Pupils got a taste of the executive life when they ditched the school timetable in favour of business seminars.

Year 11 youngsters at Shoebury High School were given the chance to enter the world of work by wearing suits and taking morning coffee as part of their Aiming High Day within the classroom.

Generous staff at Asda in Shoebury pitched in by providing 200 doughnuts for the mid-morning break.

The conference was supported by a range of professionals from the world of business and commerce as well as an educational consultant and a senior GCSE English examiner.

Pupils heard talks on how to tackle revision and work under stress.

Break time - Emma Wilson, 16, Jasmin Groves, 16, and Jaymee Blewitt, 15, tuck into their free doughnuts

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.