the constituency having one of the most UK Parliament week events in the whole of London. 

Commenting after the visits, Julia said: 

“Parliament Week is a great chance to speak directly with young people about how decisions are made and how they can influence them, as well as being able to talk to them more about what their local MP does!  

“I was struck by the thoughtful questions students asked and the interest they showed in how our democracy works. 

”I’d like to thank the pupils and all the schools for their time last week.”