The Comet hasn’t been the only business to get the takeover treatment as students descended on a museum this week.

The British Schools Museum and North Hertfordshire College (NHC) in Hitchin launched a partnership last year, where students studying travel and tourism are offered a day’s work experience.

The partnership enables students to get experience in a real working environment as part of their level 2 BTEC course – equivalent to a GCSE subject.

Students involved in the latest takeover on Monday ran the British Schools Museum for the day, acting as tour guides, working on reception and running the souvenir shop.

“I think that today’s gone really well,” said Sharon Cosby, course leader for travel and tourism at NHC.

“The students have gained a lot of experience and confidence, they’ve improved their employability skills, gained knowledge of the museum and given that knowledge to the customers.”

Annette Oliver from the museum, which provides an insight into the changing nature of education and has a monitorial schoolroom dating back to 1837, helped organise the takeover.

The learning and access manager said: “It’s been a brilliant day, a few of them were really nervous when it started but all of them have worked really hard to prepare for the challenges they came across.”

When asked if this year was more successful, she added: “I wouldn’t say that today was ‘more’ successful but different from last year. Because this is the second year that this event has taken place, we were able to make more contacts and create more of a buzz then last year, so there was a lot more going on this year than last.”

Prior to the takeover, students visited the museum in Queen Street on Friday, March 28, for training.

Speaking about the whole experience, participating student Andreea Camelia-Simbotin said: “I find it really interesting working here because you learn new things every hour you work and not just the information you’re given by the museum.”