Chilton Primary children have been invited to the Houses of Parliament by East Thanet MP Polly Billington who was impressed by them during a fact finding visit to the school.

Junior Leadership Team members were keen to meet Ms Billington who was elected to the constituency at last year’s General Election and they asked their guest probing questions about the day in the life of an MP and her reasons for wanting to become a member of parliament.

She gave the Chilton young leaders some invaluable advice for becoming successful campaigners and then welcomed them to see the Palace of Westminster later this year.

The MP said: “It was fantastic to be at Chilton Primary and to meet their impressive Junior Leadership Team. We know that young people like Dixie, Seth, Ruby, and Xanthe thrive when they are given the opportunity to make their voices heard, so it was really inspiring to see the support Chilton is giving to all their pupils to learn from each other, be decision-makers, and engage with the issues facing our community in Thanet.”

Xanthe spoke for the JKT and said: “Ms Billington was so kind and friendly. It was fascinating to hear about what drove her to want to be an MP and what her daily life is like. She really inspired us with ideas for how we can achieve our goals in school.”

The MP also joined Head of School Alex McAuley, his deputy Hannah Cheshire and Executive Head Teacher Michaela Lewis of the Viking Academy Trust – which includes Chilton –for a guided tour of the campus.

She spent time speaking with children, seeing some of their amazing work and experiencing all that Chilton has to offer.

Mr McAuley said: “It was a privilege to welcome Polly Billington MP to Chilton Primary and not only showcase the great work that happens here, but also have her further inspire our children to impact positively on our community.”

Miss Lewis said: “This was a great opportunity for the leaders at Chilton to show our local MP the school's fantastic offer, as well as share with her our short- and long-term goals and how she can support us with projects we are passionate about.

“Our Trust schools are keen to present the importance of democracy and how it works to all our children throughout the school year. Ms Billington’s visit and the time she spent being interested in our pupils demonstrated her love of democracy and underpinned its importance for our children.

“Chilton’s pupils were perfect ambassadors during the visit and we are proud that Ms Billington enjoyed their company and was impressed with her time enjoying seeing Chilton in action.”

Chilton Primary is part of the Viking Academy Trust with partner schools Ramsgate Arts Primary and Upton Junior.

*For more information contact Head of School Alex McAuley on 01843 597695.