Award-winning Rosie, 12, leads the next generation of Jill Dando Reporters
By Schools Correspondent
An award-winning 12-year-old journalist is helping to train the next generation of young reporters through live school newsrooms.
Rosie, a student at Priory Community School Academy in Somerset, has stepped into a mentoring role after three successful years as a Jill Dando News reporter, supporting younger pupils to find stories, conduct interviews and write real news.
She recently led a Good News Room workshop alongside Nigel Dando, who has 48 years’ experience with the Bristol Post and the BBC. Together, they showed pupils how a professional newsroom works — through collaboration, idea-sharing and hands-on reporting.
During the session, Rosie shared her own journey, explaining how she began reporting aged nine at Castle Batch School and how Jill Dando News helped her build confidence and curiosity. She then worked with younger pupils in small groups, guiding them to develop story ideas, ask strong interview questions and turn their notes into finished articles.
This student-led model — older children training younger reporters — is now central to the expansion of the Good News Rooms.
The Good News Rooms were launched in 2011, with the Jill Dando News project beginning in 2016 at Jill Dando’s former school, Worle School, inspired by her values of kindness, positivity and humility.
Rosie has now been crowned Jill Dando Reporter of the Year.
“I’ve loved every minute of Jill Dando News,” Rosie said.
“It has given me confidence interviewing people from all walks of life, including those in Parliament and international rugby players.”
Rosie’s mentoring was recently showcased at Heron’s Moor School, where 20 pupils aged nine and ten launched their own children-led Good News Room.
Headteacher Georgina Tinker said: “Our young reporters are buzzing, and we are so grateful to Rosie and Nigel for helping to train them.”
The pupils will now receive further training as part of the expanding Jill Dando News Network, which includes young reporters across the UK and as far away as Malawi.
They find and write positive stories such as on charities, inspirational children or people in the community.
To enquire about setting up a Good News Room email news@goodnewspost.co.uk
