School Name: Wodensborough Ormiston Academy
Teacher: Joanne Denham, Librarian
“Brilliant magazine for students. Lots of interesting current issues, colourful and well explained. The students constantly ask when the new edition is out”
Joanne Denham, Librarian, Wodensborough Ormiston Academy
“The Week Junior gave us a chance to learn and to debate, which is a really important part in some jobs and it also helps open up our mind and use our voices to communicate and tell our opinions.”
Year 8 student, Wodensborough Ormiston Academy
Our school
Wodensborough Ormiston Academy is a mixed secondary school for students aged 11 to 16 in Wednesbury.
Why did you choose The Week Junior?
We run a number of extra-curricular activities at Wodensborough Ormiston Academy, including a Writing Club, a Reading Club and a News Club. We were considering launching a Debating Club and thought that The Week Junior magazine would support our students explore a variety of real world issues in a clear, concise and colourful way in both our existing clubs, and a new Debating Club.
How do you use The Week Junior?
Led by our fantastic Librarian Joanne Denham, our Year 7 and 8 students have been using the magazine in their weekly Debate Club, as well as to inform discussions on current affairs topics in their News Club. The magazine is also available to students for extra-curricular reading in the Learning Resource Centre. The students love the magazine and constantly ask when the new edition is out.
What have been the highlights of working with The Week Junior?
Since we began receiving weekly copies of The Week Junior, we have seen a students enthusiastically engage with the topics covered in the magazine and grow their confidence in public speaking and debating.
The Big Debate — Thanks to The Week Junior and English Speaking Union we were given the opportunity to run a Big Debate — a day filled with debating games, skills and tasks culminating in a live big debate. The topics provided by The Week Junior really motivated the students to share their opinions and engage in the activities. The students practiced their debating skills, and learnt the importance of body language and articulation in public speaking, which they are confident will help them when they enter the world of work.
Roving Reporter Competition — Our students entered The Week Junior’s Roving Reporter competition, which turns students into journalists and asks them to submit their own news story. The winning article will be published in an upcoming edition of The Week Junior so this really motivated the students to get involved. The competition gave our students the chance to practice their creative writing skills whilst also paying close attention to detail and undertaking independent research.
Magazine Career Day — We were also very lucky that the Editor of The Week Junior magazine, Anna Bassi, came in to give our students a talk about working at a magazine publisher. The session was very engaging and gave the students lots to think about ahead of choosing their own career paths! They have since been able to reflect on their personal ambitions and focus on the skills they need to achieve their goals.