LIVE UPDATES – BBC School Report

3.05 pm –

It’s been a fantastic day for everyone for BBC School Report at Willink. There have been many interviews, calls, researching and filming, and now we have 6 brilliant articles about topics in the news. It has been a really valuable experience for us all and we have had a great time. Thank you to all the staff, students and everyone at the BBC for giving us this amazing opportunity which we have all loved taking part in.

The Willink School BBC Report Team:

James
Sophie
Beth
Emma
Pip
Alex
Megan
Millie
Poppy
Hannah
Kyle
George
Jack
Amy
Shannon
Mr Ballantyne
Mr Price

2:45 pm –

At the end of a very exciting but difficult day, we interviewed a few members of the team of their experience of BBC School Report at Willink.

 

 

2:30 pm –

Here at the Willink School the BBC School Report team are working hard to finish their articles and videos for the deadline.

 

1:30 pm  – 

Our computing teacher, Mr Price, was invited on BBC Radio Berkshire. He talked about what we are writing about and the atmosphere here today.
“It was very nerve-racking but it was an excellent opportunity to be able to discuss the students work and the experience of the day. It was very exciting!”

 

1:15 pm –

As the deadline to finish the reports grows closer, we asked a few of the BBC Report team about their experience so far.

What have you learnt today?

Beth – 

I’ve learnt not to hold back, and contact people you never thought you would contact.

Jack – 

I’ve learnt how to work with people and how interviews work.

Emma –
It is really hard to get quotes and information from famous people!

Megan –

I have learnt lots of new skills, like how to interview people properly and how I can speak to people formally.

Oli – 

I learnt a lot about the article I’m reporting on. Like Prince Harry co-founded ‘Walking with the Wounded’ with a Colonel.

Sophie – 

I’ve learnt how to use all the equipment and how to be a journalist.

What have you enjoyed the most about this experience?

Emma – 

It was really fun trying to get in touch with celebrities!

Megan –

Everything! It was really fun. I especially liked collecting all the information.

James –

I learnt lots of new skills for the future.

Kyle –

I enjoyed trying to find the right news story and hearing someone else’s view on an important topic.

 

12:35 pm – 

We managed to get a response from John, who is a news reporter at the BBC. He explained that the radio doesn’t have many teen news channels to avoid patronizing the younger generation. There is not much information to share, but they use cutting edge technology to inform teenagers about the news.

12:15 pm – 

As the groups collect their information and put it together, we went to interview some Year Nines from our school to see if they watch the news, why young people don’t watch the news as much as adults and what would make them watch the news more.

 

 

12:00 pm – 

We have just received some free gifts from the BBC – BBC report cards, pens, posters and BBC School Report passes.

 

 

11:55 am – 

Teams are busy bringing their story together and gathering the last of their information. We are all enjoying this experience of what it is like to be a journalist, and hopefully some of us will be able to do again in the future.

 

 

10:40 am – 

As the deadline draws nearer, tensions are rising. Lots of calls are being made to try and get some really good interviews. We have been calling for most of the morning and have had really good responses. Students have been trying to get interviews with a range of leading figures including the former Reading captain, Miranda Hart, Dawn French, the co-founder of Walking with the Wounded and Prince Harry.

 

 

10:15 am –

Poppy and Hannah have called ChildLine to get a quote for their report. The call was successful and they got some really good information on struggles that teenagers face in the 21st century.

 

 

 

10:00 am –

The team have decided in their groups which stories they are going to report. Sophie, Beth and James are reporting on Reading’s first FA Cup semi-final since 1927, Hannah and Poppy are looking into Teenagers’ Pressures, Emma, Pip and Alex are researching into a story about female doctors and role models, Jack and Oli are doing a story about the Army and Prince Harry, Megan and George are going to do an article about the solar eclipse on Friday and Millie and Kyle are doing a story on politics. It’s very busy here!

 

 

9:45 am –

The Willink School teams are discussing the possible stories we could report. In our groups we are pitching our ideas and deciding which stories should be in the news, and there are lots of interesting ideas.

 

9:30 am –

Hi, we’re Amy and Shannon, and we’re going to be live blogging for the Willink School BBC Report today. So far, the teams are busy researching their stories, with a deadline of two o’clock.