Sociology Trip to The Old Bailey

On Wednesday 2nd July and Friday 4th July, 2025, both Year 12 Sociology classes visited central London for a trip to the Old Bailey, Central Criminal Court. The students were preparing for their transition to the Year 13 criminology unit, looking at the role and stages of the criminal justice system.

The students were able to view The Old Bailey, officially known as the Central Criminal Court, is a significant historical and architectural landmark in London that offers a unique experience for visitors.

The students got to see a working courthouse, and as visitors observed live trials. This provided an intricate and fascinating insight into the legal process. Our students were able to witness, alongside other members of the public, in the public gallery the formality, drama and seriousness of criminal proceedings. It was a chance to observe the formality of a judge and jury and listen to both prosecution and defense in a variety of cases. Due to the nature of cases and timings of the morning 12C were not able to enter the courtroom, but we will re-arrange this visit in the new academic year. 12A were able to attend a number of cases over the day.

The students had a fantastic time and found the experience very valuable, as it put a lot of their studies into a real world setting.

Erin, Year 12, said: “I really didn’t understand how complex the whole process was and so it was good to see an actual case.”

Meanwhile, Bobby, Year 12, told us: “I am hoping to apply for Law at University and so it was excellent to see the role of the judge and jury.”

Thank you to all of the Sociology students, for their excellent conduct on the trip and thank you to the Sociology teachers for leading them on this eye-opening experience.