Cabinet meeting with a difference at 10 Downing Street
There was a Cabinet meeting with a difference this week at 10 Downing Street – as Ponteland students took the place of Ministers sitting around the famous table.
Thirty lucky pupils from Ponteland High School were chosen for the special visit to the heart of Government as part of the Lessons at 10 programme.
They included students who have stood as candidates in the Northumberland Youth Elections, taken part in the European Youth Parliament project and contributed to a wide range of extracurricular opportunities in school.
During the visit, the group toured the historic State Rooms where they were able to sit in chairs used by Prime Ministers and visiting world leaders over many years. They also took part in a discussion in the Cabinet Room itself – the room where government ministers meet each week – and even managed to spot Larry the Downing Street cat along the way.
Another highlight was meeting Ponteland High School alumnus Ger Ellis, who now works as part of the Prime Minister's team and helps prepare him each week for Prime Minister's Questions. It was particularly good for students to hear first-hand about the route Ger had taken from Ponteland into a role at the heart of government.
There was also time on the walk back to the station to take in Horse Guards Parade and Trafalgar Square.
Deputy Headteacher Jonny Greenshields, who led the one-day visit, said: “This was really about recognising everything these students have put into school life over the past year and giving them an opportunity they are unlikely to forget.
“Being inside a building that has been at the centre of so many significant moments in our country's history was a remarkable experience. Our students were interested, engaged and full of questions throughout the day, and represented the school brilliantly.
“It was also a long day, involving a 6am train and a very busy London transport system, and they handled all of that with real maturity. It was absolutely worth the early start.”