Latest News

Year 9 Business students enjoyed an exclusive visit to City Hall, the workplace of the Mayor of London, who addresses issues such as housing, regeneration and economic development in the capital.

After passing through airport-style security, the students were met and greeted by our host for the day, Richard. The visit began with a presentation about the roles and responsibilities of Mayor Boris Johnson, the Greater London Authority and London Assembly.

We were then given a tour around the building and observed the giant map of London. This map sports a superb new graphic of London’s boroughs on its atrium floor and we were challenged to locate our own house, our school, City Hall, Wimbledon, Greenwich O2 and other various areas of the city.

Panorama

We then took the lift up to the 9^th floor of the building where the grand meeting room is located, which opens out onto the outside balcony. We stepped out to enjoy a panoramic view of all of London including Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, the Gherkin, the Leadenhall Building and 20 Fenchurch Street. We learned about the history of each building and used the binoculars to spot these landmarks up close and personal.

The group was then led down the nine-floor glass spiral staircase which was an absolute marvel of architecture. Passing down each floor we greeted the hundreds of staff working hard for City Hall. We even had a sneak peek into Boris Johnson’s office located on the 5^th floor!

Political viewpoints

On the bottom floor we visited a room which hosts the London Assembly Mayor’s question time every month. There were no events taking place on this day so we were exclusively able to sit in the centre seats, usually occupied by the assembly members. Inside students discussed an understanding of different political viewpoints and the importance of voting, to give them the confidence to take part in political debates in the future.

Lastly we were led back to the conference room for an interactive presentation about the history of London since the 1600s and the dramatic changes and events it has experienced over the years. 

After saying goodbye to our host we left City Hall and the sun was still shining brightly over the Thames – a fantastic way to end such a great once in a lifetime opportunity for our students.  

Victoria Hearle, House Co-ordinator