Practice News Days in Scotland 2007/08

SCHOOL REPORT IN SCOTLAND BBC Scotland Last year's schools in Scotland Return to the clickable map

Schools that have taken part in practice News Days feature on this page. It links to many of the educational websites on which School Reporters' news is published.

A new map is due to launch at the beginning of March, from which the BBC aim to link to school websites, generating a UK-wide audience for students' work.

Please send Schools Producer Ros Smith the address of your dedicated web page by 1 March.

Here is some useful information to help you:

How to make a School Report web page

Taking part in a practice News Day

How to publish on the internet

BLAIRGOWRIE HIGH SCHOOL, PERTHSHIRE

During January's practice News Day, School Reporters met their 1600 GMT broadcast deadline, publishing their work on the school website.

As well as text-based articles, students produced a video interview of their deputy head teacher discussing the school's recent role in the Scottish government's School of Ambition programme.

On 7 February, Blairgowrie High School Reporters took part in another practice News Day, covering stories about designing cars of the future, an interview with a BBC reporter, and writing creatively in foreign languages.

DOON ACADEMY, EAST AYRSHIRE

S2 Pupils at this school have interviewed the leader of the town band who is a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

During the December practice News Day, School Reporters Kelsey, Kyle, Laura, Ashleigh and Scott from Doon Academy in East Ayrshire showed European visitors to the school their presentation about Scotland.

The presentation and a report about the visit from members of Bridges4Europe, which promotes learning across communities in Scotland, Romania, Italy, Turkey and Bulgaria, is on the school website.

Students took part in another practice News Day in February, covering the Burns Supper festivities and celebrating the life and works of Robert Burns.

HAWICK HIGH SCHOOL, HAWICK, ROXBURGHSHIRE

This school have created a dedicated School Report web page for their news. At present it is a holding page to which reports will be added as they are published.

HILLHEAD HIGH SCHOOL, GLASGOW

This school will be publishing text-based news stories during a practice News Day in December. At present their School Report web page introduces the reporters and their plans. To access this page use the link above, click on Departments, then English and finally BBC News School Report.

Also in December, School Reporters commented on the government's 10-year children's plan.

Students comment on children's plan

On the practice News Day in December, Hillhead High School in Glasgow met their publishing deadline and uploaded a range of reports to their school website. Their news topics included:

• The opening of a new shopping centre in Glasgow
• A man trapped in a toilet in Aberdeen
• The school's international link with a school in Kenya
• Death caused by a tropical storm in the Caribbean
• The age of Saturn's rings
• Pollution in Beijing and its possible effect on the Olympics
• A news species of dinosaur discovered in Africa
• The danger of waves on Zanzibar's beaches
• The possibility of skateboarding being included in the 2012 Olympics
• A shooting in Glasgow where there were no injuries
• The death of a fox in Orkney
• Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Roma
• Liverpool's 4-0 victory over Marseille
• Arsenal's 2-1 defeat of Steaua

Three-quarters of a class of School Reporters believe that cookery should be compulsory in all UK secondary schools. This was the finding of twenty S1 pupils who contributed to a survey as part of the BBC News project.

Cookery lessons spark a survey

LENZIE ACADEMY, EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE

Climate change, BAFTA awards, fund-raising and school sport were just some of the news issues tackled by students at this school who took part in January's practice News Day.

Other students reviewed the iPhone and Kate Nash's new album, investigated the cost of the 2012 Olympics Games, global warming and driving for the visually impaired, described a school trip to Disneyland Paris where students learned maths by studying the rides, and explored Scottish culture through the mythical haggis.

Twenty 13 and 14-year-olds are writing reports related to their Modern Studies work for the school website. A further eighty students studying the subject in the S3 year group will have the chance to take part in School Report.

SHAWLANDS ACADEMY, GLASGOW

During their February practice News Day, School Reporters at this school covered:

• The environmental impact of a forest adventure park in their local area
• Issues of racism in schools and ways of tackling it
• Their own experiences of taking part in BBC News School Report
• Debates into mobile phones and teenage drinking
• The effects of climate change in the US
• Food issues including organic and free-range chicken
• Scotland's performance in the Six Nations rugby tournament.

ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE, DUMFRIES

School reporters at St Joseph's College in Dumfries explored both community and school issues during February's practice News Day.

Two classes of S2 pupils went out into the community to find out the details of a new primary school planned for the area.

Within the school, students also reported on the pros and cons of a policy that restricts the use of mobile phones and the ban on camera phones on school premises.

School Reporters also investigated the reasons behind the school's decision to not allow first and second year students to leave the premises during the school day.