STUDENTS at John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye put their political knowledge to the test when local MP Jesse Norman visited for a question-and-answer session.

The Hereford and South Herefordshire MP returned to the school last week, spending an hour discussing current affairs, democracy and international politics with pupils studying politics and history.

The session brought together Year 12 politics students, Year 13 history students and Year 11 pupils considering their future studies.

The school's new politics A-level course was introduced by teacher Tom Hotchkiss, who organised the opportunity for students to question their local parliamentary representative.

Mr Norman began with a ten-minute introduction before opening the floor to questions covering a wide range of political and social issues.

Students questioned him about his responsibilities as an MP, his previous ministerial roles and developments at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), the Hereford university he helped establish and now chairs.

International affairs also featured prominently, with questions concerning the US-Iran war, Israel and Gaza, alongside discussions about gender identity, environmental policy and climate change.

Pupils also explored broader political themes, including the differences between democracy and autocracy, the role of political parties, representative government and the use of referendums.

Following the visit, Mr Norman praised the students for their enthusiasm and understanding of complex political subjects.

He said: "John Kyrle is a phenomenal school, and their students always ask brilliant questions. But to be quizzed so thoughtfully by students who have only been studying politics for a month is deeply impressive."

He added that the history students and younger pupils had been equally impressive throughout the discussion.

Mr Norman also thanked Mr Hotchkiss and the school's teaching staff for organising the session, praising their commitment to encouraging young people to engage with politics and public affairs.