Mock Election 2024
As election fever hit the country, Headington hosted its very own version complete with video messages, hustings and a secret ballot.
Five pupils, each representing one of the political parties fielding candidates in the general election, put themselves forward as candidates in the election.
Ellie (Conservative), Emily (Green), Polly (Labour), Lucy (Liberal Democrat) and Rania (Monster Raving Loony party) each produced a campaign video, which was screened to all pupils, and produced campaign literature which adorned the corridors of the School in the run up to the big day.
They then took to the stage to answer questions of their electorate, the pupil body, on a range of issues at special hustings event hosted by A Level Politics students.
Then it was time for staff and pupils to go to the polls on Thursday 4th July – although unlike the general population, they had just a short period before the school day to cast their vote based on the pupils’ campaigns.
In a turnaround Houghton and Sunderland would be delighted with, the votes were counted in time for the final assembly of the term later that morning.
With more than 400 votes cast across the school community, Emily was duly elected on behalf of the Green Party as the ‘representative’ for Headington School, winning by just 20 votes.
While Headington’s result was not quite reflective of the overall election results which saw Labour gain a large overall majority, Emily’s victory for the Greens came a few hours before the party’s best ever election result, winning four seats in the House of Commons.
Mr Matt Gow, Head of Politics, said: “I was incredibly impressed by the willingness of the pupils to get involved in the whole electoral process from the campaigning to the hustings to voting on election day, everything was taken very seriously!
“Be in no doubt that the young people at this school are very interested in politics and aware of how important the democratic process is.”
