Former student turned MP visits Catholic sixth form college

A Catholic sixth form college last week welcomed a visit from a former student turned Member of Parliament.

David Baines studied at Carmel College in Merseyside during the 1990s and went on to work as a teacher, councillor and leader of St Helens Borough Council before being elected as MP for the St Helens North constituency in 2024.  

During his 17 October visit to the Archdiocese of Liverpool college he caught up with staff members to discuss educational issues and local opportunities. On a previous occasion he joined a class of politics students where they grilled him on topics such as life in Parliament and the challenges of representing the local community.  

Janet Gater, Principal of Carmel College, said: “David loved seeing how much the college has grown and changed since his time here.  

“It’s always inspiring to see one of our alumni making a difference and staying connected to where it all began.”

The CES has produced an online tool allowing schools to easily find their local MP and automatically generate a letter inviting them to visit.

Find out more about Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Liverpool