Hammersmith Academy brought the BBC’s leading journalists into school on Thursday 6th November for a special joint recording of Newsround and the BBC’s Ukrainecast podcast — an extraordinary opportunity for our Year 7–10 students, including Ukrainian students now living in Hammersmith & Fulham, to witness professional journalism first-hand.

Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Ukraine Correspondent James Waterhouse, Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto and Vitaly Shevchenko, BBC Monitoring Russia Editor, led a powerful Question Time–style discussion exploring how three years of war have shaped the lives and education of young people in Ukraine and across the world. Students impressed the panel with thoughtful questions, personal reflections and mature engagement with a complex global issue.

This was a rare behind-the-scenes look at how news is produced, from camera crews and production teams to interview preparation and live discussion. For many pupils, it was their first experience of seeing a full BBC production in action, a meaningful encounter that deepened their understanding of world events and inspired future aspirations.

Headteacher Gary Kynaston commented:
“Having the BBC’s top journalists in our school gave our students a front-row seat to professional journalism at its best. They saw how global stories are shaped, how evidence is gathered, and how reporters give a voice to young people affected by world events.”

The episode is now live across BBC platforms:
• BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002mt97/ukrainecast-a-special-episode-with-newsround
• BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0mhp450
• Newsround: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c620yjgl0lpo
• BBC News YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJPk7rcjfpw

The event forms part of our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional cultural enrichment and real-world encounters that broaden horizons and prepare every student for future success.