In photos: first for Burgess Hill Girls as teacher becomes Gold Parliament Teacher Ambassador

Dionne Flatman, the school’s head of economics, politics and business, is the first teacher in the school’s history to apply for the programme.

The UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme, which was created in 2006, aims to give teachers a solid grounding in how democracy and parliament work so they can then pass this knowledge on to their communities.

Dionne, who attended three-day training programme in January, said: “I have always been fascinated by politics. It was an incredible opportunity to spend three days immersed in the UK Parliament and it really helped me understand how it all works.”

The immersive training experience is at the Houses of Parliament. Applicants then pass their learning on to their community, which gives them either bronze, silver or gold Ambassador accreditation.

During the programme Dionne sat in on debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords and took tours of both Houses of Parliament including the Supreme Court and media suite. She also met with politicians including Mid-Sussex MP Mims Davies, ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his counterpart in the House of Lords, Lord McFall of Alcuith.

Burgess Hill Girls said that Dionne’s initiatives to spread her learning included: delivering an interactive assembly to the Prep School; arranging a visit from Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies; organising a Democracy Day for Year 8; hosting a Speech Writing and Debating Workshop for Year 10; encouraging the wider community to take part in a Select Committee ‘call for evidence’; and holding a Mock General Election.

Dionne was awarded the top accreditation as a Gold Ambassador and her initiatives are now part of Burgess Hill Girls’ ongoing curriculum.

Burgess Hill Girls Head Lars Fox said: “I am immensely grateful to Dionne for all her hard work in putting together such a comprehensive and enlightening programme of events. We will continue to educate our school community on the UK parliament and democracy, and I wholeheartedly encourage other schools and groups to invite Dionne to visit and share her knowledge.”