Young reporters grabbed pens and notepads to craft their first news stories as part of a special class project.

Year 3 pupils from Harpenden Free School have been learning about journalism, which included a visit by Herts Ad editor Matt Adams and the opportunity to write a report on their new school building, with the best article published in the newspaper.

Editor Matt Adams said: “I see it as an important remit of our community engagement that we offer inspiration and guidance to the journalists of tomorrow, and I was happy to meet with the pupils from HFS to talk to them about the process of writing a news story and publish one of their reports in the Herts Advertiser.”

Emily Gutteridge’s story was selected for print, and appears in full below.

“Over the past few weeks curious children in colourful uniforms from Harpenden Free School have been visiting their new school building at Victoria Road.

The site is at the heart of Harpenden, right opposite Jack’s fish and chip shop, not to mention the police station.

The reason for this amazingly unique event is to give the children the opportunity to see what their new school will look like as well as explaining the building process. The children and teachers think it will be ready by September. They are having it built because the first building, which was a barn, was too small for the growing classes, so they got it to be built. Whilst they are waiting for it to be built, they are staying in a different school called St Luke’s.

On the site the excited children giggled with laughter in excitement as they were followed up to a hut and talked about safety. Emily, a student from HFS, exclaimed, “It is so exciting!”

The builders are still building as you are reading. So look out for some brave, boundless, playful, unique, curious and responsible HFS children in bright yellow jackets in Harpenden very soon.”