Millbay Academy Students Learn to Spot Fake News with BBC Workshops

Millbay Academy, have welcomed a team from the BBC this term as part of the National Schools Project, which is aimed at helping students navigate misinformation online. 

BBC South West journalist Archie Farmer, who works on the regional TV news programme BBC Spotlight was one of the visitors. Over the course of the day, the BBC team delivered a series of interactive workshops, giving more than 120 students the opportunity to explore how news is created and shared.

The workshops introduced students to key concepts around news, media bias, and critical thinking, encouraging them to question sources and identify reliable information. A second day of workshops will take place next month where students will create their own social media-style news reels, applying the skills and insights learned in the first session.

In a poll by Ipsos earlier this year it was found that almost three quarters of Britons believe fake news and misinformation are widespread in online content shared by influencers. Among 16–34 year olds, who are both the most active users and most trusting of this type of media, 77% also recognise fake news as a problem in influencer content. Just over half of respondents felt misinformation is common on online news sites, while 46% said the same about newspapers and magazines.

The BBC initiative supports a wide range of the school’s curriculum and personal development goals, with strong cross-curricular connections to PSHE, where students develop media literacy, understand online influence, and explore identity. It also links to English through oracy, persuasive writing, and audience awareness, as well as drama, music and creative media through performance, sound design, and media production and history through understanding bias and evaluating sources.

Through this partnership with the BBC, Millbay students are gaining valuable real-world insight into how the media works, developing critical thinking skills to assess the information they encounter every day, and exploring career pathways within the creative Industries, including in screen arts and journalism, in line with the school’s unique focus and expertise.

At Millbay Academy young people are offered outstanding learning opportunities in a broad range of subjects focusing on industry, innovation and technological competence. All barriers to success are removed with no young person being held back in their quest to become the next generation of innovators, creators, scientists and environmentalists.

Jo Ware, Executive Headteacher at Millbay Academy said:

“We were delighted to welcome the BBC team into our school and to be part of the National Schools Project. These workshops give our students the chance to think critically about the information they see every day and to understand how news is made. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect their classroom learning with the real world and to build the skills they’ll need to navigate an increasingly digital society.”