Tenterfields Hosts MP Alex Ballinger for UK Parliament Week!

28th November 2025

Tenterfields Hosts MP Alex Ballinger for UK Parliament Week!

What a fantastic and insightful morning we had celebrating UK Parliament Week! We were delighted to welcome Alex Ballinger, MP for Halesowen, to Tenterfields Primary Academy today.

Mr Ballinger spent time with our children, sharing his personal journey and explaining how he came to be an elected Member of Parliament. The children were completely engaged and showed their outstanding curiosity by asking brilliant and thoughtful questions, including inquiries about what happens in Parliament over Christmas and what the most rewarding part of his job is.

We were thrilled that Mr Ballinger met with our School Senate Team during his visit!

Our School Senate acts as our student council. They are elected representatives from each class who work to improve the school environment, voice student opinions on important matters (like playground equipment or lunch options), and lead charitable events. Their role is to ensure all pupils have a voice, mirroring the principles of democracy Mr. Ballinger spoke about.

Learning How Laws Are Made

A major highlight was learning about the parliamentary voting process. Mr. Ballinger taught us all about the traditional method of passing votes using the "Ayes" (Yes) and "Nos" (No) system.

We immediately put this new knowledge into practice by holding our very own Tenterfields parliamentary vote! The motion was simple: Should we have swings and monkey bars added to the playground?

The result was surprisingly mixed! Despite the general enthusiasm for new equipment, the vote saw a fascinating mixture of "Ayes" and "Nos." This live, practical exercise was a brilliant way to show the children that democracy is all about debate, listening to different opinions, and respecting the final decision—even when you don't always agree!

Thank you to Mr Ballinger for taking the time to inspire our pupils and bring democracy to life in our school!