BUDDING journalists from Ramsey Academy took part in a nationwide news reporting scheme for the BBC.

Schools took part in an annual News Day last Thursday, simultaneously creating video, audio and text-based news reports, and publishing them on the school website.

Twelve young reporters attended the day as they looked to come to grips with the real life world of journalism, battling tight deadlines and coming together as a team to produce a news segment.

The group produced a nine minute long piece, discussing a host of topics including an investigation into the new £1 coin, a look at celebrities compared to working-class people, and a discussion of the wealth of money circulating football at the moment.

If it wasn’t brave enough for the students to get in front of the camera, they also had to complete interviews for their news segment, and spoke to a number of children around the school to gauge opinions, as well as interviewing a couple of teachers on camera.

Alongside the video segment, students also produced a number of written reports included a look at Ed Sheeran’s record-breaking album, an investigation into bullying in schools and a look at the ‘Battle of the Brain’, questioning whether sufficient support and awareness of mental health in young people is available at schools in the UK.

A number of the children who took part regularly write for the Ramsey Ram, and attend a journalism club on a Friday lunchtime to discuss their ideas for upcoming editions, as well as preparing for the BBC News Day.

English teacher Hannah Siseman praised pupils’ effforts. She said: “Ramsey students were really keen to get involved in reporting the news for the BBC School Report Newsday.

“The students worked brilliantly as a team to make sure they completed all tasks by the deadline.

“There were moments when they grew concerned about meeting the deadline but pulled together to make the day a great success.

“The students enjoyed it so much that they have already signed up to take part next year.”

BBC News School Report gives 11 to 16-year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience.

More than 1,000 pupils took part in this year’s nationwide scheme, offering pupils the chance to get hands-on experience in the world of journalism, experience which can often be hard to find for youngsters.

To watch the students’ news segment, visit www.ramseyacademy.com/bbc-school-report