Last Monday, on March 26th, a group of Year 12 Government & Politics students from Dartford Grammar School for Girls enjoyed an eventful day off school, as they were invited to visit the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.

The trip consisted of a tour of both houses, including information given by a designated tour guide on various other rooms and chambers on previous monarchs, prime ministers and customs.

When questioning the students after the visit, several of them commented particularly upon the safety precautions taken before entering the Houses, as 17-year-old David Adeogun states:

''We were told to expect airport security upon arrival, and that’s exactly what we encountered. Many of us were even pat down searched, having set off the metal detectors for whatever reason. These security measures were maintained even as we were given entrance into the building, with armed security officers patrolling most areas within it.’’

It is no shock that this was the case however, following the sensitive events of the Westminster attack in 2017, leaving four dead - including police officer – and over 20 injured. The incident took place a year after the terror attack on Brussels, which killed 32 people and left 320 injured.

With such incidents posing a huge threat to local residents and commuters in London, it makes sense that these safety precautions are put in place with the sole interest of protecting the public.

Overall, the students seemed to gain a huge deal of transferrable knowledge from the trip, as well as the chance to see Dartford MP, Gareth Johnson’s pigeon hole in Parliament – whom they in fact had met and questioned in class last month. It’s likely that this one will be an experience they won’t forget any time soon.