A dozen eager entrepreneurs will put their business acumen to the test as they take part in a school competition based on BBC TV show The Apprentice.

Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey is running the contest for a fifth year and following the format of the television series, children have been divided into two teams for their opening task.

Leading each side are Year 7 pupils Natalie Tanner and Paige Ashby-Clark.

Last Wednesday they went to Recre8 in Trinity Road, Sheerness, to learn from its founder, Andrew Deeley, about upcycling, which is reusing discarded objects or materials to create products of higher value.

They were given no money but told to use their resourcefulness to make as many items as possible in the school’s DT rooms.

An auction will be held next Wednesday at the school’s Minster site where entrants will unveil their products and try to make as much money as they can.

The first elimination will take place the following Friday.

The number of candidates will be whittled down over the coming weeks, as they take on five more tasks, until a winner is crowned at the final on July 17.

Returning to the Lord Alan Sugar role will be Swale councillor Ken Pugh.

He will be helped by a panel of judges including Mr Deeley, Mike Brown of Sheppey Matters and teacher Maxine Newbury.

The school’s head of business IT and enterprise, Sharon Wood, who is organising the competition, said: “The pupils are really enthusiastic. Very, very keen.

“They have been really resourceful and used the resources in school this week and last week very well.

“There is massive competition, particularly between the Abbey students and they are really excited because they heard about what has happened in the past.”

She said she was impressed by some of the pupils who said they wanted to pick up skills they could not learn in the classroom.

The competition is being funded by the Rotary Club of Minster-on-Sea and Cllr Pugh’s community fund.