Sheffield headteacher selected to attend Houses of Parliament course

Jennie Nixon, headteacher at Whiteways Primary School, in Fir Vale, will take part in the Teachers Institute at the Houses of Parliament.

Since its launch in 2006, the Teacher Institute has trained more than 700 teachers and given them a detailed understanding of how the House of Commons and Lords work.

Mrs Nixon was selected from more than 170 applicants to attend the three-day course later this month, which will see her question the House of Commons speaker and the Lord speaker and hear from people involved in all political parties about their work.

Gill Furniss, MP for Hillsborough and Brightside, said: “I am delighted that Jennie Nixon, a teacher from my constituency, has been selected as a UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador.

"Teachers have so many opportunities to engage young people with Parliament and democracy, and I am sure that the students in Whiteways Primary School will benefit from Jennie’s experience at Teachers’ Institute.”

Mrs Nixon will become a UK Parliament Teacher Ambassadors and go on to teach children and other education professionals about democracy and the Houses of Parliament.

John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, said the initiative provides an 'invaluable service'.

He added: "Better engagement and dialogue with young people is of fundamental importance to our democracy, and I am sure that the UK Parliament Teacher Ambassadors attending Teachers’ Institute will find the experience both useful and enlightening.”