Students found out what it is like to be a business adviser as they took part in an accounting competition.

Pupils from Thorpe St Andrew School won the regional heat of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales' (ICAEW) BASE contest in Cambridge after impressing judges in a realistic business challenge.

They will now go on to the national final after giving strategic business advice to a real board of directors.

Linda Allardyce, regional executive of ICAEW, said: 'These budding business advisers looked beyond the numbers and they also showed they had an excellent instinct for business and ethics in order to give well-rounded advice.'

She added: 'Students should not lose sight of the importance of developing skills and experience, alongside their academic achievements. It is vital that students are given opportunities such as BASE to develop these softer skills outside of the classroom.'