Schoolgirls marched on the day that women got the vote.

In a debate at Northwood College for Girls’ over 600 pupils aged seven to 18 carried placards and donned ‘Votes for Women’ sashes.

Mr Allen, the school’s head of history and politics, posed the question ‘should it be a requirement that 50 per cent of the UK Parliament is female’.

As the milk bottle tops were counted it became clear that the NO team had won, with 336 votes to 258.

Sophia Shah, 10, said: “I vote YES, as women should be equally represented in Parliament.”

Olivia Evans, 17, said: “I vote NO.

“People should vote women into Parliament because they want them to be there, not because they have to have them there.”

Ms Jacqualyn Pain, head mistress of Northwood College for Girls, said: “I am not surprised the majority of our girls believe achievement should be awarded by merit as opposed to gender.

"I completely agree."