A NEWPORT school has launched its own media group to develop an ambitious in-house project.

Llanwern High School is working with local companies to create a website and branding for the new Llanwern Life project.

Llanwern Life will allow a team of pupils to report on a range of news items both within the school and the community through the website and, in the future, newspaper and television.

The project was open to all pupils across the school to apply for positions and more than 200 students submitted CVs and received CV writing skills from Barclays Life Skills.

Twenty seven were shortlisted for interview, with Barclays providing interview training. The final team of 12 students visited RWA offices in Blaenavon and are working with RWA staff to brand and design the Llanwern Life logo and website.

Andy Knight, the school’s director of Business, said: “The school is very keen to work with companies to provide our students with real life skills and opportunities that will equip them for their careers when they leave school. Great thanks must be given to Rachel Lloyd and Barclays Life Skills for the training and support they have given our students.

“We must also thank Tom Wood and the RWA team for their vision and support in helping with this project. Llanwern Life will allow our pupils to work with business professionals to create a product which, we hope, will grow in the future. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and demonstrates how schools and business can work together to benefit the students.”

Emma Llewellyn, associate assistant head teacher and head of English, added: “It began with the English department needing web space to publish news reports, so we thought it would be great to create one from scratch and what I thought would be such a small idea grew into something big and exciting.

“The final team of 12 works incredibly well together, they are motivated and eager. What is more, the skills they are developing will prepare them for the world of work.”

Tom Wood, managing director of RWA, said: “RWA are developing our own sustainability policy for the next 15 years, and one of the major things we are looking at is increasing the business skills competencies of school age children to make them more employable and a better fit into the business environment when they leave education. We wanted to work with a forward thinking and transformational school such as Llanwern High because of their passion for skills development in young people and their commitment to enriching the lives of their pupils.”