Pupils and staff from Hillside Primary school and Nursery in Ipswich had an inspiring visit from the Conservative member of parliament for Ipswich, Tom Hunt.

The school, which is part of The Active Learning Trust welcomed Tom, who represents over 100,000 people, to speak to pupils last week. The MP gave an engaging talk about his job as a member of parliament and the ethos of public service, community and responsibility. 

Tom shared information about his role and responsibilities as an MP and his experiences of meeting the Prime Minister and members of the Royal family. He also talked about his hobbies and passions. Pupils were delighted to learn that Tom is a big football fan!

Hillside Primary’s School Council team had an engaging conversation with Tom about citizenship and impressed the MP with their ideas for how the school could spread kindness throughout Ipswich. 

The visit created a buzz around the school, which has a strong culture of upholding and promoting an understanding of British Values. Pupils are taught about democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. 

Tom said, “It was lovely to visit Hillside Primary School. The pupils were really engaged and asked me some brilliant questions about my job. I was particularly impressed with the School Council’s ideas for spreading kindness throughout our city!’.  

Lucy Wass, Headteacher of Hillside Primary said: “We are very grateful to Tom Hunt MP for taking the time to visit our school today. It has really helped the children learn more about the role of being an MP and has given them a great opportunity to share their ideas directly with a member of parliament.”

The Active Learning Trust’s CEO, Lynsey Holzer echoed her thanks: “This visit has been a wonderful opportunity for the pupils at Hillside to meet their local MP as part of their wider learning about democracy and has given them a really interesting first-hand insight into the life of an MP. I would like to join the school in thanking Tom for his time today”. 

No doubt, an inspiring day for the pupils of Hillside Primary.