BBC News - Live text - February Practice News Day Live text - February Practice News Day Pupils all over the UK are honing their reporting skills on the final Practice News Day before 15 March. Find out how they are getting on as they turn their classrooms into newsrooms. 1443: Reporters at Sir James Smith's Community School in Cornwall have been really busy with seven reporting teams working on a variety of stories. They are on wide-ranging topics such as whether the school day should be longer right through to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee procession and what this has to do with Cornwall. Jack, Dean, Chelsea and Josie have been reporting on how the economy is affecting children, especially their aspirations to go on to further education. Scriptwriter, Chelsea, would even like to be a reporter when she is older! They all think Practice News Day has been "amazing" and are "really looking forward to doing it all again" come 15 March - great work, all of you! 1425: The Sir John Gleed School, Girls' Campus have been working hard all morning looking at the Queen's Jubilee and getting local views and opinions on our monarchy. Sophie, Emma and Harriet went to the local shopping centre to see what the people of Spalding thought. Izzy and Amy have been looking at the effects of the recession on Spalding High Street and talking to private local traders. Sophie, Amanda and Ellie have been looking at the impact of rising birth rate on local primary schools after seeing the national story on the BBC News today. 1417: It's 'anchors aweigh' at Blythe Bridge High School in Stoke-on-Trent! Students at the school have been reporting on the tragic sinking of the Titanic, as if the disaster was happening as they work. The school has a strong link to the story, as the captain was originally from the nearby town of Hanley. Student reporters have been busy assigning roles for the report and getting to grips with researching the traumatic event. It should be a successful day if all reporters keep in 'ship shape' 1401: At Newcastle School for Boys , 17 Year 7 students have just finished putting together their text-based reports. They have been working on a range of stories, from Syria to Scotland rugby player Dan Park's retirement which they've uploaded on their They are still just trying to wrestle with some video editing but hope to finish this shortly! This is the school's first Practice News Day and teacher Mr Tickner says "I'm absolutely exhausted but it has been invaluable, especially from a technical point of view to try things out before News Day!." 1357: Newsround reporter Ricky Boleto has a message for everyone taking part today! He said: "Best of luck to all the schools taking part in today's Practice News Day." 1355: Students at Alperton Community School in London have been busy covering a range of stories today. School Reporters investigated if teachers and students see the recent snowfall differently and reported on the school non-uniform day. 1339: School Reporters from The Roseland Community College in Cornwall have had a busy morning preparing for their radio bulletin at 1400 which will be broadcast on the school's very own radio station Radio Roseland. The students have interviewed their local council about some redevelopment plans for the area and even tried to speak to someone at Buckingham Palace about the Diamond Jubilee - they didn't have any luck this time but have got their fingers crossed for March! Not to worry guys - stick at it. Getting interviews often takes a bit of persistence! 1334: Great stuff from Bury Boy's Grammar School , who have overcome some pretty serious technical issues (see entry at 1120) and are already posting their stories online! There are a nice blend of stories, from weighty issues like childhood depression and an interview with a Holocaust survivor, to a report on how the smaller local football clubs may find their matches disrupted by snow this weekend. Ben, 14, said: "My group decided to research the story on Ayumu the remarkable chimp, who beat the human world champion's score in a memory competition. We found this news story extremely interesting as the chimp did twice as well as the human. We are really enjoying the day so far. Jack, 13, added: "I'm having a fantastic time learning about what news is and how to report it. I have enjoyed honing my presenting skills and thinking about how to tell stories in entertaining ways. And Joseph, 13 tells us that "I have enjoyed the pressure of having to produce great work for strict deadlines." Check out their reports 1330: School Reporters from Battersea Park School in south London recorded a special interview with Cher Lloyd last night after she had been on Radio 1. But you'll have to wait until News Day on Thursday 15 March to see their report! 1325: There are 26 reporters taking part in Practice News Day at Whickham School tomorrow, when they'll be focusing on Olympics-based stories. We'll try to get in touch on Thursday to find out how they get on. Best of luck! 1315: The students at Charlton School in south-east London have just told us they're so keen they're actually taking part in a whole news week! They're swamped with material but all 180 pupils are getting involved so they have plenty of hands on deck. They've been interviewing local members of the public and even stumbled on a former pupil, from back in the school's open-air days when the students' ink would often freeze! 1248: How people get their news, after-school clubs, sexism in sport and smoking at school are just some of the news reports that students from Bury Church Of England High School and William Hulme's Grammar School , both from Greater Manchester, are working on at The Lab, the BBC's digital learning space at MediaCityUK, Salford. Students have already produced a radio news bulletin at 1200, and are working towards other news bulletins at 1330 and 1430. Rebecca, 11, from William Hulme's, said: "It's been fun and really exciting. I like the bit when we recorded the inteviews. I was asking the questions about how women feel when men say that they are better at sports. Amy, 12, from Bury Church, said: "I've enjoyed the experience of coming here and working with new people. The most challenging thing hasd been gathering all the information and putting it into a script in order to meet the deadline. 