THE end of the summer holidays might be near but a group of 30 boys has already returned to school more than a week early.

They were all chosen to take part in a summer school at St George's Catholic School for boys in Southampton.

All this week, the talented youngsters, aged 11 and 12, have been having a taste of the world of work as well as learning new skills.

Highlights of the summer school funded by £6,500 of city council money, now in its third year, included a trip to Brockenhurst College to spend a morning studying hospitality and catering, where all the boys baked rolls.

Other activities included a civil engineering challenge run by Solent Skill Quest at the Ford Partnership Centre in Sholing and a talk by Hampshire writer David Orme.

Also, the boys had a chance to find out more about journalism with a number of workshops organised by the Daily Echo.

The pupils will return to the 625-pupil school, in Leaside Way, during two Saturdays of the autumn term to complete the programme.