MEDIA students at a city school have been given first-hand experience of film-making after working with a nursery.
Teenagers from St Mary's College went back to nursery to work on the creative media project, which saw them practise the skills they are learning in the classroom in a real filming environment.
They teamed up with McMillan Nursery and were given the "real world" task of creating a dynamic new video advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of what is on offer to youngsters at the nursery in north Hull.
The sixth-formers were responsible for all aspects of the project, from taking the initial brief, through to presenting the finished videos to staff, parents and governors of the school and McMillan.
Andrew Shimmin, headteacher at the school, said he has been blown away by the results.
"Working together with the students and staff has been a fantastic experience and the finished product is impressive," he said.
"It is a really professional film that captures what we believe in at McMillan, the exciting opportunities we offer children and families and what the parents think about the nursery provision for their children.
"It will be really valuable for getting information out to our community about the quality and opportunities at the nursery school that is on their doorstep."
Working with a real client has offered a different learning experience for the budding media producers of the future.
It has helped them to develop self- confidence and improved communication skills as they prepare to move into the highly competitive media industry.
Jack Cawthorne, a student who took part in the project, said: "I think the project has been incredibly successful in helping me develop the skills needed to make it in the media industry.
"It's not enough just to make an excellent video.
"You also need the confidence and ability to present your work to clients or employers and the experience I have gained in this project is something I couldn't really learn in the classroom."
Tim Derrick, a teacher from St Mary's College's media department, said: "This is what outstanding vocational learning is all about.
"The knowledge and experience students have gained through completing this project have been crucial in helping them understand how they can turn their media production skills into a potentially lucrative career."
The plan is to use the film at venues around north Hull and the rest of the city to raise awareness of parents of two, three and four-year-olds that they can access a free nursery place at McMillan, which is funded by Hull City Council.
The film will also be on the McMillan website.
To view the video, visit www.mcmillannurs eryschool.ik.org
