PAGES of five brand new newspaper titles are in production in a Blackburn classroom.

Pupils in Year Five at St Matthew's CE Primary School (pictured below) have been hard at work during their Research Week, delving into the past to discover more about life and times in Victorian Britain.

The results of their investigations have been written and designed as modern day reports, pictures and advertisements, making up their newspaper pages.

In addition to using books and CD Roms, the class has had talks on the early years of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph (then known as the Northern Daily Telegraph) from NIE Co-ordinator Rita Shaw.

And they also heard about the development of photography from photographer Jack Barry.

Pupils Afzal Desai and Salma Adam summed up the views of their classmates: "We particularly enjoyed the talks," they said, "The whole project has made us realise what life was like in the past.

"Turning it into newspapers made us feel as if we were really there at the time."

Industry Day

TEAMWORK, problem solving and effective communications were some of the aims of an Industry Day at St Wilfrid's CE High School, Blackburn. All 250 students in Year Nine worked in teams with 36 advisors from industry to complete four tasks by short deadlines during the day. In addition, Year 10 students prepared and served a superb buffet lunch to advisors, as part of their GCSE Home Economics studies.

Roger Simpson, School Administration Manager and Alan Braithwaite, Head of Careers, who jointly organised the event, thanked companies who allowed staff time to support the day providing valuable links between the school and local industries.

Book Review

THIS week we are publishing another prizewinning book review from a secondary school pupil for our competition to mark World Book Day:

BACK HOME, by Michelle Magorian (Puffin, £4.99)

BACK Home tells the story of a 12-year-old girl, Virginia, known as Rusty due to her red hair, who returns to England in 1945 after five yeas as an evacuee in America,

She has been used to a relaxed atmosphere in America, has grown up with a loving foster family and become a lively and outspoken girl.

When she arrives in England to live with her mother and younger brother Charlie, who she has never met before, she is thrown into a different lifestyle of rationing, rules and regulations. As she struggles to combat the disciplines she faces at home and school, Rusty's spirit leads her into more and more trouble.

Although this is a fictional story it is all based on the truth. People in England and America gave important information to Michelle Magorian to help her write this marvellous novel.

The book gets very quickly into the story and it keeps your interest because the storyline moves along all the time. All the visual descriptions are detailed and very easy to picture in your mind.

Back Home is very realistic and I could imagine myself and my reactions in most places and situations.

It would make an excellent film as there is always something different happening. It made me realise how hard life was in and after the war and what an easy life we all lead now.

RACHEL YATES, Burnley, age 12.

OUR Newspapers in Education project aims to give pupils and teachers a better understanding of business and industry and, in particular, of the newspaper industry. For more information on any aspect of the scheme, please contact Rita Shaw, NIE co-ordinator, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, High Street, Blackburn BB1 1HT.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.