6 November 2012
Last updated at 17:27
Notting Hill Prep School in west London decided to hold its own version of the US presidential election, with candidates speaking to their fellow pupils before the school took to the ballot box to vote for their favourite candidate. At least one voter has already made their mind up though - Year 5 student Sonny said: “We don’t need to vote - Obama’s gonna win!”
(From left to right:) Year 7 pupils Nell (representing Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan); Ludo (as Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney); Emmanuel (as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama); and Hugo (as Obama's running mate Joe Biden) review their speeches prior to the debate - you can almost feel the nervous tension!
Nell - aka Paul Ryan - kicks things off at the school version of the presidential election with a speech described by School Reporters as "powerful". The Year 7 pupils had first held a 'Primary Election' where they chose who would act as the candidates, while the remaining Year 7 students facilitated the event acting as pollsters and election officials. And the School Report team doubled up as photographers, editors and reporters!
Hugo takes up an environmental theme as he represents Joe Biden, telling the voters: “We only have one planet and we should protect it before it is too late.” But will the youthful electorate be swayed by this call to look to the future?
Next up it was Ludo - playing the role of Mitt Romney - as he furthered the case for the Republican Party. Are his rolled-up sleeves a cunning visual metaphor for the hard work that lies ahead for whoever wins the election?
With the real-life Mitt Romney looking on approvingly, Ludo explains why he deserves to win the pupils' votes
A sneak preview of the carefully crafted speech of Emmanuel - or Barack Obama, if you prefer - as he waits his turn to address the assembly. With a nod to Obama's successful 2008 campaign, Emmanuel has snuck in a "Yes We Can" at the end of his address!
Emmanuel - armed with his "yes we can" catchphrase - is swift to respond, spelling out why he believes the Democratic Party deserves another four years in office
After all the candidates have had their say, it's time for the pupils to vote. It's all a lot to take in, and one Year 3 pupil considers her decision before marking her ballot paper with a cross
The votes begin to stack up. Year 4 student Natasha told the School Reporters that "every vote counts," while Frankie from Year 5 insisted that "This election is not important to people in Britain" - we presume he means the one taking place across the Atlantic!
Year 7 pupils Delilah, Felix, and the two Joes have the crucial job of counting the votes. The end result is a lot more one-sided than the other election is likely to be with Obama winning by a landslide of 132 votes to Romney's 21!
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Student reports
