May 6, 2015 9.47 am This story is over 106 months old

Election fever hits Lincoln school as students hold Question Time event

School debate: A Lincoln academy has staged its own version of Question Time to give pupils a chance to quiz local political candidates.

Ahead of tomorrow’s general election, a Lincoln academy staged its own version of Question Time to give pupils a chance to quiz local political candidates.

Branston Community Academy organised the event as part of a month-long project to get students involved in the election process.

The hour-long Q&A last week saw the students ask the candidates questions on transport, tuition fees, immigration, jobs, apprenticeships and lowering the voting age.

The school’s headteacher, Peter Beighton, sat on the panel alongside Sleaford and North Hykeham parliamentary candidates Marianne Overton (Lincolnshire Independents) and Matthew Holden (Liberal Democrats).

They were joined by Ryan Brown (Green), Thomas Herbert, a member of the Conservative youth party and Matthew Parkes, a year 13 student at the academy, who represented Labour on the panel.

Labour candidate Jason Pandya-Wood had a prior engagement on the date of the event but spoke to students in the days leading up to it.

Conservative candidate Stephen Phillips and UKIP candidate Steve Hopkins were also invited but were unavailable.

Head of sixth form Caroline Hewerdine, who organised the event, said: “The students are still buzzing and were totally engaged in the process. It’s brought democracy to life for them and I think has had a positive impact on their opinion of the process.”