Parliament Week and MP Visit at The Raleigh
On 24th November, The Raleigh School had the honour of welcoming our local MP, Zöe Franklin, to the school. Zöe spent time talking to KS2 about her role in an assembly, where her story fascinated everyone who was there to listen. She also announced the winners of her card competition, meaning that all local constituents will receive a Christmas card with a front-cover design created by one of our Raleigh pupils! After that, she was sent on a tour with some of our House Captains before having the opportunity to see the exciting election that we also took part in that day.
At The Raleigh, we wanted to simulate a real-life election that the children could take part in. As a result, the children voted on which new House Tournament they wanted to take part in later this academic year. The options were football, art, chess or spelling bee competition. Some Year 6 children ran campaigns for each option, which involved speaking to everyone in assembly and canvassing on the playground. On election day, the children came in to vote in our very own Raleigh Polling Station! The immersive experience didn’t end there, however, as we were able to create a ‘real’ news report (with help from some parents) on the event, to heighten the excitement even further. We even ran our own exit poll, which gave us the opportunity to teach the children even more about what happens during a general election. In the end, the football tournament won the most votes and so will be hosted in a few months’ time.
The day was a fantastic show of democracy and a valuable chance for children to exercise their right to vote at a young age. Every child in the school was very excited to take part, and it gave our School Councillors and many Year 6 children the opportunity to take on roles of responsibility as they helped run the polling station and various other aspects of the event. A big thank you to all the members of staff who made it possible, and to Zöe Franklin for making the day even more special.