25th November 2025
“A whole new insight”: Pate’s Grammar students experience professional print production at Heidelberg
This week, I’ve got an incredible story of the way in which a Shine Award provided an outstanding professional experience for two winning students and how they think about print and design.
When Charlton Cooper and Alfie walked into Heidelberg UK headquarters, they were expecting a brief introduction and perhaps a quick tour. What they got was something far more valuable: an entire day immersed in professional print production, guided by industry leaders who were genuinely invested in their learning.
The pair, Editor and Deputy Editor of Reveal, the student magazine of Pate’s Grammar School, won Best Printed Publication at the Shine School Media Awards 2025. The award, sponsored by printing technology company Heidelberg UK, came with a money-can’t-buy prize that most journalism students would never experience.
Here’s how Charlton describes their day:
Reveal, the student magazine of Pate’s Grammar School, was awarded Best Printed Publication in the Shine School Media Awards 2025. The award was sponsored by printing technology company Heidelberg UK. As part of the prize, Charlton and Alfie, Editor and Deputy Editor, were invited to the headquarters of Heidelberg UK. They were met by Managing Director Ryan Miles, expecting a short introduction but pleasantly surprised that he spent the whole day with them.
He was joined by Dave Naylor, who gave a comprehensive and beautifully presented personalised overview of the printing process from start to finish. This included demonstrating how the winning issue of Reveal could be preflight checked, imposed, and digitally printed using their technology.
After a very generous lunch, they drove to Fine Print Services in Witney, where they met Dan Bakewell, the Managing Director, who gave them an extensive tour of their facilities and the Heidelberg Speedmaster press. Charlton and Alfie saw the entire print production process from platemaking, through printing and calibration to folding and finishing.
“It was a wonderfully inspiring and instructive experience and gave us a whole new insight and appreciation into what it actually takes to print a magazine”, said Charlton. “The people we met were extraordinarily encouraging and generous with their time and expertise. We came away full of excitement about how we can make our magazine even better for future issues.”
By Charlton Cooper, Editor, Reveal – Pate’s Grammar School
Your students could be next
The Shine School Media Awards 2026 are now open for registration. Whether your school produces a newspaper, magazine, or podcast, we’re here to support your journey from concept to competition entry.
And yes, the prizes remain remarkable. Beyond Heidelberg’s print production experience, winners can shadow journalists at the Daily Mail, receive professional feedback on their work, and gain recognition that opens doors in the media industry.
I’d like to personally thank Ryan Miles at Heidelberg – as well as Dave and Dan – for setting this up for Charlton and Alfie and offering them this incredible experience.
If you’re considering entering, or thinking about starting a school media project, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at shine@stationers.org
Best wishes
Richard Chapman
Chair of Shine
About Heidelberg UK
Heidelberg is a leading provider of printing technology and services, committed to supporting the next generation of print professionals. Their sponsorship of the Best Printed Publication category demonstrates their investment in nurturing young talent and sharing industry expertise.