School Report

The News Day on Thursday 13 March is the culmination of the BBC News initiative.

Schools from Derby and Derbyshire made the news for real.

The 11 to 14-year-olds covered national and local news stories as well as broadcasting prepared reports on a range of topics including the budget, anti-social behaviour, car theft, drugs and sport.

The young reporters spent the day researching and writing stories as well as conducting interviews and vox-pops. Some of them found out how to use recording equipment and many of them had the chance to practice their broadcasting skills.

Deadline approaches at Granville School

Granville's News

In South Derbyshire, a group of students gave up a day off to take part in the BBC News School Report Day.

Their aim was to produce a radio news bulletin and they featured the news that their school had recently been awarded Sports College status. Three of the team quizzed their head teacher about what it would mean for the school.

The pupils bravely tackled the complicated subject of the Budget by asking teachers for their views on some of the Chancellor's measures as well as dealing with the tricky issue of how to keep youngsters off the streets. Their audio bulletin was featured on BBC Radio Derby that same evening.

And, in addition to their radio bulletin, many the group got involved in making a short news-style documentary about their involvement in the BBC News School Report Day.

Bemrose pupils present their video news

Bemrose Broadcast 2008

Pupils at Bemrose School in Derby ambitiously worked in audio, video and on the internet to present their news.

They produced a couple of audio reports, a short video bulletin and a variety of text reports via the school's website.

More than 280 schools around the UK took part in the News Day, simultaneously creating news reports, with many of them publishing them on their websites, to which the BBC aims to link.