Child MPs Sworn In

SAINT Pierre School welcomed the Mayor and Children’s Parliament leaders for a special ceremony on Thursday 24 September.
Saint Pierre School in Leigh, the founding school of the Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament UK, formally swore in its new Child MPs during a special ceremony at the school.
The children were sworn in by the Mayor, joined by members of the Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament UK team, including Founding Patron Anna Firth, the former Member of Parliament for Southend West and Leigh.
The ceremony marked another important chapter in a project founded through the partnership of the late Sir David Amess MP, Richard Hillgrove and Saint Pierre School. Their shared aim is to introduce primary-aged children to democracy, public service and respectful debate, giving young people a meaningful voice on the issues affecting their lives and communities.
Saint Pierre’s former headteacher, Peter Spencer-Lane, became the project’s first Headteacher Champion and helped establish the school at the heart of the Children’s Parliament before his retirement.
The project’s original parliamentary partnership matched Sir David Amess with Saint Pierre pupil Lola Hillgrove as his Child MP. Lola was joined by her fellow Child MP, Eva Bancroft, helping to create the model upon which the wider national initiative has since been built.
In February 2022, Sir David’s eldest daughter, Katie Amess, visited Lola and Eva at Saint Pierre School to recognise their involvement and support the continuation of her father’s democratic legacy.
Kurt Davies, owner of Saint Pierre in Leigh, the founding school of the Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament UK, said: “Saint Pierre is where this extraordinary project began.
“Sir David believed passionately that children should understand democracy from an early age and know that their voices matter.
“Lola Hillgrove and Eva Bancroft helped bring that vision to life as the original Child MPs. The swearing-in of a new generation at Saint Pierre shows that Sir David’s legacy is not simply being remembered-it is continuing to grow.”
Founding Patron Anna Firth said: “It is particularly meaningful to welcome Saint Pierre’s new Child MPs at the school where Sir David’s vision first took shape.
“This ceremony will give the children a memorable introduction to democracy, responsibility and public service, while showing them that they are never too young to make a positive difference.”
The Saint Pierre ceremony comes ahead of the national Sir David Amess Children’s Parliament gathering at the House of Commons on 15 October 2026 – the fifth anniversary of Sir David’s death – where 100 elected Child MPs aged seven to 11 from across the United Kingdom are due to lead a debate on disability rights.
The Children’s Parliament seeks to create a democratic on-ramp for primary-aged pupils, helping children understand how Parliament works while developing their confidence, listening skills and ability to debate important issues respectfully.
For Saint Pierre School, the swearing-in celebrates both its historic place in the project and the children who will now carry its founding legacy forward.
Picture: Anna Firth swearing the new child MPs in.
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