CHILDREN at a Darlington school got the chance to set up their own businesses and make a profit last week.

Pupils from Beaumont Hill School set up an enterprise per class, worked out their target audience, developed and advertised their products and sold them at a Christmas fair on Friday.

Hundreds of family, friends and past pupils came to the fair and bought products, which included Christmas cards, decorations and cakes.

The secondary school's headteacher, Colin Smith, based the project on the Young Enterprise Scheme, which is aimed just at year tens, but he included every class in the special needs school.

Beaumont Hill School's deputy headteacher Val Hetherington said: "The pupils have been using their profits to go out this week. Some have chosen to go to Pizza Hut, others to the cinema.

"The aim of the project was to give the pupils experience of work, and to get their families involved by inviting them to the fair."