Sixth Form Question Time
Tuesday 10th February 2026, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Join us for our annual Sixth Form Question Time, an exciting opportunity for students to debate with distinguished speakers and have their voices heard in the heart of parliament square.
Held in St Margaret’s Church, known as “the parish church of the House of Commons”, this event invites students to pose questions to a panel of politicians, public servants, activists and faith leaders, centring on the issues that are of most concern to them.
We hope the conversations sparked in this historic setting will inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers.
Panellists
Participating schools will be invited to submit questions in advance, so that students can carefully consider what they would like to ask our specific panellists.
Father Patrick Moriarty (Chair)
Patrick is a priest in the Church of England, and Rector of the Parish of Harpenden. This role follows a 35-year career in education - first as a teacher of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics and culminating with 10 years as Headteacher at JCoSS, the UK’s only pluralist Jewish Secondary School. Alongside full-time parish work he also works as a consultant, helping to develop and build future educational leaders, and as Governor and Trustee of a number of schools and social action charities in the fields of religion and wellbeing. He is a regular contributor to BBC Radio2’s Pause for Thought, a trained Spiritual Director and a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
The Rev’d Dr Mariama Ifode-Blease
Mariama is a priest and researcher in women’s football. Until recently, Mariama was the Safeguarding and Welfare Oversight Lead for the England Women’s Teams at the Football Association, and combined this with her ministerial roles. She is Associate Priest at St James’s Piccadilly and a Priest Vicar at Westminster Abbey, with responsibility for deputising for the Chaplain to the Speaker in Parliament. Mariama is also Chaplain to the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps), founded in 1907, an all-female voluntary organisation affiliated with the British Army. Mariama has over 20 years’ experience specialising in organisational and strategic leadership, and, in addition to sport, has worked in the education and charity sectors.
George Parker
George Parker has been the Political Editor of the Financial Times since 2007 and is one of the longest-serving correspondents at Westminster. He has covered stories ranging from the financial crash, Brexit, Covid and the death of the Queen. Previously he was the FT's bureau chief in Brussels, covering EU affairs. George grew up on a farm in Devon and started his career on his local paper, the Western Morning News. He is a frequent broadcaster: he presents Radio 4's Week in Westminster. He is also a regular presenter of the FT's podcast Political Fix. He lives in Kew and is a supporter of Crystal Palace FC and Somerset cricket club.
Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard
Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard is London’s Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice. She leads the Mayor’s work on supporting Londoners through the rising cost of living, championing the city’s diverse voluntary, community, and faith sectors, and ensuring support for those seeking safety and sanctuary in the city from outside the UK. Debbie chairs the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, London’s Strategic Migration Panel, and sits on the London Policing Board. Debbie is also Chair of migrant and refugee charity Praxis and is a Distinguished Friend of the Migration Museum. She formerly led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s work on poverty and ethnicity and was Head of Research at the Runnymede Trust, focusing education, community cohesion, and criminal justice. Debbie holds a PhD in Psychology and Sociology and serves on the editorial board of the British Journal of Sociology of Education.
Munira Wilson MP
Munira Wilson is the MP for Twickenham and the Liberal Democrats’ Spokesperson on Education, Children and Families. After a decade working for health and children’s charities, the NHS and global science companies, she was elected to Parliament in 2019. She is passionate about ensuring children and young people’s needs are at the heart of government policy. As the Lib Dems’ health spokesperson at the height of the pandemic, she led the party’s national response to coronavirus and has consistently campaigned for increased investment in children’s mental health services. Munira is also a champion for women and girls’ access to sport, and an advocate for more affordable housing.
Key information
Date: Tuesday 10th February 2026, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey
Price: £6 per student
Maximum number of students per school: 15
