Pupils from two secondary schools had a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a television news broadcast during a recent visit to ITV Studios in central Birmingham.

The young people from Aston Manor Academy, who are being mentored as part of Mosaic’s Secondary School Programme along with peers from City of Leicester School who are working with The Prince’s Trust Achieve Programme, were invited to the studios as part of ITV’s creative diversity initiative, which is designed to encourage those from a wide range of backgrounds to consider a career in the media.

During the visit, students had a chance to attend the daily editorial meeting, talk with reporter Rajiv Popat and write and record their own mock news bulletins and weather forecasts using the actual ITV Central set. The day ended with the opportunity to see the real ITV news programme being rehearsed and then broadcast.

The students’ response to the day was hugely positive. One of the young people, commented: “I really liked watching the news filmed live; I didn’t realise that so much went into it.” Another pupil said: “I enjoyed seeing the outtakes that the reporter showed us as it let us see that even top professionals make mistakes.”

Yvonne Palmer, Mosaic’s Regional Coordinator in the West Midlands, said: “I’m very grateful to ITV for opening their doors for what was an excellent and inspiring day. It’s vital that young people from all backgrounds feel that they have the opportunity to pursue a career in the media should they wish to. I’m pleased that ITV’s vision is very much in line with Mosaic’s when it comes to encouraging young people to aspire to great things regardless of their background or circumstances.”