A BOURNEMOUTH schoolboy took the reins of a government department after being chosen to take part in the Cabinet Office’s Takeover Challenge day.

At just 14-years-old, budding politician Michael Bryan stepped into the shoes of Director General Sonia Phippard and attended briefing meetings within the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DeFRA).

The LeAF Studio student is already a member of the Young National Children’s Bureau, a leading charity that helps improve the lives of young people and influence government policy, a member of the Conservative Future south west executive and has just been appointed to the board of charity Plan UK as its Youth Observer.

During the challenge he attended several top-level briefing meetings, reviewed projects and met senior civil servants.

He said: “It was a brilliant opportunity and so insightful. Just being able to talk directly to senior civil servants and ministers gave me a real understanding about national policy.

“I was able to grasp the many objectives they are trying to reach and see just how much is being achieved.”

In addition to his studies at LeAF, where his specialism is volleyball, Michael spends a lot of his spare time working with organisations that look at issues affecting young people.

He is a member of the Young National Children’s Bureau, a leading charity that helps improve the lives of young people and influence government policy, a member of the Conservative Future south west executive and has just been appointed to the board of charity Plan UK as its Youth Observer.

Executive principal of the LeAF Academy, Gill Blanshard, said: “This was a fantastic experience for Michael whose interest and knowledge of politics is impressive in someone so young.”