1242: Claire, 15, has already worked hard to be selected as the editor of Davison C of E School for Girls ' School Report team. There's a buzz of excitement and a wide range of stories being covered. Their main feature is about Davison's bicentennial, with lots of activities around the school to mark its 200th birthday: everything from arts and memorials to a quilt made for the occasion! The reporters are also following up ideas surrounding the recent refurbishment of the local swimming pool, and topical issues including technology censorship and an article about Charles Dickens, who would have been celebrating his 200th birthday this week. They're having a great day, the highlight so far is the filming crew who are following everyone around getting interviews ready for their bulletin. Keep up the good work girls! 1237: Diss High students have decided on their news stories and are already out and about recording interviews for their television and radio news reports. They are being helped by Look East and Radio Norfolk journalist Louise Priest to ensure that their news is clear, concise and expertly presented! The television group are reporting on the new £1 million vocational centre recently built on the school grounds. This will open in September and will offer courses in Health and Beauty and Construction and Land Based learning. They are also exploring how the snow has caused disruption in the local area and reporting on the Diss High School Talent show, which is being held throughout the week. Hopefully, time permitting, they will also interview Louise about what makes a good journalist and how she got into the industry! The radio group are doing a special feature story on cyber-bullying, sporting facilities and sporting successes at the school and asking people about the impact that recent power-cuts in Diss have had. "It's busy here indeed but students are having lots of fun!" says teacher Ms Johnson. 1233: All hands on deck at Lurgan Junior High School in Northern Ireland with students busy writing reports on a range of subjects from a report that claims people in Northern Ireland are not getting enough exercise to the new sign which has been erected at the Titanic quarter. Some of the School Reporters have also been on the phone to Tenerife to speak to passengers who were on the plane which made an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport yesterday. 1227: Students from Hall Cross School , Doncaster, did a special Practice News Day with BBC journalists at The Lab in MediaCityUK on Tuesday and produced a radio bulletin ehich youcan hear by clicking on Their stories included "A world without Wikipedia" and the value of vocational GCSEs. After recording in Salford, they uploaded their reports to their school website, giving them a worldwide audience immediately. 1225: Things are certainly all go at The Roseland Community College in Truro says teacher Mr Appieyard. He says there are lots of stories coming together and frantic editing and recording! 1211: Charity week at Cirencester Deer Park School is providing the focus for their Practice News Day. Sixteen students from Years 7 to 11 are writing and recording stories based around the fund raising activities. These include a rowing machine competition and a tug of war. Lizi, from Year 11, is organising the team in terms of writing, filming and using the computers, while James, 16, is trying to make the layout of the webpage work for the stories with the help of a couple of other students and members of staff. 1208: A group of students from Wallace Academy in Dumfries have been busy all morning working on three reports. Pupils from Years 7 to 10 have been looking into the issues surrounding leukemia and meningitis from two different angles and remembering a particularly festive Burns Night supper held at the school. Teacher Emma Stuart said: "We're getting on great. The kids are loving editing their final drafts and they've had help from a BBC mentor Giancarlo Rinaldi. 1205: Apologies to students at Diss High School in Nolfolk - their update came in some time ago but we're only just using it now. Anyway, the School Reporters' work is well underway and they have started researching their news stories for today! 1153: School Reporters from The Ernest Bevin College in south-west London are working on a number of different stories, including filming a report with one of their teachers Winston Gordon who is part of the Great Britain judo squad and hoping to compete in the Olympic Games. Fillp, 13, says he is "really enjoying the experience." He is particularly learning how to edit and thinks "it is good getting more experience so I can use it in the future." Reece, 13, is also enjoying being involved and says he is "feeling more confident in front of the camera." He also thinks working in a team is a good thing and "a way to make better friends." 1146: Robert May's School in Hampshire have just exploring the school's use of the Olympic values. Great work guys. 1134: School Reporters at St Columba's Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath are working to a 1230 deadline today - not long to go! They are covering a range of stories including their school's preparation for the Olympics; the Diamond Jubilee; this UK's inability to cope with snow; reports on local sporting events and even a feline invasion at a football match! Teacher Mr O'Sullivan says it's all going very well although the pressure of deadlines and technical hiccups are starting to show on a few faces! 