In the final week before the half-term break, a group of 28 Year 12 criminology and sociology A-level pupils travelled to London on a day-trip where they visited The Old Bailey and The London Dungeon.
In the morning of Tuesday 23 May, the pupils experienced what it was like to be at the Central Criminal Court, The Old Bailey, where they were able to sit in on some key cases such as a murder trial, a heist and a multi-million-pound drug bust. Year 12 sociology student, Izzy Young, said: 'It was a really interesting murder case. There were lots of twists and turns and it was fascinating to see how the defence barristers used various questioning techniques.'
Within the criminology Level 3 Diploma, which many of the pupils are currently studying, it is necessary that they get some ‘real life’ courtroom experience. Teachers on the trip were Ms Magee, who led the trip, and Mr Heaney, who also has a degree in Law. Speaking about the courtroom experience, Mr Heaney explained: 'The whole court process, including the wigs and the gowns, have the goal of intimidating criminals. It gives the process an air of authority but for someone looking in from the outside, it’s also very interesting to watch.'
After a morning in court, the pupils were able to wind down by visiting The London Dungeon. While it is primarily an entertainment venue, The London Dungeon accurately portrays the history of crime and punishment in the capital city, as well as other key events such as the outbreak of The Plague and The Great Fire.
Deep in the Dungeon, some of the jump scares caused havoc amongst the pupils. Sociology and criminology pupil, Grace Weedon, said: 'I loved The Dungeon but I didn’t think it would be so scary! I almost fell off my chair when Jack The Ripper jumped out on us.'
