Results & Impact
Each week hundreds of thousands of young people vote on our latest lesson. Here's what they say, and how their voices are changing the world.
06th - 13th March 2026
Traditional school uniforms are often used as a debate topic in classrooms for young people to reflect on the pros and cons of having a set of school-identifying attire. A less-discussed aspect of the debate is what a uniform should comprise of; common choices include ties, blazers, smart trousers and knee-length skirts. Is this an outdated and impractical system? In their VotesforSchools lessons, we asked our voters to consider the introduction of an “active uniform”, where clothes would prioritise movement, breathability and comfort. Meanwhile, 16+ & College students considered their previous experience of wearing a school uniform and how far they believe it helped to prepare them for entering adulthood and the world of work. Close to 60,000 young people responded to the vote, with many more discussing the topic in classrooms across the UK.
Primary and Secondary students were asked: “Should schools have active uniforms?”, while 16+ & College voters discussed: “Has a school uniform prepared you for your future?”.
59,566 young people in the UK have taken part in this vote.
total votes
voters aged 5-11
voters aged 11-16+
You can see how our voting is impacting the world on our impact page:
Our Impact
27th February - 06th March 2026
To mark National Careers Week in March, we asked young people to consider how prepared they feel for the future and whether they believe schools should dedicate more learning time to understanding different career pathways. Our youngest voters, aged 5-7, discussed whether they need to learn about a wide range of jobs in school, while 7-11-year olds explored career role models and whether there is a benefit to having more. Meanwhile, voters aged 11+ discussed employers and whether they should be obligated to work with schools to help prepare young people for the realities of employment. We also held Student Webinars, where schools from across the country joined to discuss questions posed by our VotesforSchools Youth Ambassadors on the topic of careers-based education.
see results
20th - 27th February 2026
Recent defections across UK political parties have triggered discussions around honouring voter choices at the ballot box. Namely, whether MPs have a duty to remain loyal to the party they won their seat with and if not, should “crossing the floor” lead to an automatic by-election? With the voting age being lowered to 16 at the next General Election, it’s more important than ever that young people have a voice in debates like these. They considered voter intentions, including whether party or candidate popularity has more influence over outcomes, as well as the struggle MPs face when they stop believing in the party or political leader they represent. Primary pupils discussed whether loyalty is part of an MP’s job description, while Secondary and College students debated what the implications of defection should be.
see results
06th - 13th February 2026
In a recent study, 81% of 11-16-year olds said they use AI chatbots, with almost one third of those who do saying they feel like the bot they use is one of their friends. Interestingly, a recent VotesforSchools vote, where close to 48,000 students took part, presented a different outcome; the same age group (11-16) recognised the dangers of parasocial relationships and didn’t believe they were the ‘new normal’. For Safer Internet Day, we wanted to delve deeper into the relationships young people are developing with chatbots, and so asked them to consider the extent to which they are willing to rely on AI for advice and the potential impact this could have on their wellbeing.
see results