Democracy was alive and well at a Camden primary school as pupils took to the ballot box to decide on a flooring design for their new junior block.

The new term got off to an exciting start at Eleanor Palmer Primary in Tufnell Park as Labour MP Frank Dobson unveiled the quirky new vinyl floor for the first time on Wednesday.

Political parties called Meadows, Pebbles and Autumn Leaves were set up to represent the design options with the eye-catching pebbles pattern taking the majority vote among Year 6 pupils on election day.

The project was set up to teach the children about citizenship and democracy, as well as the importance of local elections.

MP for Holborn and St Pancras Mr Dobson said “I think this is a great idea to let you have your say” as he hailed Eleanor Palmer as “the school with amazing floors”.

“It’s very encouraging to see younger children learning about the election process,” he said. “Their voting and decision-making will impact on the school and many students for years to come.”

Nell Godwin, representative of the winning Pebbles party, said: “It was great to learn about politics in this way.”

The winning flooring was provided by Harvey Maria, who work with British designers including Hemingway Design, Cath Kidston and Neisha Crosland.