8 November 2012 Last updated at 09:55

School Report offers young people's perspective on US election

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama went before the US electorate on Tuesday

With the eyes of the world on the United States for the 2012 presidential election, BBC News School Report has been helping to reflect the perspective of young people on such a huge political event.

The moment the US election was decided

With American voters choosing to give incumbent Democrat president Barack Obama another four years in the White House, School Reporters have been providing their reflections on the build-up and the election itself.

Pupils from Bangor Grammar School in County Down have made the most of a school trip to Washington DC, reporting on the experience of witnessing at first hand the excitement of one of the closest races for the presidency in living memory.

With their itinerary including a trip to the White House, an Obama-themed debate against and an invite to an election night party, the pupils have got plenty of stories to tell.

The party - held by Democrat-supporting students at Georgetown University - certainly went with a bang, but the School Reporters kept their journalistic instincts alive to capture the moment when Obama's victory was announced by US media. It's certainly worth a watch!

Meanwhile, students Yasser, Zubaydah, Dilan, Georgia, Lauren and Khalid from Northumberland Park Community School in north London worked with BBC World Service programme The World to produce a unique insight into how the presidency is viewed on the other side of the Atlantic.

They discussed what they would do if they were president and their must-do list on their first day in the job.

And whether it's "keep your promises" or "work as hard as you can", the pupils were full of advice for the next inhabitant of the Oval Office, including some tips on how to relax from the stresses of being the leader of one of the world's remaining superpowers.

"I could go trampolining with normal people," said one pupil, while another said they'd buy some high-heel shoes - just because they could!

With the real-life Mitt Romney looking on approvingly, pupil Ludo puts the case for the Republican party

Pupils at Notting Hill Prep School in west London held their own mock election on Tuesday 6 November, with four students nominated to represent Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney, together with their respective running mates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan!

The four gave speeches in front of their fellow pupils, who then voted for their favourite candidate pairing.

And the result? Well, it was a lot more one-sided than the actual election in the US, with 'Obama' - aka Year 7 student Emanuelle - winning by a landslide!

School Reporters took photos and interviewed the candidates and some of the voters to tell the story of the day, and you can see the fruits of their labours here.

One lucky school - the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School (EGA) in north London - had a particular reason for keeping a close eye on proceedings in the US.

Pupils from EGA have been able to forge a special relationship of their own with First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama has been a regular visitor to EGA

Mrs Obama has visited the school on several occasion and even invited some pupils for a reciprocal visit to the White House!

You can read the verdict of School Reporters Kamsi, Nadia and Miski on Mrs Obama's visit here.

"Michelle Obama is a great role model for us at EGA and we feel very lucky that she chose our school out of all the schools in the UK," wrote the pupils.

"She especially cares about girls' education because she wants to inspire young women to understand that, in order to achieve your best, it is one of the most important things in life.

"We believe that one of the reasons she chose our school was because she wants to inspire young women to believe in themselves and each other."

The students got on air on BBC Radio 5 live

And for a bit of historical perspective, how about revisiting this report from 2009 when School Reporters Luqman, Chicara, Raskita and Sabiha from Phoenix High School in London reported on President Obama's inauguration and what it meant to them.

Sabiha said: "Obama wasn't raised in the richest, most privileged background - yet he's become president. It shows me I can do just the same."

As well as appearing on BBC Radio 5 live to talk to presenter Victoria Derbyshire about their views on the first African-American president, the pupils also spoke to young people in the US and the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Robbins to find out alternative perspectives on such a historic event.