STUDENTS formed a reporting team and took an indepth look at issues that will affect their future lives recently.

Year 7 to 10 pupils at Risedale Sports and Community College, in Hipswell, Catterick, recently spent a day working with visitors including police, fire fighters, prison officers, court officials and teaching staff.

The event was captured by a reporting team who interviewed staff and students involved in the workshops and published a newsletter, Risedale News, by the end of the day.

It was part of Focus Day, an annual event to help students consider the issues that will affect their future lives.

Sessions included talks by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service on fires and car accidents, the police on the history of alcohol, the charity 'Prison Me No Way' on the consequences of anti-social behaviour, the Prison Service on life behind bars and magistrates’ court officials who staged a mock trial.

Associate principal John Kelly said: “The clue is in the name; Focus Day is designed to help students focus on the important issues of life.

“We try and make the day as real as possible so it has greater impact and it has some really powerful messages.”

Risedale News editor Joe Andrews, 12, said: “We all had really good fun interviewing staff and students. I think we would all be interested in doing this again – and it might even persuade us to consider journalism as a career.”