1120: It's all been a bit Victorian this morning at Bury Boy's Grammar School , as a power cut left the students without electricity! But it takes more than that to deter enthusiastic School Reporters - they are ploughing ahead with stories on a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Centre, and an exclusive interview with Lego's CEO. A group of students are also investigating the reporting of gang related incidents in Salford and exploring whether the city is reflected accurately in the media. Sounds great to us - keep it up! 1112: Reporters at Horbury School have been debating the pros and cons of social media and the benefits and pitfalls it has for young people. The overall feeling of their reporting team is that "people put themselves over on a social networking site that can make others have a negative view of the site, but it is important to remember that the problem is not with the site but with the individual using it." Also, Fran and Alex, aka Danny and Sandy, were interviewed about this year's school production of Grease. The School Reporters have also interviewed fellow students Josh and Michael about the recent "Youth Speaks" Competition they entered. 1059: BBC staff mentor Nick Crowther is working with School Reporters today. He says "we're taking part in the Practice News Day at East Manchester Academy - lots of good stories and enthusiasm!" 1052: School Reporters at Gordano School in Bristol have now chosen their news stories and are dashing around to get them recorded in time to meet the 1400 deadline! 1015: Students from Bruntcliffe School in Leeds recently put their reporting skills into practice at a special England Rugby Union event in Leeds ahead of the start of the Six Nations. Reporters Reece, Alex and James got straight into the thick of things and on arrival positioned themselves alongside all the other reporters and got some great footage of the England Team training. They also took the opportunity to get some advice on reporting from the BBC Look North team. As well as reminding the students to ask open questions and listen carefully to the answers one of the top tips was guiding the boys in the direction of the England Team Press Officer who was able to provide the Bruntcliffe School Reporters with a press pass and access to the coaching staff and players for some interviews with England coach Andy Farrell and Toby Flood. Reece asked Andy about the mood in the England camp since the exit from the World Cup and management changes. Andy said: "There is a real buzz in the camp at the moment and the team spirit is as good as it has been in a while and all the players are really looking forward to starting the Six Nations." They also managed to scoop an interview with new England coach Stuart Lancaster. He told the School Reporters that they "need to take one game at a time" during the Six Nations. The students are now working with the rest of their School Report team in editing the interviews to use as part of their News Day reports! 0956: "Should we use Wii in PE?" asked students from Blakewater College in Blackburn as they worked to a 1430 deadline to produce a TV news bulletin in The Lab, the BBC's Salford-based learning space on Monday. In September, the college is merging with two other schools and, by way of comparison, students interviewed the man looking after the amalgamation of different BBC departments at MediaCityUK, Barry Stockdale, Senior Project Manager, BBC North. Cyber bullying and the recent snowy weather were also on the news agenda. 0952: School Reporters from Matthew Moss High School in Rochdale held their Practice News Day on Thursday 2 February. They looked at a variety of subjects for their stories - sport, child beggars and boy bands - together with a cartoon dealing with the recent Twitter controversy. Teacher Ms Miller said "We have had a great day. The learners were really engaged and shocked to discover how working to a deadline is really very difficult! They were also dumbfounded about how the process is a daily pressure for journalists - to get quality news out on time, every day! All of the Year 9 students involved said that they had enjoyed the day but that it was 'really hard work' - great learning and advice! 0946: Waldergrave School for Girls have 20 students working on Practice News Day today, they're already researching their stories in preparation for their big ideas meeting which the editor, Bella, from Year 9, will be chairing. They're keen to get on with the day as they always run out of time for interviews! 0937: Students from William Hulme's Grammar School in Manchester are today based in The Lab at MediaCityUK in Salford. They will shortly be joined by Bury Church Of England High School and together they will make a radio bulletin. Asad and Zakaria write: "We're waiting for the other school to arrive. At the moment we are looking through newspapers to get a heads up on the news. Taj, from our school, says he's nervous at the moment, but I'm keeping cool! Stay cool everyone - sounds like it should be a great day. 0929: Some of the most northerly based School Reporters from Glaitness School in the Orkney Islands have already been Jordan, Bryden, Dona and Cameron have visited Scapa Beach and written an interesting report about the impact that plastic waste is having on wildlife. 0919: Mentor Matthew Stadlen, who works on quickfire interview programme has just tweeted to let us know his plans for the day, with a certain very popular children's author. Off to interview #JacquelineWilson this morning and give a class on Five Minutes to some BBC School Report cub interviewers! Best of luck Matthew 0912: School Reporters at Horbury School in Wakefield are hard at work, getting in touch to say that the team are already strating on with a few reports, and videos will appear later. We'll be keeping an eye out. 0905: Of course lots of schools have already been taking part in reporting already over the last few days, with the School Reporters at Great Sankey High School in Warrington getting the chance to interview some of the top names in rugby league when they attended the launch of the new Super League seasaon last week. They interviewed St Helens captain Paul Wellens and Castleford coach Ian Millward, as well as chewing the fat with an assortment of journalists and broadcasters who were also working at the Old Trafford event. You can listen to their excellent interview with Wellens Superb work from the Great Sankey School Report team. 0900: Good morning everyone and welcome to out live coverage of School Report's final Practice News Day before the big day on 15 March! We've got schools up and down the UK ready to get on with their reporting, so stay tuned to find out all the latest news!