I had a great day at Wybourn Community Primary and Nursery School for their school council elections. The way that the students organised themselves into parties around issues that mattered to them and then prepared and debated their manifestoes was an extraordinary lesson in democracy at its best.  

 I was so impressed by the approach of the headteacher, Hannah Thornley, and all of her staff and pupils that I told the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, all about it. He then felt “compelled” to write to them to congratulate them on their “uplifting and heart-warming initiative”.  

 I am delighted that their work has been recognised by the Speaker and am looking forward to catching up with them soon to find out how the School Council is following through on its objectives and how it’s spent the budget they have been given. 

 You can read more about it in the Sheffield Star.