The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that Stoneraise school is over 300 miles from London; that it is very expensive for schools in Cumbria to take their children on a residential to our capital city; further that the Government provides funding through the pupil premium and to local authorities which can help schools plan education visits but that currently only a small proportion of pupils have the resources to be able to visit Parliament each year; further notes a petition started by Stoneraise school in Cumbria, which 155 pupils and teachers have signed, supports more Government assistance to enable them and school children across the UK to visit Parliament.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to ensure transport, accommodation and food provision for every child to be able to visit Parliament during their time in school so that all children can see how Parliament works for us.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Markus Campbell-Savours, Official Report, 16 July 2025; Vol. 771, c. 390.]
[P003097]
Observations from the Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell):
The Government are committed to our mission to provide a world-class education for all children, so that opportunity belongs to all. Learning about how the United Kingdom is governed, its political system and how citizens participate actively in its democratic systems of government should be an important part of every child’s education. The citizenship curriculum ensures all young people are taught about our democracy, voting and the rule of law, supporting children to become engaged, active citizens.
Schools will receive over £65 billion in core funding this year. This is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure; schools use their budgets to pay for core curriculum and enrichment activities which can include using their funding to pay for school visits, including visits to Parliament.
Small schools in rural areas benefit in their budgets from sparsity funding of up to £83,400. This recognises the particular financial challenges these schools face including longer travel distances and the need to travel to access opportunities.
Some schools may be able to access support due to this sparsity factor funding; however, even for those not able to access this support, we would encourage all schools to consider local opportunities to engage children in government and politics—for example, trips to see local government or making connections with their local MP or councillors.