Get ready to tune in, because there's a brand new radio station taking the airwaves by storm – and it's being run entirely by our very own junior school students at Cheam Common Junior Academy!

On the 29th of April, Cheam Common Junior Academy was equipped with top-of-the-range broadcasting equipment in their newly designed space called the ‘Innovation Hub’. This state-of-the-art technology, along with the comprehensive training provided by Mr. Russell Prue has given our young student broadcasters the perfect platform to launch their very own radio station, ‘CCJ Radio’, and showcase their creative talents!

This exciting project wouldn't be possible without the help, support and guidance of professional broadcaster and school radio supplier Russell Prue from Anderton Tiger. Mr. Prue spent four incredible days with our staff and students, sharing his expertise and providing them with the skills they needed to become radio stars. The training covered everything from mastering the technology to developing presenting confidence, and it was clear that our young broadcasters were absolute naturals!

Since then, the student-led radio station has been buzzing with activity. During lunchtimes, the playground comes alive with daily broadcasts, keeping everyone entertained with their latest shows including jokes, updates, shoutouts and songs. But that's not all! Each week, the station also produces live podcasts that are broadcasted to the world – talk about going global! To date the CCJ Radio Crew have produced over nine quality magazine style podcast shows that are broadcast live each week. These shows are then made available to a global audience through Mixcloud, a popular online platform for listening to and sharing radio shows, DJ mixes, and podcasts. Think of it as a giant library specifically for these types of audio programs, where anyone can tune in and listen to the CCJ Radio Crew's creations!

With the support and encouragement of Miss Govier and Mr Francis, and continued mentoring from Russell, the team has gone from strength to strength producing high quality and engaging shows on a weekly basis. Their programming is incredibly diverse, covering a range of topics relevant to the school community. Listeners can tune in for school updates and reminders, learn interesting facts about relevant topics and themes, hear students share their experiences from trips, like the Year 6 residential trip on the Isle of Wight, and events, and even enjoy live interviews with fascinating guests like the awesome Alan and Gustavo from the Texthelp team and even an ex-professional footballer - Gary Chivers!

Overall, the CCJ Radio Crew isn't just about on-air talent; they're committed to getting the whole school involved! To achieve this, they've developed a daily rota system. This system brings students across the school into the studio, providing them with interview opportunities and even allowing them to participate in pupil-led training sessions. This not only adds fresh perspectives to the shows but also empowers other students to master the radio technology. The result? A steadily growing CCJ Radio Crew with more capacity to produce even more exciting content. This opens up wider opportunities for as many students as possible to participate in this fantastic initiative.

But the engagement doesn't stop there! To truly represent the school spirit on the airwaves, Miss Govier launched a whole-school competition to design a logo for the CCJ Radio station. The response was phenomenal – over 60 stunning designs were submitted! After careful consideration, 10 finalists were chosen, and the entire school community, including staff, students, and even Mr Hedger, CEO of our trust, came together to vote for their favourite design. They can't wait to unveil the winning logo soon, and it's sure to be a symbol of the collaborative spirit and creative energy that drives the CCJ Radio Crew!

This fantastic initiative is a wonderful way for our students to develop their communication skills, creativity, and teamwork in a fun and engaging environment. We're incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication, and we can't wait to hear what amazing shows they come up with next. Stay tuned for more updates on our junior radio station, and who knows, you might even catch a live broadcast from the playground yourself! We are also looking forward to rolling out radios to all the schools across the Trust, and can’t wait to hear the unique and diverse voices from our schools as they share their stories, music, and news.

If you would like to listen to previous CCJ Radio shows, please click here.