So it has finally arrived. School Report News Day 2013 is officially upon us, marking a significant milestone as approximately one thousand schools across the United Kingdom take part in the ambitious nationwide project, producing and broadcasting the news that truly matters to them and their local communities.
Throughout the day, young reporters will see their hard work and dedication featured prominently across various platforms of the BBC. Their reports are scheduled to appear on television news bulletins, radio broadcasts, and online digital platforms, as well as on regional news programmes that reflect the diverse experiences and interests of students from different corners of the country.
Now entering its seventh consecutive year, the initiative has grown substantially and is officially bigger and more comprehensive than ever before. This year, enthusiastic school reporters have traveled to Canterbury to witness firsthand the historic enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. At the same time, the project returns to the iconic Olympic Park in London to critically examine the long-term legacy left behind by the unforgettable 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These high-profile assignments represent only a fraction of the ambitious output planned for the day, and the official BBC School Report website continues to provide full, comprehensive details regarding the wide range of topics and stories being investigated and covered by students.
The sheer scale of today’s nationwide broadcast stands as a remarkable contrast to the humble origins of the initiative when it first began. A small, dedicated team initially started the School Report project with a singular, clear aim: to give teenagers across the country the genuine opportunity and platform to research, write, and produce the news that they felt genuinely mattered to their generation. In the early stages, handing over hours of valuable BBC airtime to young, inexperienced school students was undeniably a nerve-wracking prospect for the professional production teams involved. However, that initial leap of faith proved to be an overwhelming and inspiring success.
Reflecting on the journey of the project, memories remain vivid from that inaugural year back in 2007, when the BBC first collaborated with twelve- and thirteen-year-old students across one hundred and twenty schools. What stands out most vividly from that pioneering year was the unforgettable experience of seeing young school reporters featured directly on the flagship Six O’Clock News. Witnessing that broadcast brought the realization that this unique partnership between local educational institutions and the BBC had successfully evolved and developed into something vastly bigger and more impactful than anyone involved could have ever initially anticipated or imagined.
Fast-forwarding to the present day in 2013, the initiative is now equipped to reach even further than ever before, both in geographical scope and in terms of integration across the Corporation’s extensive broadcast output. Demonstrating this expanded reach, students will be broadcasting live from Radio Foyle in Londonderry, bringing unique regional perspectives to a national audience, and in a particularly bold move, school reporters will even take over a segment of the flagship Radio 4 lunchtime programme, Woman’s Hour.
To accommodate the massive volume of original content being produced by the participating students, a dedicated School Report Live channel has been established, which will be easily accessible to viewers through the interactive Red Button service on their television sets. Furthermore, editorial teams will be continuously updating a live news feed on the official project website alongside the dedicated @BBCSchoolReport Twitter feed throughout the entire duration of the day. Members of the public, parents, teachers, and media observers are encouraged to follow along online to see what the school reporters are actively achieving and to share their thoughts, feedback, and encouragement.
Helen Shreeve serves as the editor of the BBC News School Report.