'Behind the Headlines' Workshop with The Guardian

Behind the Headlines

As part of the school's commitment to literacy, we were thrilled to take a group of Year 9 students to the offices of The Guardian newspaper in King's Cross. This was an incredible opportunity to see one of Britain's oldest media companies as they deliver news live to the nation. Not many state secondary schools get the chance to take part in this exciting day, called 'Behind the Headlines'.

Upon arrival, students had a tour of the newsrooms and met some of The Guardian's journalists. They were then taken to a special workshop space for a four-hour interactive workshop called 'Making the News'. Led by Guardian staff, this immersive journalism workshop helped students appreciate the fast-paced work of media production, editorial decision-making and digital storytelling. Students worked in pairs as reporters and editors. This meant choosing, researching and writing their own breaking news stories based on actual news from the day. This was a unique exposure to the real world of breaking news, with students having to work to realistic deadlines!

This superb session helped students gain a deeper understanding of how news is produced. It was also fascinating to see how news organisations structure stories for the digital audience. The trip helped students polish their teamwork skills as well as their wider media literacy. Students loved this trip, walking away with their own personalised newspaper containing the articles they had written. For all of them, this was their first taste of work experience - showcasing one of the many pathways that may be on offer later on. Perhaps the next Pulitzer Prize winner was born in that room...!