PUPILS from a Harrogate school are swapping the classroom for the newsroom as it looks to foster the next generation of young journalists.
Ashville College has resurrected and modernised the former Sixth Form magazine, Sixth Sense, to help pupils develop their writing skills, give them a voice on shaping opinion, and help give them a step on the media career ladder – and follow in the footsteps of former pupil Andrew Norfolk, the multi-award winning chief investigative reporter for The Times and The Sunday Times.
The idea to bring back the magazine came from a group of this year’s Upper Sixth pupils who pitched the ambitious idea of recreating what was a once-a-term printed magazine as a vibrant online publication – designed, written and brought to life entirely by Sixth Form pupils.
The magazine publishes articles and features on a range of topics, including politics and current affairs, sport, the environment, school life and the arts, as well as reviews and interviews.
The editorial team meets on a weekly basis to discuss ideas and works collaboratively on identifying, researching, writing and editing new articles. The new-look magazine is also open to all Sixth Form pupils who have an idea they want to explore.
Readers can find thought-provoking articles ranging from the coronation of King Charles III to the future of green energy in the UK – as well as in-depth thought leadership pieces on the ethical implications of broadcasting court cases for the first time.
The project is part of the school’s effort to ensure pupils are “future ready”, by equipping them with valuable skills and experience that prepare them for the working world.
The school is planning to build on the initiative by staging workshops involving past and present journalists and writers to give a first-hand insight into the world of news-gathering across print, broadcast and new media.
English teacher, Mr James Watson, who has supervised the project’s launch, said: “I’ve been really impressed with the engagement and home-grown skills of all the pupils involved.
“They’ve had some great ideas throughout and we have some really fascinating and very wide-ranging discussions – from ancient mythology to the government, vinyl records and The Mandalorian!
“The magazine hopefully gives them a platform to develop their voice on anything they have a passion for, and we hope the headlines they create will appeal to the whole of the Ashville community.”
Categories: Ashville College School News
