College opens own newsroom

Students of all ages contribute to the news output

A secondary school that offers youngsters journalism courses is opening its own purpose-built newsroom.

Coombeshead College in Newton Abbott, Devon says studying journalism boosts youngsters' literacy skills and self-esteem.

It claims to be the only place in the country routinely offering national journalism qualifications to students aged 16.

Usually the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) "prelims" are post-18 or even postgraduate qualifications, compulsory steps on the way to a national certificate.

At Coombeshead, a media arts specialist, sixth-formers can take two of them: the handout and newspaper journalism courses.

Students already produce a half-termly newspaper, Coombes Headlines, which runs to between 16 and 20 pages and is professionally printed by an outside company.

About 5,000 copies are distributed throughout the college and in local bookshops.

Broadcasting

A college radio station - which broadcasts on 1287 AM - will be producing two half-hour-long news bulletins each day.

A TV studio is also being built.

And older children work with local primary schools to produce two newspapers a year written by pupils there.

The editor, 18-year-old Tim Mann, said the youngsters all had big smiles on their faces when they saw their articles in print.

He said the new newsroom, with dedicated workstations running industry-standard layout software, would be "great".

Key skills

Teacher Sue White, a former local newspaper journalist who now works full time at the college, said journalism studies were for students of all ages and abilities.

"It's important that it's not just the most able who take part," she said.

"It helps their English and literacy skills and writing, and boosts their confidence."

The older students also had a head start if they wanted to pursue careers in journalism - and local newspaper editors were very supportive, she said.

Tim Mann said he had spent five days on a work placement with a German daily newspaper in Besigheim, near Stuttgart - seeing several of his articles make it into print.

The experience does not seem to have turned his head, however.

Much as he is enjoying the NCTJ courses, when he finishes his A-levels this summer he plans to study his favourite subject at university - computer systems engineering.