Chadsgrove Students get an interactive look at Local Democracy

There were mic checks and mock debates at Parkside, as students from Chadsgrove Educational Trust Specialist College enjoyed an interactive visit to learn more about how the council works.

Last month, seven students attended a special session at Parkside, along with their learning support assistants, tutors, and Enterprise Advisor Jules Evans, to learn more about how local democracy works and the roles of councillors and officers.

Chairman of Bromsgrove District Council, Cllr Sam Evans, said: “It was lovely to see the students so engaged and enthusiastic about learning how local democracy works.”

“They asked thoughtful questions, weren’t afraid to get involved, and brought a brilliant energy to the mock debate. Opportunities like this are so important in helping young people feel confident about having their voices heard.”

The visit began in the Parkside Committee Room, where the students were welcomed by the Chairman Councillor Sam Evans, before meeting Council Leader Karen May, Councillor Shirley Webb, Councillor Sam Ammar, Chief Executive John Leach and Monitoring Officer Claire Felton for a short discussion about their roles and council meetings.

Following this, the group headed to the Parkside Suite, which had been set up ready for a full council meeting, giving students a chance to experience the chamber layout.

They got to test out how the microphones work and enjoyed an informal mock debate run by the Chairman.

The basis of the mock debate was a question that students had decided: “How do you think we can make politics interesting and relatable to young adults like us?”

Chadsgrove Educational Trust Specialist College Enterprise Advisor, Jules Evans, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to get an insight into how decisions are made locally and to see firsthand the roles that councillors and officers play.”

“Experiences like this really help make politics more accessible and relatable, and our students came away inspired, informed, and excited to continue learning more.”