ABI Summers has 15 minutes before deadline and her interviewee, Ralph Lauren, is still in bed.

"New York is five hours behind us; their office isn't even open yet," she tells her editor, Caroline Bailey.

"That's bang on deadline so I'll have to ring again as soon as they open."

The pair are part of the 41-strong "news day" team at Fulford School.

The students have one day to write, compile and print Fulford Flame, a 20-page publication as part of the Times Educational Supplement Newsday 2005 competition.

Fifteen-year-old Abi has been working on a fashion feature about the Oscars.

She had hoped Ralph Lauren, who supplied some of the stars with their wardrobes, might add the missing link. But if she misses her deadline, she will have to think again.

"I've spent the last two hours running around trying to get hold of this interview," she said.

"I'm not going to trouble them that much because to be honest, I haven't got much space left in my piece.

"I was just going to ask them who they supplied clothes to, but it seems impossible."

Other reporters are also experiencing problems.

A Comic Relief charity student-teacher quiz is cancelled at the last minute, which besides leaving space to fill, also offers a new angle to investigate.

Back in newsroom, subs anxiously await copy that they must check, correct and cut to fit their assigned pages, while Caroline, 16, puts the finishing touches to the paper.

She is thinking about journalism as a career.

"I've found it hard to keep smiling because everyone keeps coming up to me to ask about certain issues," she said.

"I would have liked to have been left alone to write my editorial comment but as an editor there are other things you have to deal with."

The students have also secured paid-for adverts, which will help the school break even and print more copies to sell.

Head of English Mark Birch said the students had done incredibly well.

"It's the first time we've taken part in the TES competition, and it's been invaluable for them to see the real world of English being put into practice

"They're seeing different aspects of layout and the nature of newspaper as a media form, which will help them with their GCSEs as well."

Updated: 08:43 Wednesday, March 16, 2005