Harrogate school's pupils set to follow in the footsteps of award-winning Sunday Times reporter

Ashville College has resurrected and modernised the former Sixth Form magazine, Sixth Sense, to help pupils develop their writing skills.

The editorial team meets on a weekly basis to discuss ideas and works collaboratively on identifying, researching, writing and editing new articles.

The new-look magazine is also open to all Sixth Form pupils who have an idea they want to explore.

English teacher, Mr James Watson, who has supervised the project’s launch, said: “The magazine hopefully gives our students a platform to develop their voice on anything they have a passion for.

“They’ve had some great ideas throughout and we have some really fascinating and very wide-ranging discussions.

“I’ve been really impressed with the engagement and home-grown skills of all the pupils involved."

The independent Harrogate school is planning to build on the initiative by staging workshops involving past and present journalists and writers to give a first-hand insight into the world of news-gathering across print, broadcast and new media.

It is also hoped that the project will help pupils get a step on the media career ladder - and follow in the footsteps of former Ashville College pupil Andrew Norfolk, the multi-award winning chief investigative reporter for The Times and The Sunday Times.

The idea to bring back the magazine came from a group of this year’s Upper Sixth pupils who pitched the ambitious idea of recreating what was a once-a-term printed magazine as a vibrant online publication - designed, written and brought to life entirely by Sixth Form pupils.

The relaunched magazine publishes articles and features on a range of topics, including politics and current affairs, sport, the environment, school life and the arts, as well as reviews and interviews.

The project is part of the school’s effort to ensure pupils are “future ready”, by equipping them with valuable skills and experience that prepare them for the working world.

Founded in 1877, Ashville College is a leading independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged two-18 years.

More information: https://www.ashville.co.uk/