A federation of two Woolton Hill schools has launched a programme that encourages its older pupils to become news reporters.
The Schools of Woolton Hill’s new young journalist programme gives pupils in Year 5 and 6 the opportunity to write articles for the school’s website and Woolton Hill’s parish magazine, Spectrum.
Children that were interested in securing a place on the programme were tasked with writing a letter to the school’s headteacher Paul Davies about why they should be chosen for the opportunity.
Ella, one of the 10 pupils chosen to be on the young journalist team, said: “I really wanted to become a reporter for the school because I have a real interest in the news.
“When I wake up, my parents usually have a news programme on and we talk about it.
“I would love to become a journalist when I grow up, so this opportunity is amazing.”
The young journalists have been split into two teams. One team will cover stories for the spring/summer season and the other team will be on duty for autumn/winter stories.
Tasks will be given to them throughout their time as a reporter, however they will also be encouraged to carry out their own reporting on things that interest them.
Articles they have already made a start on include producing introductions about themselves, explaining their new role as journalists and creating profiles for the teachers so families can understand more about each teacher from a pupil’s perspective.
Mr Davies added: “We are always looking for ways to give our children hands-on experiences that they can take into the world once they have finished their education.
“We have many enthusiastic readers and writers within the school and we wanted to give them the opportunity to discover what it’s like to be a journalist.
“This experience is something they can build upon if they wish to pursue a career in journalism in the future.
“All of our young journalists are extremely eager to get going and we can’t wait to share some of their work with you soon.
“If any Newbury Weekly News readers would like one of our young journalists to report on an issue or an event, please get in touch with the school.”
