Amro Nagdy will learn the tricks of the trade from writers at The Sun and The Times

A budding reporter from Kingsbury has landed a coveted place at a prestigious summer school for aspiring journalists.

Amro Nagdy faced tough competition from around 200 applicants to claim one of the 27 spaces on the Young Journalists Academy Summer School (YJA).

During the week long course the 16-year-old will get the opportunity to learn all the tricks of the journalism trade from some top media professionals including feature writers and columnists from national newspapers including The Sun and The Times.

The participants will blog about their experiences throughout the week with the two best bloggers rewarded with work placements at The Times.

Speaking about landing the place, Amro said: “I was extremely pleased to be accepted into the YJA as not only will the summer school allow me to learn more about many of the aspects associated with journalism, but it will also give me an opportunity to talk with people that are heavily involved with the profession, something that would otherwise not be possible without the YJA.”

Nathalie Rothschild, YJA coordinator, said: “The YJA challenges the idea that you need to have the ‘right’ education or be lucky enough to have personal connections in order to become a journalist.

“Our students learn that with enough ambition and drive they can reach their goals – but they also have to be prepared to put in some hard work.”

The course at Canary Wharf is due to finish at the end of the month.