PADDINGTON Academy students have been making headlines this week with BBC news presenter Huw Edwards

Susanna Wilkey

PADDINGTON Academy students have been making headlines this week with BBC news presenter Huw Edwards.

For months a group of students have been honing their journalistic skills with top tips from the star presenter in preparation for News Day - which took place yesterday.

The project is called BBC News School Report and aims to engage 11 to 14-year-olds across the country with the news.

Yesterday pupils saw their news go live - they covered the stories of the day as well as a special report on recycling.

The BBC website featured the students' reports and a dedicated TV channel and radio station available through the website were on throughout the day. Real BBC news programmes also featured the students' reports.

Ex-teacher and BBC news presenter Huw Edwards lent his support to the project. He said: "Having been a teacher and run many journalism workshops in schools, I've seen how much fun it can be and how much can be learned when there are real deadlines, real audiences and real standards to meet."

Participant Ayyoub Osman, a Year 8 student at the academy, said: "I like being part of the BBC project because we get to use great equipment.

"We are really lucky to have lots of opportunities to go on trips. We've been to the BBC and reported from the press box at QPR.

"I've learned how to be a journalist and my news film is going to go live on the BBC website."

Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 took part in the project and worked hard training to be journalists by carrying out interviews and producing reports.

Media teacher Linsey McLuskie said: "The students have worked extremely hard and researched some really interesting stories.

"They have done extra reports in their spare time including reporting on the Chinese New Year Festival, the academy's Christmas musical Follow the Star and participating in a master class on sports reporting.

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with these students and seeing them grow into budding young journalists."

A total of 250 schools from around the country took part in the project to make the news.

susanna.wilkey@hamhigh.co.uk