LAST week over 20 budding reporters from two Norwich high schools were honoured at a special awards evening at Carrow Road.

BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Goreham, who is an ambassador for the programme, presented certificates and awards to students in years eight and nine from Thorpe St Andrew School and Open Academy.

The students had recently completed a pilot programme run by Norwich City Football Club Study Centre called 'Supporter to Reporter for Success'. The students were among the first in the UK to complete this innovative new programme after the NCFC Study Centre successfully bid to be one of only six sports-based education centres in the country to receive funding for the pilot from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which makes grants for projects that maximise opportunities for young people.

The 'Supporter to Reporter for Success' project is targeted at improving literacy, as well as speaking and listening skills, and aims to give young people skills and confidence through sports reporting. Through taking on the roles of journalists and producers students learn vital workplace skills like communication, teamwork and working to deadlines. By creating reports using video, audio, text and images they also have the opportunity to improve their digital media skills.

For both groups, the 10-week programme culminated with the chance for students to put all their newly developed skills into action by reporting from the press area on a live game at Carrow Road. You may have seen the up-and-coming reporters at the two under-21 games against Tottenham and Manchester United this season.

The NCFC Study Centre is now looking to continue the success of this initiative and are calling for more schools to take part.

BBC Radio Norfolk's Rob Butler, who has himself been interviewed by the students, said: "I believe that this programme is so important for inspiring the next generation of sports journalists."

While Goreham added: "It is unique in helping school children to connect what they learn in school with the skills they will need to explore an exciting and rewarding career path like journalism. I am delighted to support the Supporter to Reporter initiative."

Paul Wickens, NCFC Study Centre Manager, commented: "We are thrilled to have been involved in the pilot for this exciting project. The students have loved it and their writing and communication skills have improved dramatically. This will clearly help schools to get children enthusiastic about practising their literacy skills and we are looking forward to working with a number of new schools in the future."

Nigel Youngman, Director of Sixth Form and ICT at Open Academy, said: "To have been involved in 'Supporter to Reporter' has been truly fantastic. There's been that wonderful moment when suddenly the students get it. They have developed a love of using language, whether in the written or spoken form."

"Clearly some students have been opened up to a professional field that has caught their imagination. But at the same time seeing others explore powerful descriptive language and desperate to get their words down on the page has been equally exciting."

Year-six students from West Earlham Junior School are currently completing the programme, which is now available to primary and secondary schools throughout the county. It can be run either as a 10-week programme or over a series of activity days.

For more information please contact Katie Ellis at the NCFC Study Centre on 01603 218757 or katie.ellis@norfolk.gov.uk

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