School Newspaper of The Year Awards
The First News School Newspaper of the Year Awards aims to discover the best school newspapers and to find out what your junior journalists have been up to.
It doesn’t matter whether your school has created a newspaper, newsletter, blog, podcast, broadcast or if you’ve contributed to a local newspaper or news website, all entries are welcome.
Our annual competition gives children a chance to win a trophy and have their work published in First News!
Previous winners have received some really exciting opportunities. Haleema, who won First News Young Reporter in our 2021-22 awards, went to the School’s Climate Assembly on behalf of First News and got to interview some big names, including wildlife presenter, Chris Packham! Haleema then wrote up a special report which featured in First News.
Haleema with Chris Packham
The five award categories:
You can enter for the following awards:
- Primary School Newspaper
- Secondary School Newspaper
- Editorial Team of the Year
Enter for this award if your editorial team has proven to work collaboratively to make your school newspaper/news output happen. - Innovative News Award
Enter for this award if your students have:- Created a news website, blog, podcast or broadcast.
- Written news reports for a local newspaper or the school newsletter.
- Written / recorded and published news updates to raise awareness of an issue or project where they are trying to make a positive change in your community.
- Or have an innovative news project to tell us about.
- First News Young Reporter Award
This award can be entered by young people at home or by teachers for individual students at school. Enter for this award if:- You are a young person who has created a newspaper / newsletter independently at home for your local community or friends and relations. Or, if you have written and published news reports on an issue that matters to you, to raise awareness of this topic
- If you are a teacher, and would like to enter your star reporter or investigative journalist from your school’s newspaper team
We look for entries that…
- Have stories and content that is just right for your readers.
- Inform your community of the important issues they need to know about.
- Challenges readers to think about the problems and dilemmas that affect us all.
- Provide a little bit of fun and fascination to make your school newspaper a must-read for everyone!
Entering the awards:
Entering is free and simple.
You will be able to apply by downloading and completing the relevant entry form which can be found on our School Newspaper of the Year Awards 2022-23 page (launching soon).
We open our entries around April every year, so keep your eyes peeled!
Take a look at our previous winners:
Start a school newspaper at your school:
Want to start your own school newspaper or develop your junior journalists’ skills?
Download the First News School Newspaper Launch Guide.
It contains lots of advice on how to set up a school newspaper and tips to improve journalistic skills.