David Davis, the Conservative leadership candidate, visits Haling Manor

"Yes, he could be the next prime minister in four years' time.''

The journalist from the Daily Telegraph newspaper was clearly impressed at the children's answer following a question as to who the important gentleman was who would be delivering their history lesson on the Battle of Trafalgar.

Mr Davis spent 35 minutes teaching 16 boys and girls about the battle marking its 200th anniversary this year. Looking relaxed with his jacket off and shirtsleeves rolled up, the politician chatted for a few minutes before playing an excerpt from Hollywood blockbuster Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe. Mr Davis said he had carefully selected the scenes from the 12-rated film to show the youngsters, who were aged 11 and 12. He told his pupils Lord Nelson and his mistress Emma Hamilton "were the David and Victoria Beckham of their day" and the naval battleships were "the Starship Enterprises" or "stealth bombers".

Mr Davis, who revealed today that he could not read until the age of seven but later went on to teach accountancy in Norwood, South London, after he finished his Masters degree, then concluded the lesson: Nelson "absolutely gave his life, gave everything he had, every ounce of his life, in order to change the future of Britain." He said the pupils would now be able to tell their parents when they next visit Trafalgar Square where it got its name from and why it is not called "La Place De Trafalgar".

David Millar Head of Humanities and Sport assessed Mr Davis’s performance and rated it as “excellent” overall. He said: "An interesting lesson in which all pupils achieved the intended learning outcomes and behaved exceptionally."

When one of the pupils was asked if Mr Davis was a good teacher, he said: "Yes."