Children in Year 5 welcomed MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena to school on Friday 20th May for a question and answer session about democracy and his role as a Member of Parliament.

To support their topic this term, which focuses on the Ancient Greek civilisation, children in year 5 held a question and answer session in the school hall with MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena.

Questions from children were varied and well considered. Many wanted to know what it is like working in the Houses of Parliament, whether he has met the Prime Minister and what activities fill Mr Jayawardena's day when he is working in his constituency. Mr Jayawardena has indeed met Mr Cameron, both formally and informally. He also explained that the Houses of Parliament can be a very busy place to work and speaking in the House of Commons can be very stressful and requires lots of concentration. Some children were looking for answers to more politically challenging questions, like whether we should remain in the European Union and what aspects of his constituency Mr Jayawardena wanted to improve. These included better living standards for some parts of the community, making our communities sustainable for the future and providing Internet access for all.

Mr Jayawardena was formerly a pupil at Hook Junior School before continuing to be educated locally at Robert May's School and Alton College. Visiting school was full of fond memories and even one or two staff who remember Ranil as a pupil. This connection with school also helped children understand that any one of them has the potential to achieve highly and was illustrated by a show of hands at the end of the visit by many children who, having listened to all that Mr Jayawardena said, thought they may like to pursue a political career when they leave school.