Lord impressed by Southam College pupils

Richard Faulkner, who was appointed to the House of Lords as Lord of Worcester in 1999, spent time with GCSE pupils and sixth formers for a morning last Friday.

Issues the teenagers discussed with the Lord, whose past responsibilites have included transport and climate change, included HS2 and other topical matters, while they also asked him about the running of the House of Lords.

Deputy headteacher Caroline Bradburn said: “The students engaged well, asking probing questions, both current and ongoing. He responded well to a series of passionate questions regarding HS2 in the local area recognising that ‘people in the room are directly affected’ and gave examples of positive impacts that the project would have in the region.”

Ms Bradburn said that Lord Faulkner, who is now a member of the panel on the House of Lords who act as deputy chairmen of committees, said he was impressed by the school, describing the pupils as “friendly, polite and perceptive”.

She added: “When asked how Southam compared to other schools he had visited, he said it was ‘in the top quarter’ in terms of student maturity, quality of work and the facilities provided.

“From the students’ perspective, the session was enlightening and a sense of mutual respect was apparent.

“The visit helped to inspire pupils to connect with regional and national politics and now it wouldn’t be hard to imagine, in 20 years’ time, one of them leading a similar discussion.”