With voting taking place across the United Kingdom over the question of remaining in or leaving the European Union, students in Years 7 to 10, and staff, were invited to take part in a mock referendum vote. Students had previously discussed and researched the background to the referendum and the issues involved in their Personal Development Time lessons with tutors, and assemblies on the subject were led by Senior Deputy Head Mr R Newman and Head Students Hannah Bilboe and James Knock. In total, 844 votes were counted, including 22 staff votes. The final totals of 442 for Remain, against 402 for Leave meant that the school result was a Vote 'Remain' by 52% over 'Leave' with 48% of the vote.

Although the school result itself does not matter, we very much hope that the process encouraged students to reflect on the significance of democracy, to develop a principled approach to issues and to understand the importance of tolerance and mutual respect towards each other. 

Melanie Townsend 
Assistant Headteacher