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21st November 2025 – Year 6 pupils at Littlegarth School held their MP to account this week, putting Sir Bernard Jenkin through his paces with challenging questions on issues which affect young people in the local area as part of UK Parliament Week.
The students didn’t hold back in their own version of ‘Any Questions’, with Sir Bernard taking to the Despatch Box to field queries ranging from local environmental issues to children’s mental health in a lively session that brought Westminster-style democracy to their Nayland classroom.
Among the questions posed to the North Essex MP were:
“How will you improve support for young people with mental health problems?” from Francis, age 11.
Arabella wanted to know “Are there going to be any policies to stop the growing trend of young vapers?”
And Sonny challenged the MP with “What are the government going to do about sewage being dumped into our local rivers?”
Kathy Uttley, Head, commented, “Our Year 6 pupils loved having Sir Bernard visit and having the chance to ask him about things that matter to them and their local area. Perhaps a visit such as this may inspire some of them to pursue a career in Parliament one day.”
The school is marking UK Parliament Week with a range of activities designed to give pupils hands-on experience of British democracy, including e.g. mock elections with ballot papers, the Big UKPW quiz, and a live link call to the House of Lords.
UK Parliament Week, which runs annually in November, is a nationwide event encouraging people of all ages to learn more about how Parliament works and how they can get involved in democracy.
Littlegarth School falls within Sir Bernard Jenkin’s Harwich and North Essex constituency, with the boundary following the River Stour close to the school grounds. Within his constituency there are over 7,300 primary aged pupils attending 44 schools. According to Government statics, 61% of pupils in the constituency meet expected standards at Key Stage 2, by comparison at Littlegarth this rises to 92%**.
About UK Parliament Week
UK Parliament Week is an annual festival that engages people from across the UK with Parliament and encourages them to get involved in shaping the decisions that matter to them. More information at www.ukparliamentweek.org
About Littlegarth School
Littlegarth School is an independent preparatory school in Nayland, Colchester, founded in 1940. It is a Charitable Trust, reinvesting all funds back into the school, ensuring ongoing improvements and development for the benefit of students. The school provides education from ages 2 to 11 years.
References
*Overall performance at end of key stage 2 in 2024 – all pupils for Harwich and North Essex
**Based on national standardised scores and teacher assessments
