TES Workshops 2017: our winners speak!

Every year, the winners of the Best Newspaper, Best Magazine and Best Online categories at Shine are invited to a day-long workshop at the London office of TES.

This year, our winners were asked to reflect on the Awards Day and any advice they have for new entrants. 

We’re really happy with the responses and hope it inspires the Shine Class of 2018!

What was the best thing about the Awards Day?

“The best thing about the awards day itself is that it is so prestigious”

“The best thing about the awards day was getting to have a look at all the different magazines”

“I found the different workshops on the day really interesting, and looking at all the other magazines. I also found the speeches inspiring and liked seeing all the different pictures coming up on the screen, who had won and so on”

What advice would you give to any students thinking of setting up a school magazine?

“Just go for it really”

“I don’t consider myself a very ‘Englishy’ magazine-writing sort of person, but I absolutely love it”

– Ruth Cane & Ellon Ward, Colyton Grammar

Do you have to have any particular talents to run a magazine?

“There’s a place for people of all different talents – so if you don’t want to write, you can organise the different articles, or work on budgeting, emailing, promoting or selling it – there are so many roles.”

“Another piece of advice would be to make yourself a schedule at the beginning and get organised, set deadlines for everyone but add in an extra week to allow for editing and formatting”

– Beatrice Boiler, St Paul’s School for Girls

“You just have to have a passion for it, and that will help you”

“I don’t think you have to be particularly good at writing or particularly funny, you just have to enjoy it”

– The Colyton Grammar Team

Why did you get involved in running a school magazine?

“I do the magazine mostly because I’m interested in the world, and I want to pursue a career in scientific research, but I also want to know about other things as a side dish; because if you are going to specialise in one area, it is better to have a broader knowledge.

“I might pursue journalism as a freelancer just to give myself that rounded world view – for example, drag queens reading to toddlers [something that came up in the workshop], that’s showing you something you otherwise wouldn’t have known about….you have to read it, understand it fully, and simplify it for an audience.

“People who love learning, love reporting.”

– Rowan Michael Gray, Knight’s Templar School