On 4 July 2024, Bournemouth School students once again went to the polls to vote in our mock election, following weeks of campaigning from the Year 12 Politics students representing the different national political parties. This included candidates speaking in assemblies, heading into form groups and showing an artistic flair for accompanying posters and videos.
The final vote saw many parallels with national trends. Labour won a landslide victory, with strong support from Years 7 to 10. Year 12 students, however, voted differently, with support more split between the parties and Reform UK coming out on top. Concerns have already been raised about the potential for a Sixth Form independence movement.
Our new Bournemouth School Member of Parliament, Isabella Render, has several pressing challenges. Firstly, holding together this fragmented community and persuading those who did not vote for her that she will represent their interests, and secondly delivering on an unashamedly populist manifesto which included a number of national Labour policies but also made some bold promises to members of the school community. We wish her well.
Thank you to the Year 12 candidates for working above and beyond the call of duty and stepping out of their comfort zone to speak in assemblies and embrace their parties’ identities. Thank you also to staff: tutors were extremely efficient in sorting out the voting and passing on information to their groups, and there was much administrative support in the background, organising assemblies and helping ensure smooth printing of the ballot papers. It was a joy to hear students around the school talking about the school and national elections, and this process should help prepare a generation of engaged and aware voters.
