ASPIRING young politicians and their fellow pupils at a Barnoldswick primary school received a special visit from the mayor of Pendle.

Members of Coates Lane Primary School's pupil leadership team invited Pendle mayor, Councillor Nawaz Ahmed, to visit their school.

Calling in early last week, Cllr Ahmed was peppered with questions during an interview about his daily duties representing Pendle.

The children also celebrated Mr Ahmed's appointment as mayor and got the chance to see his chains of office.

Impressed by the pupils' impeccable behaviour, he then invited them to accompany him on a tour of the Council Chambers at Nelson Town Hall later in the week.

Members of the Coates' pupil leadership team then made their visit where acting headteacher Chris Dugdale said: "They got an insight into governance and learned about the decision making process of Pendle."

After their visit to the impressive Council Chambers and the plush armchairs in the council's board room, Mr Dugdale said: "The children have been slightly demanding on how their meetings will be discussed in the future. After their visit to the town hall, they wanted to bring back the very elaborate board room to the school."

Mr Dugdale said both visits had inspired the children for the future, especially members of the pupil leadership team.

"Our pupil leadership team is similar to a school council, with two members of each class elected by their classmates." he said. "They like to question the decision-making processes in school, and they want to be part of the school's senior leadership team. They're interested in the systems and processes that happen in reality.

Mr Dugdale also explained why the school had formed a pupil leadership team.

"We're promoting British values and the freedom to vote," he said. "Everyone had a ballot card linked to their own class.

"They then went to the polling station, made their in a private voting area and put their card into a ballot box."

The final result of these "elections", said Mr Dugdale, is a "very proactive and vigorous pupil leadership team".

He said the team met with a teacher once a week and with the headteacher once every term.

"They are more organised than some school councils," he added, "But they feel they have a duty to serve and pass on their leadership skills to their classmates."