Ridgeway pupils take part in BBC News Report

A group of students from Ridgeway School in Plympton are taking part in this year’s BBC News School Report.

It gives 11- 16 year old students across the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience. Using lesson plans and materials available from a dedicated website, and with support from BBC staff and partners, teachers can help students develop their journalistic skills to become School Reporters.

“We are very excited to be part of this event which involved more than 1,000 schools last year,” said Jim Strachan, Head of Academic Progress for Year 8 and 9. “We have specially selected a group of pupils who are interested in becoming journalists. These students will be issued with press badges and will report news and events from a uniquely student perspective here at Ridgeway School.”

The official news day is March 10 when schools across the UK will simultaneously create video, audio and text-based news reports which will be published on school websites. Up until this day students from Ridgeway School will be busy having practise days and posting news reports on their school website.

BBC News presenter and former teacher Huw Edwards is working on School Report. “Over the years I've run many journalism workshops in schools. So I've seen how much fun it can be and how much can be learnt when there are real deadlines, real audiences and real standards to meet.

"I'm involved because I want to give young people the chance to make the news themselves, and I want to share the principles of good journalism.”
Principal of Ridgeway School, Lisa Boorman, believes this is a very exciting project for all the students involved.

“Turning their classroom into a newsroom is going to be a great learning experience for our students. It covers so many skills, like planning, deadlines, teamwork and thinking about what makes an interesting news story. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

To keep up to date with what the School Reporters are doing go to www.ridgeway.plymouth.sch.uk