Stacey, 12, and April, 11, were "proud to do something" about litter

No, it is the expertise of the teachers and older students. This was the view of one school taking part in a practice News Day on 15 November.

Pupils from Rainham School for Girls in Gillingham, Kent, took the initiative to quiz their head teacher about an anti-litter campaign, their deputy head about his teaching experience in Belize, Central America, and a former pupil about her charity work to help street children in India.

Deputy head Rob Davies said: "In this school we have a variety of teachers who have a wide cross-section of experience. Drawing on this allows pupils to see that we are more than our subject area. Hopefully they will see us as positive role models."

Assisted by students from Years 8, 10 and 12, the Year 7s turned their interviews with staff into news reports, which were published on the school website.

Amy, 11, who was working on a film review, said: "I prefer other students' suggestions, rather than teachers', because I know they've been there before."

Her mentor, Besime, 17, said: "For the language production part of our English AS-level, we write reviews and we also have to write a commentary on our work, so commenting on Amy's review has really helped me."

Cascading learning

The mutual benefit was felt by students of all ages. The school's head of English and media studies, Anne Walker, said: "Having been mentored themselves, the Year 8s have unconsciously picked up coaching skills, and this was a good opportunity to put them to use."

Year 10 mentor Nicola, 14, said: "Working with an unfamiliar audience is something I need to do for my English GSCE - and it refreshes my own interview skills."

Pupils interviewed the head about an anti-litter campaign

Even the Year 7 students will have the opportunity to train their peers, as two students from each class are schooled in web design, cascading the learning to the rest of the form.

E-learning co-ordinator Gareth Barnard said: "Often students see a different way of using software, enabling teachers to learn something new as well."

In addition to developing the students' ICT skills, the School Report project can also promote active citizenship.

Inclusively

While interviewing the head teacher about an anti-litter initiative, Stacey plucked up the courage to voice her concern about the problem of students leaving chewing gum on the undersides of desks.

As a result, the 12-year-old and her classmates have agreed to raise the issue during a school assembly.

She said: "I would have been a bit scared about knocking on the head teacher's door to talk about it, but it felt easy bringing it up as part of our report. I feel proud that my question helped us to do something about it."

Head teacher Jacqui Dunn said: "The message will be more effective coming from the students' mouths."

"Inclusively" is the central message from the school, which is involving a whole year group of School Reporters - more than 100 students were involved this month, another 90 are taking part in the next practice News Day on Thursday 13 December, and a further 90 will join in during the new year.

Ms Walker advised teachers working with large groups to assign a "float" member of staff with the freedom to move between classrooms, and to book equipment well in advance.

While all the students' reports will be published on the school website, students from the 10 forms will apply to take part in the UK-wide News Day on 13 March.