Eighty students from City College Norwich took over a four-star hotel for two days as part of an unusual work experience.

The catering and hospitality students ran the Holiday Inn Norwich North, including reception, housekeeping, bar management, food preparation, food service and health club duties.

Jessica Owen, 17, who worked on the reception desk, said: “The takeover gives us a chance to see what it is like to be a receptionist – it lets you make sure that you like it.  I’ve really enjoyed it, but I’ve got to get used to standing on my feet for so long.”

The two days culminated in a charity gala dinner, prepared and served by the learners to more than 200 paying guests, which raised £4,000 for Hospitality Action and City College Norwich’s Student Opportunities Fund.

Young artists from Manchester are pinning hopes of a windfall on the Saatchi Gallery website, which is displaying their artwork as part of the Sunday Telegraph Art Prize Schools.

The level three extended diploma in art and design students from Wigan & Leigh College, who are specialising in fine arts, have entered the competition for the chance to win £10,000 for their art department, and £2,000 for a personal spree on art and computer equipment.

Art tutor Lee Paton said: “The students have produced some beautiful and creative works.

“They have a professionalism and sophistication that is befitting of the type of modern artwork to be found in a world-renowned institution such as the Saatchi Gallery.”

As research – and inspiration – for their pieces, the students visited the Turner Monet Twombly exhibition at Tate Liverpool, and studied the movements of dancers from their college’s arts department.

Doncaster College catering and business students have created a sandwich for a new Subway store.

The ‘Hub Sub’, a low-salt sandwich filled with meatballs, salami and salad, will be on sale for a month at the new Subway in Station Court, Doncaster. All the proceeds will go to charity.

Gill Parkes, director of the academy of commercial enterprise at Doncaster, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for students to form links with local employers and take part in a real life project with real outcomes.”

The students did extensive market research and tasting before choosing the final recipe.

Rosie Winterton, MP for Central Doncaster, launched the sandwich at the new outlet’s official opening,

She said: “The  students did a great job; they should be congratulated.”

Sport students from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College jumped at the chance to spend time in a professional sports club and raise money for charity at the same time.

Emily Wakefield, Lee Chandler, Daniel Strange, all 17, and Kelly Halliday 16, volunteered to raise money for The Fold, which cares for orphans in South Africa, by collecting donations from the crowd at the Gloucester Rugby Club grounds before a match between the local side and Worcester.

Daniel, from Cashes Green in Stroud, said: “Volunteering was great fun. I recommend anybody to do it . . . you meet people and make new friends.”

The quartet was rewarded with a free ticket to watch the game.

Phill Merrick, sport and public services head of department, said: “It is fantastic to see students giving up their time and working in a professional environment.”

A young Birmingham chef was named best commis chef at the Oscars of the culinary world, the Bocuse d’Or, in Lyon, France.

Kristian Curtis, 22, a recent graduate of Stratford-upon-Avon College, was supported by catering staff and students from his former college when he scooped the prize.

Team UK, made up of Kristian and his colleague at Birmingham’s  Simpsons restaurant, Adam Bennett, 46, came fourth overall in the prestigious competition and won the prize for best meat dish.

Catering lecturer Tony Davies said that the contest was “just one of the many chances” for students to see the best chefs in the world at work.

“To see a former student win the best commis chef prize was unbelievable – it just goes to show the quality we produce here.”

College principal Martin Penny added: “We are so proud. To come fourth in the world is some achievement.”

Rugby players swapped tries for trays in a bake-off for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.

Chris Whitehead, Jack Yeandle and Carl Rimmer of the Exeter Chiefs joined catering students in Exeter College’s training kitchens to make cakes to sell to businesses across the city.

Student Fenella Gilson, 16, said: “It’s great fun having them here. They seem to be doing a good job so far but they’re a little messy!

“We were surprised some of the Chiefs had not baked cakes before, so hopefully they’ll have learned how by the time they leave.”

The Chiefs turned chefs to raise money for Comic Relief and Restart, which supports the families of injured rugby players.

Prop forward Carl said he’d enjoyed his day in the kitchen but found it  pressured.

“It’s excellent these guys can do such a fantastic job here every day. I’m not the tidiest of workers – but, as they say, the proof is in the tasting!”

Derbyshire hair and media make-up learners are guinea pigs in a research project into the effects of exercise on academic performance.

Over the next eight weeks, the class from Burton and South Derbyshire College will take part in a range of fitness classes, such as aerobics and dance, as part of the Association of Colleges-supported project.

The learners were interviewed about their lifestyles and attitude to sport before starting the two-month monitoring of their fitness levels, academic performance and attendance.

The college’s vice principal, Richard Burley, said: “Many girls drop out of sport after school. This project seeks to address this issue and promote the concept of active leisure. We aim to show young people that sport and fitness can be fun, and have a positive impact on their daily lives.”

West Country students tickled shoppers’ funny bones when they invaded the Torquay branch of TK Maxx for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.

From 11am until 2pm last Saturday, March 2 the South Devon College Student Union invited the public to get involved in a range of activities, including plate-spinning.

Student liaison officer Roy Courtney, who was involved in planning the event, said: “It is great that the union can help out in the community for such a fantastic cause. We can really make a difference.

“TK Maxx is really dedicated to raising lots of money to support Comic Relief, so this is a perfect opportunity for us to work together.”

The South Devon College SU mascot PAWZ joined the students and TK Maxx staff to say hello and try his paws at the activities.

Counting sheep will never send one Somerset learner to sleep. Sam Harvey, 16, of Norton Radstock College, has started his own flock by breeding six lambs, including one set of triplets.

Sam, who is studying an environment and landbased studies level two diploma alongside his GCSEs, said he bought three pregnant ewes “as it’s a cheaper way of starting your own flock”. He plans to boost numbers by 10 ewes this year.

“Each has its own personality. It’s been brilliant having them.”

Sam funds the care of his flock, which he feeds two to four times each day, through money that he made last year raising pigs for meat.

His dream is to run a farm shop stocked with meat and vegetables reared and grown himself.

Kevin Connell, head of landbased studies at Norton Radstock, said: “Sam is a model student and mature beyond his years. He will have a good career in agriculture.”