The Student Council at Fairfield High School (FHS) were recently given an inside look into the world of politics when Lord Rooker visited.

Students had a fascinating and honest discussion with Lord Rooker and his visit undoubtedly changed some young minds about the House of Lords and what really goes on behind those closed doors.

During his 90 minutes at FHS, Lord Rooker explained the differences between House of Commons and House of Lords, what the House of Lords consists of and how people gain their place, the ratio of males/females and the process by which acts are passed through Parliament.

The students were interested, in particular, to learn about the varied careers (many still active) of the House of Lords members, to include: film crime writers, Hollywood related roles, nurses, ship owners, artists, presenters, lawyers and journalists.

The students then had an opportunity to put Lord Rooker on the spot as they posed their own questions, demonstrating thought and integrity.

Examples included “If you could change one thing in your political career, would what it be and why?” And “In an ideal world, what would you do to overturn the losing battle over climate change?”.

Lord Rooker has had a remarkable and impressive political career. In the early 1970s he became a Labour MP and quickly moved up through the ranks, working in the areas of agriculture, social security and immigration, before entering the next phase of his life – the House of Lords.

Rose Hooke, Achievement Co-ordinator and English Teacher at FHS explained:

“We were really excited to welcome Lord Rooker to Fairfield to delve into politics that little bit deeper. Our Student Council are a charming and enquiring group of students who thoroughly enjoyed learning from Lord Rooker’s expertise and life experiences. One of our students Alice, is already a member of the Youth City Council so this was a big day for her in particular. We would like to thank Lord Rooker for taking the time to visit us and, in doing so, help shape the future careers of the next generation.”

Lord Rooker’s visit was arranged through the Lord Speaker’s “Peers in Schools” outreach programme, which was launched in September 2007. Members of the House of Lords have since visited over 2,000 schools across the country and spoken to around 100,000 pupils in support of the citizenship curriculum.

Fairfield High School is situated in Horfield, BS7. To find out more please visit:

http://www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk/page/default.asp?title=Home&pid=1