School Newspaper Project

Frequently asked questions

Our journalism undergraduates will help your students create their own newspaper which is then professionally printed by Mortons Print, Horncastle.

How will the project benefit our school?

There are many positives to the project. Firstly, it fits with literacy work in the curriculum and also project work involving the media. It also allows students to work with industry professionals and gain an insight into newspaper production without having to leave school. As an enrichment tool it works extremely well, allowing students who may not be high achievers in certain areas contribute to a worthwhile and tangible project with real results.

It helps develops students' self esteem, giving them the confidence to interview adults, speak in front of their peers and see their hard work in print. It is also a great tool for boosting communication with parents and carers, and the school community. Copies of the paper go home with students and some schools have distributed extra copies to their communities, showcasing the work of the school and helping to create links within the community. For more on this subject please see the How it works page.

How many students can take part in the project?

On the day itself we usually work with between 25-30 students, but this can vary dependant on the requirements of the school. We have done days with ten students, but also 90 primary pupils. However, any student in the school can submit a story or picture for the paper prior to
the day itself. We do find the best papers are the ones that have a cross section of stories from all year groups.

What will the students do on the day?

On the day itself your students will take on various roles involved in producing a newspaper. With our help they will come up with story ideas, do research, interview, write up and edit their stories. They will also take pictures and then help in the design of news pages. In addition, they will take part in a press conference, decide on a name for the paper and debate which story should go on the front page. For more details please see the How it works page.

What do we need to prepare in advance?

It helps if as many stories as possible are prepared in advance, especially those from across the school community. However, we always do a certain number of articles on the day - this gives the students a real buzz of working in a newsroom to a deadline, and often students will come up with interesting and new story ideas during our morning conference. For more details see the Newspaper Day checklist page.

What facilities do the School Newspaper team need?

We are happy to work from any classroom or workspace but do need some space to set up our computers and room to enable us to work effectively with your students.

How long will it take before we receive the papers?

We aim to get your papers printed seven to ten days after our visit, but this can depend on the length of time and how many corrections and changes are needed.