Alsop High receives special visit from Bank of England Governor Mark Carney

A Liverpool secondary school received a special visit from Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England recently.

The visit to Alsop High School was arranged through the Speakers for Schools Programme and provided a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the workings of the Bank of England and the British economy.

Mark was welcomed to Alsop by head boy, Luke Hogan and head girl, Alex Birkett, and after a tour of the school, Alsop students led an assembly about social justice.

During the assembly students spoke about how the wealth of the UK is not shared fairly and the poverty faced by the increasing numbers of people who are using The Trussell Trust. They also spoke about the “Common Good Schools” pilot at Alsop, developed in partnership with Together for the Common Good.

Students told Mark they wanted to see an economy that benefits everyone, not just the privileged few. They reaffirmed their belief that they can help create a new human economy to foster a better and fairer society.

The assembly ended with a rendition of “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”, performed by the pupils of St Mary’s CE School in West Derby.

Headteacher Mr Mangan said: “This was an amazing day. It was an honour and privilege to host Mark Carney. He was a great inspiration to Alsop students. His engaging, motivational speech is something Alsop students will remember for the rest of their lives.

“We are delighted that out of the 125 students who progressed onto higher education, several are studying business and finance related degrees. Who knows one day an Alsopian may be working for the Bank of England!”

At the end of the worship, Mark told the students that he was educated in a similar school to Alsop in the Canadian Arctic region. He developed an interest in economics, working in the private sector, before moving to the public sector and then becoming Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2008 and then Governor of the Bank of England in 2013.

He advised the students to “Think about what you really like and what interests you, because if you like what you do you’ll be more successful.” He added, “Even economists have passions and life happens when you’re busy making plans.”