SECONDARY school pupils were given a rare insight into the working world thanks to a wide variety of work experience placements.

Year 12 students at LVS Ascot in London Road took part in a variety of activities from a range of professions to help find out what career paths they are interested in.

The jobs included cancer research, banking, architecture and motor companies and one lucky teenager even got to work see inside the control hub of Facebook.

Megan Jenkinson, 16, was given the opportunity to spend a week in the social media giant’s central London office in Regent’s Place.

Rather than being a gentle introduction, Megan was thrown into the deep end and given the task of preparing a full report on the social media’s advertising strategies of major brand Clearasil, which she then had to present to other members of the company.

To do this she arranged multiple video conferences with colleagues across several continents and surveyed hand-picked audiences, and one of her mentors complimented her on being “fearless in her approach to getting the job done to a standard she could be proud of”.

Megan said: “I now have a clear idea of what a career in the creative industry is like and the skills I developed during the week will be really helpful when I begin my final year at LVS Ascot in September and considering the path I wish to take in future.”

Fellow pupil Ellen Murphy had the experience of a lifetime with her placement with OutPost Facilities, a TV and film post-production company based at Pinewood Studios, where she was able to edit scenes for programmes such as BBC hit drama Call The Midwife.

Ellen said: “The experience was really useful in terms of helping me choose the right path for further study at university and for my future career. It was an amazing opportunity.”

LVS Ascot is a co-educational, independent day and boarding school.