BUDDING journalists at Kington St Michael Primary School are celebrating a real scoop after winning the Gazette and Herald's Hold the Front Page competition.

The eight, nine, 10 and 11-year-old pupils have been awarded first prize in the competition to design their very own newspaper, thanks to their classy publication, The Kington St. Michael Summer Edition.

They get a package of great prizes, including a digital camera from Computer World in Swindon, and a class trip to the Cineworld cinema at Swindon's Greenbridge Leisure Park.

"The children were absolutely thrilled to learn they had won the competition," said their literacy teacher, Sara Gray.

"The school has never entered the competition before, but decided it would be a great way of recording our achievements this year.

"It turned into a real group effort, with dozens of pupils, writing, designing and producing our newspaper."

The Kington St Michael Summer Edition impressed judges, including Gazette and Herald editor, Gary Lawrence, with its imaginative mix of news, features and sports stories about the school.

Mrs Gray said: "All of the children were consulted every step of the way about how the paper would look and what it would contain.

"We wanted it to reflect the things we had been learning about in school, so it included a report on a recent trip to Lacock Abbey for our Tudor studies, another report by two of our pupils who were invited to attend the inauguration of the new bishop at Bristol Cathedral, and news on our sporting achievements, as well as things like reviews of computer games and school trips we had been on during the year.

"It was also a joint effort putting the newspaper together too," said Mrs Gray.

"Although we had problems with some of our computers, which are currently being updated, many of the pupils took discs home to work on them in their spare time."

Mrs Gray said the experience of producing The Kington St Michael Summer Edition had also unearthed some hidden journalistic flair amongst the pupils.

"Some of the children showed a real talent for headline writing," she said.

"I'm in no doubt that we have some copywriters and artists of the future in our midst."

The runners-up prize in this year's Hold the Front Page competition went to Windmill Hill Primary School in Freshbrook, Swindon, for their newspaper, The Windmill Times.

The school wins a new Hi Fi and a trip to the Mega Bowl in Swindon's Shaw Ridge Leisure Park.

Year Five teacher, Sarah Leighfield said: "The children are absolutely delighted.

"All of them are very much looking forward to their prize."

A highly commended certificate was awarded St Peter's Primary School, Devizes, which won £1,500 of equipment as last year's winners for its newspaper the St Peter's Post.

Woodborough CE Primary School in Woodborough, also received a highly commended certificate, for its newspaper, Woodborough's World.

The annual Hold the Front Page competition invites entries from primary schools throughout the Gazette and Herald's circulation area.

Editor Gary Lawrence said: "The entries this year were of a fantastic standard.

"There were some very difficult decisions to be made.

"But The Kington St Michael Summer Edition was a clear winner. Our congratulations to all the talented pupils who were involved."