PUPILS from a Wirral school have been making major waves in both the world of engineering and journalism this week as they took part in the BBC’s School Report News Day.

Students from the Observatory School in Bidston made national news on Thursday when they were given a master class in reporting while navigating a boat 38 miles from Liverpool Marina to Salford Quays.

The BBC’s disability correspondent Nikki Fox was on hand to give the Year 11 students all the top tips they needed to produce their very own news package.

Pupils set sail on Wednesday for their eight-hour journey to Media City – filming the whole thing at the same time.

It was the maiden voyage for students from the Bidston school – which teaches pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

The trip was part of their vocational studies in engineering and the school’s World’s Wettest Classroom project which has seen students take weekly lessons on the yacht.

The lessons give students the chance to develop their communication and technical skills.



Pupils were also given their own breaking news when deputy headteacher Greg Chiswell announced live on Thursday’s BBC Breakfast that those involved had passed their engineering course.

Headteacher Elaine Idris told the BBC: “The pupils have thoroughly bought into that ethos of stepping outside the box and doing something different.”

BBC School Report encourages 11 to 16-year-olds to make and broadcast their own news.

Now in its ninth year, it saw more than 1,000 schools take part.