Heathfield's gifted and talented pupils will once again be working with the BBC on the UK-wide event School Report. This is an opportunity for the girls to explore and hone their journalistic skills working with BBC mentors, including news reader, Huw Edwards.
Practice days began on 13th November and Nanci Lister, English teacher, led the first lesson with guidelines on expectations of a journalist, what they look for, how news stories are developed and ways to write press releases effectively. The girls primarily looked at local news stories and attempted to link with national stories to provide up to date coverage on current affairs.
The first live practice ‘News’ day will be at the end of November, when the girls will be expected to deliver the news live on the BBC School Report website, with an audio link for radio broadcast and website links. The link with the BBC gave exclusive use of the BBC News signature tune to lead the stories. Last year, interviews were carried out amongst various staff members and pupils and covered topics such as decline in standard of the nation’s achievements in science; introduction of a compulsory National Curriculum for the under 5s and a review of the school smash hit musical production 'We Will Rock You.'
The task will stretch and challenge pupils and help develop their speaking; listening and ICT skills as they prepare audio news reports.
Last year, over 100 schools around the UK made and 'broadcast' their own news as part of BBC News School Report. Schools published their TV, radio and online reports on their school websites. Heathfield School was the only Senior school in Harrow and Hillingdon to participate in this national initiative.
Mrs Lister, English teacher, said “We are thrilled about participating in this national event once again. Last year, our girls performed brilliantly and really ran with the challenge. We were proud of the way our pupils so quickly acquired very sophisticated skills. We are looking forward to this year’s challenge and with some experience behind us, hope to continue on last year’s success.
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Editor’s Notes:
- On 13 March 2009, the students will graduate as BBC News School Reporters. On this News Day they will join hundreds of other schools around the UK to simultaneously create news reports and publish them on their school websites, to which the BBC aims to link.
- BBC News School Report gives 12 and 13-year-olds from UK schools the chance to make their own video, audio or text-based news at school and to broadcast it for real. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/default.stm
- In October 2007, School Report was nominated for a Children's Bafta in the Secondary Learning category.
- Last year, news day articles featured on News 24, Breakfast News, the One O'clock and Six O'clock News, Newsround, Radio Five Live, Radio 4, 40 local radio stations, 12 regional TV stations, BBC Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and many local BBC Where I Live websites.
- The School Report website also became a channel - School Report LIVE - for the day, streaming nine hours school-based activities and pupils' news reports. It was also available on the BBC's red button service.