Phil Taylor press conference

Phil "The Power" Taylor, who has been nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, was the focus of a press conference organised by a class of 12 and 13-year olds.

His sport and personality were certainly in the spotlight as pupils from St John Wall Catholic School in Birmingham posed well-researched questions as if they were professional journalists.

The 46-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, said: "I've never done anything like this before. It was brilliant."

Local hero

The darts player, who won both Midlands Sportsman of the Year and Midlands Sports Personality of the Year awards on 3 December, did not set eyes on the national trophy until the awards ceremony.

Assa and Wayne with the Sports Personality of the Year trophy

The students, however, had the chance to see - and lift - the trophy, when it was exhibited at their school as part of a UK tour.

It is the first time the iconic statue has been liberated from a locked cabinet at London's Television Centre since 1954.

The trophy was not the final figure of fame to grace the school. England footballer Michelle Hickmott, who plays for the national under-21 squad and Charlton Athletic, dropped in to coach the Year 7 students.

Michelle Hickmott coaches the Year 7 girls football team

Year 8 students Fatimah, 12, and Kirenjeet, 13, were keen to interview her.

They said: "Being a journalist involves using your brain to ask questions that encourage people to talk."

Head teacher John Hussey said: "Having sports personalities at the school benefits the students enormously.

"They can relate to them and understand that celebrities come from all backgrounds.

"Students are also able to see that fame is not always immediate and that it comes through hard work and determination."

Reporting sports news

Students also demonstrated hard work and determination using their interviews to compile sports reports which will be published on their school website.

Students hold a press conference for Phil Taylor

Geography teacher Sharon McLoughlin said: "The News Day enabled the students to work together as a team to achieve a final outcome. It also helped improve their literacy skills."

Luke, 12, said: "If other students are thinking about making the news, I'd advise them to research their stories first using the internet and to listen to their editor."

Awards ceremony

Kieran attended the awards ceremony at the NEC in Birmingham on Sunday 10 December.

He met a host of sporting celebrities including Lord Sebastian Coe who chaired the bid for London to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Kieran writes: "I was very proud when Mr Coe asked if I could put myreport on the 2012 Olympic website."

The Year 8 pupils made sports news as part of BBC News School Report, which encourages students to make TV, radio and online news in their schools and publish it on a school website.

Sixty UK schools, including St John Wall School, are involved in the 2006/7 pilot stage of the project which the BBC hopes to extend to all secondary schools in the future.

School Report will culminate in a national School Report News Day on 22 March 2007, in which all 60 schools will simultaneously make and publish their news on the internet.

For more information about School Report, visit the website using the link in the top-right corner of this page.