"This is only the second visit we have had from a politician from any party since I started at the school, and we do really appreciate the time you have spent with us."
Philip Keenan, principal of Stratford High School, was delighted that Labour Party leader David Cunliffe made the time to visit the school while he was in Stratford last week.
"Seeing the purpose-built classrooms for the high-needs department was really encouraging," Mr Cunliffe said, adding that high-needs students will benefit from his party's disability policy.
The Labour Party is keen to encourage first-time voters to participate in this year's election, and is introducing a range of initiatives to support this.
One such initiative is the "vote challenge". Modelled on the recently popular "ice challenge" on social media, the idea is for young voters to challenge others to vote once they have done so themselves.