We hosted Springwood Sixth Form Question Time, with  250 Year 13 students taking part.

The Green Party’s Michael De Whalley, Labour’s Wilf Lambert, Liberal Democrat Rob Colwell and Conservative Phil Trask all fielded pre-prepared questions from our sixth formers, with each candidate in the West Norfolk elections being given two minutes to respond.

The session closed with a vote to determine which party the students would choose.

The local hustings was the sixth that we have staged, but the first held since the pandemic.

Head of Year 13 Jessica Cuss, who organised the event, said: “Events like this are really important at Springwood High School, as they engage our young people with politics.

“They raise their awareness of how politics can affect them both locally and nationally and why it’s important to vote, and provide them with a greater understanding of democracy.”

Rob Colwell, Wilf Lambert and Phil Trask are all standing for the Gaywood North Bank ward of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. The other candidates are: Michael Baldwin (Cons), Sandra Collop (Lab), John Crofts (LibDem), Helen Dalgleish (Lab), Vicky Fairweather (Green) and David Sayers (LibDem).

Mr De Whalley is standing in the Gayton and Grimston ward where the other candidates are: Bal Anota (Independent) and Sue Fraser (Cons).

Borough and parish council elections take place on Thursday, May 4.