BBC School News Report and the Bristol CLCs

BBC News School Report gives 11-14 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience. The Bristol CLCs will be offering training support for teachers and outreach equipment loans for schools to use for this challenge.

The aim is that on the School Report News Day on March 11th 2010 pupils across the UK make the news - video, audio or text and put it on their school websites.The BBC then link to their website from our clickable map. Last year over 500 schools took part.

You can just take part on the day but in preparation for the day many schools make use of the School Report lesson plans - these are available on the School Report Website and are linked to National Curriculum for English, Citizenship and ICT.

Find out more on the School Report website.

www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport

Comments from teachers about School Report:

The project worked wonderfully well for pupils - working together, helping other groups, using initiative, being creative - ticked every box!

Many of the boys in the team are not high flyers but this enthused them and helped them to achieve and feel successful - a feeling that they do not often have.

Comments from pupils about School Report:

"It was very fun to make the film as we had to prepare and it was all our own work and we did not get told to do something it was our own choice."

"It was hard work on the day, but worth it! There was a really good sense of teamwork, throughout the group, and I had a really great time!"

"Overall I have really enjoyed this day and I have worked with all of my friends which was really fun. Also, looking up stories and writing the articles was great as I really got involved and in the rush to get everything I was able to focus hard on what I was doing which was a big achievement for me. I have really enjoyed doing BBC school report and it was a great experience."

The benefits to the students who are usually uncommunicative and not participating in lessons are staggering and the time investment on behalf of the teachers can be decided by the teachers. English (literacy), Citizenship and Geography are some of the areas where the most impact can be seen.

All lessons can take place in one session and as long as one written, audio or video "news story" is uploaded on to the school's website before the deadline at 14:00 on March 11th, the school will have taken part on this UK-wide phenomenon called School Report and the children will have the opportunity to read, see or hear themselves on the BBC website, Radio or TV.

The BBC are not at all prescriptive and the project is totally managed according to the time limitations of the teachers. The school report website has a rough outline of the phases of the project that one can follow.