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Create Junior Journalists

In our fast-paced society it is important that young people know how reliable sources of news are constructed, learning how to identify bias and unreliable or misleading information in its different forms.

Being part of a news community and reporting real news from their own community will support students to understand the concept of sources, the purpose of reports and the role of journalism in society. Recognising the structure and techniques used by newspapers, including the function of headlines, lead paragraphs, quotes and images not only equips children with the skills to be critically literate news readers, but gives them a foundation to write their own news reports.

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First News School Newspaper Club

Our new First News School Newspaper Club pack provides a handy guide to starting a student-led school newspaper. 

School Newspaper of the Year Awards

First News launched the School Newspaper of the Year Awards to celebrate the impressive efforts of school newspaper teams around the country, dedicating time in lessons, at lunchtime and after school to investigate, write and report their school news to their community. Setting up a school newspaper is a rewarding project, needing teamwork, discussion, decision-making and leadership.

In conjunction with regular news-reading, it inspires and nurtures an essential understanding and appreciation of the role news plays in democracy around the globe.

“The Stretford Chronicle didnt even exist a year ago, and now it is a huge success. In just six months we have created five phenomenal editions engaging with topics that affect the school and the world. We weren’t afraid to tackle many of the complex issues we face in our world today, such as climate change, animal cruelty, feminism and equality, and mental health.”

Year 10 student, Stratford High School, Secondary School Winners 2018-19