PUPILS at a Romsley school got a taste of the importance of democracy when they went to the polls held their own election.

The youngsters at St Kenelm’s C of E Primary got some professional help with elections to their school council from Bromsgrove District Council’s Electoral Services team.

Candidates from each year group campaigned for a seat on the council and were voted in by their schoolmates.

To make the experience as realistic as possible, there were polling booths, a voting register, illustrated ballot papers and declarations of results were provided as pupils followed the voting process.

Bromsgrove District Council’s head of legal and democratic services Claire Felton said: “St Kenelm’s continue to show that the hands-on approach is a great way to teach young people how and why to vote.

"Learning to participate and make sure each of our votes count is a vital thing to understand from an early age.”

Jenny Morris, the teacher in charge of the elections at St Kenelm’s said: “Opportunities like these are invaluable in giving the children real-life experiences, helping to bring their learning about democracy to life and bringing a real sense of occasion and importance to our elections.”