My Visit to My Parliament Story of Parliament

The Education Service We are the Education Service and we work here at Parliament with school groups like yours. We teach people about Parliament. Phil is the Education Centre Manager. He looks after the Centre.

Arriving This is the Parliamentary Education Centre. I will come in through the black door in the picture.

Coming into the Education Centre I will go through security. It is safe. All visitors must do this. This happens to keep everyone at Parliament safe.

Security I will put my bag, belt and coat in a box. The box goes through a scanner. I will walk through a doorway which will scan me. After the scanner I collect all my things from the box. Have you ever been to an airport? This happens at airports too.

Setting the alarm off I might set the alarm off! Whoops! Metal sets the alarm off. It does not mean I am in trouble. It means that I will be scanned with another scanner. The Security Officer might ask me if I am wearing any metal.

Wearing a lanyard Everyone who visits Parliament must wear a security pass or ‘lanyard’. I wear it around my neck. If I find the necklace itchy, I can tuck it under my collar. I will keep the pass showing at the front so people know I have been security checked.

Toilets I can go to the toilet before my tour and after my workshop. If I need the toilet at another time, I can tell my adult or teacher who can ask the Education staff.

Discovery Space In the Discovery Space I will watch a film about Parliament. The film will be on all the walls around me. I can sit at the front, in the middle or at the back. It might be dark in the room. If it is too loud I will ask the teacher to turn it down.

Tour After the film, an Education Assistant will show me around the Palace of Westminster. The Education Assistant will tell me their name. Often groups are split in two. Our groups might go to different places. Our groups will be together in the workshop later.

Turnstiles and doors Some doors in Parliament are very old and heavy. I will go through security doors and turnstiles. These keep everyone safe. Education Assistants will open the doors for me. They might look a bit like these.

Rules The rules at Parliament are like the rules at school. Two important rules are to listen carefully and to walk sensibly and quietly. People are allowed to take photographs in the workshop, in St Stephen’s Hall and in Westminster Hall.

Questions If I would like to know something, I can ask a question. I will put my hand up to ask a question like at school. Education Assistants like answering questions about Parliament. They might ask me questions too. If I do not know the answer to a question, I could have a go. Education Assistants will not mind if I am wrong. They like it when people answer questions.

Different people in Parliament Lots of people work to keep Parliament safe. Doorkeepers wear black suits with a special gold buckle on the front. Their job is to make sure people only go into rooms they are allowed in. Some Police Officers at Parliament carry guns. They carry these to keep everyone safe. These would only be used in an emergency. Smile at the Police Officer and they may smile back!

House of Commons and House of Lords MPs, Lords and Baronesses work in these rooms. I might not be allowed inside them because they are working. I might watch from upstairs in the Public Gallery. I can sit down up here. If I go inside the chamber, I must not sit down. Only MPs, Lords and Baronesses are allowed to sit down in these rooms.

Annunciators I will see some TV screens. These are called annunciators. The screens with a red background tell everyone what is happening in the House of Lords. The screens with a green background tell everyone what is happening in the House of Commons.

Annunciator bells A loud bell tells MPs that they need to go and vote. The bell rings twice and is very loud. If I do not like it, I can cover my ears. The bell also rings when the Parliamentary day starts and ends. Does this happen in your school? The annunciator makes a quieter ‘bing’ noise when a different person starts talking in the House of Commons or House of Lords.

Questions Answers Do people who work at Parliament get security checked? People who work at Parliament have a special security check before they can start working there. Why do some people wear plastic passes?People wearing a plastic pass work here. What if I don’t feel well?If you don’t feel well, tell your teacher. They will ask someone who works at Parliament for help. Can I eat here?Your teacher will organise where you will eat on your trip. You won’t eat during your tour and workshop.

Key vocabulary Key VocabularyExplanationSimilar words constituencyThe area where people live. The country is split into 650 constituencies.Area; part; place where people live. election Where people are chosen to do a job. For Parliamentary elections everyone over 18 can vote to choose them. Choosing MPs; voting to choose an MP. Government The government is the group of people in charge of running the country. It is made up of people from the biggest political party in Parliament. People who run the country; the Conservatives (the governing party ). Houses of Parliament This is the name of the building that Parliament meets in.Palace of Westminster; ‘Parliament’. laws Laws tell us what people can and can’t do and what will happen to help the country run. (E.g. Soon people will not be allowed to smoke in cars if there is a person under 18 in the car too. This is to keep people healthy.) Rules. legislateThe process of making a law.Writing laws; making laws. monarchThe monarch is the King or QueenKing; Queen; Queen Elizabeth II; sovereign. MPMP is short for ‘Member of Parliament’. Parliament The place where Members of Parliament and Lords work to make laws and represent you. political party A group of people with the same ideas about how the country could be run the best. Not all political parties have seats in Parliament. Group; team. politicsThe ways people decide how to run a country.Decision making. representMPs speak for the people who live in their constituency.Speaking for. scrutinyTo check and look into the decisions that are made in Parliament.Checking; looking at someone else’s ideas/work.