School Report

BBC News School Report gives students at UK schools the chance to make their own video, audio or text-based news at school and broadcast it for real.

On 13 March 2008, schools around the country will take part in a News Day, simultaneously creating news reports and publishing them on their school websites, to which the BBC aims to link.

During News Day students and their work is featured on national and regional TV and radio news programmes, as well as the local BBC Where I Live websites.

The School Report website also becomes a channel - School Report LIVE - for the day, streaming nine hours of school-based activities and pupils' news reports. It's also available on the BBC's red button service.

The technical maestros!

Easingwold School have decided to take the idea of School Report one step further and set up their own school radio station - Radio Dot.

Phil Grossett (Sir to his pupils!) tells us all about it...

"'And now, it’s time for Fergus’ cheesy joke of the day!' Anna, the co-presenter of the Easingwold School podcast, enthusiastically fed Fergus his cue.

"Listening back to Year ten's first show, I did wonder whether the decision to allow them to script and write their own radio show was about to backfire: I had overheard some of the jokes that didn’t make the final edit, and I had reason to be concerned. Of course, I needn’t have worried.

"A keen and eager group of Year tens was assembled with a brief to produce 20 minutes of scripted talk radio and on the spot interviews. With a wide range of skills and interests, the first task was to assign the roles of producer, reporters, technicians, presenters and editors.

Sports corner!

"Ideas and enthusiasm were never in short supply, and soon we had a large collection of interviews and recordings of house drama competitions, a battle of the bands evening and live sports events. Working with the pupils to shape and edit these ideas was immensely satisfying, and has taught both me and the pupils a lot about the workings of radio.

"Help from experts from outside school has been a real inspiration: Highlights include a workshop run by Jenny Zobel from York St John’s University, and of course BBC Radio York’s very own Ricky Marshall. Now we’ve started, we’ve definitely got the podcast bug, so it’s straight back to work on the next show.

"In case you’re interested, the joke involved two nuns, a vampire and a cross – insert your own punchline!"

If you want to find out what the punchline is, then Radio Dot will feature on BBC Radio York and on School Report LIVE on Thursday 13th March. It's bound to be entertaining so make sure you tune in!