Three of four winning teams in BBC Schools Question Time are from grammar schools
From the BBC:
This evening will see a different Question Time to usual, and it is fair to say that the production team and studio audience will both be slightly younger than usual! In addition to the usual 22.35 slot on BBC ONE, the programme will first be broadcast live on BBC THREE at 20.00.
Two students from each of the four UK schools chosen as winners of the Schools Question Time Challenge have been working with David Dimbleby and a BBC/Mentorn production team to make a unique edition of the show. Pupils from Bristol Grammar School, Bede Sixth Form College in Stockton-on-Tees, Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham and The Tiffin Girls School in Kingston upon Thames have been involved in all aspects of the production process, suggesting editorial ideas, researching and taking on production roles.
David Dimbleby will be joined on the show by a Question Time panel and a specially selected studio audience of mainly ‘virgin voters’, 16 to 25 year olds who have never voted before. They will question the panel – Rt Hon. Andy Burnham MP, Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP Shadow Culture Secretary, Sarah Teather MP and Shami Chakribarti – on a range of topical issues affecting young people across the country.
Following a national competition, a member of the public (aged 18-21) will also occupy a seat on the Question Time panel. Potential panellists submitted mobile video clips of themselves to the BBC website. From all the applicants five finalists were selected to audition in Sunderland on Thursday 18th June 2009, with David Dimbleby in a “mock” filmed edition of Question Time. Comments from the public about this film are being taken into account to help select one winner who will appear on the programme from Salford.
The programme will be broadcast live on BBC THREE at 20.00 and in the usual slot at 22.35 on BBC ONE.
I do hope you’ll be able to watch – if not this evening, then the Schools Question Time will be on the BBC iPlayer until Wednesday 15th July.
About the Schools Question Time Challenge:
The Schools Question Time Challenge, now in its sixth year, is a national initiative from Parliament’s Education Service, the Institute for Citizenship and the BBC. It aims to help pupils learn about citizenship, contribute to stimulating political discussions, improve their speaking and listening skills and engage with members of the community.
Secondary schools across the UK entered the Challenge online at www.schoolsquestiontime.org describing the issues they would discuss during their ideal Question Time and the panel they would select to debate those issues. From the entries, judges chose 10 finalists and each school receives a £250 cash grant from the Institute of Citizenship, supported by Parliament’s Education Service, to stage their event. A team of judges attend each event to select the four winning schools.
Two students from each of the four winning schools then work with David Dimbleby and the Question Time production team to produce a real BBC Question Time programme. They are involved in all aspects, from making editorial suggestions to researching and taking on production roles for the programme.
All UK schools can still benefit from the Schools Question Time Challenge, even if they choose not enter the competition, by downloading free resources from www.schoolsquestiontime.org. The educational resources include teacher’s notes, lesson plans and activities and aim to help pupils form opinions, improve their speaking and listening skills and engage with politics and issues that affect them as citizens.
The Schools Question Time Challenge 2010 will launch in September 2009, with new resources for an election year giving more young people than ever the opportunity to debate and interact with politics. David Dimbleby said, “Schools Question Time 2010 aims to be our biggest year yet and I would encourage teachers to register their interest at www.schoolsquestiontime.org and encourage their students to get involved in this fantastic political literacy and communication skills initiative