The gang of boys and girls then callously sent the video to Rhiannon Blair, who didn’t even know the school work was missing.

Rhiannon, a pupil at Easthampstead Park Community School, fears her career prospects are now in tatters.

She broke down in tears after watching the video she was sent of the group of youngsters from the same school setting fire to a pile of child development schoolwork, including hers, on Wednesday last week at Beedon Park in Great Hollands.

The video shows pupils trying to fan the flames by adding lighter fluid to the pile on a picnic bench and spraying a deodorant can. The mixture eventually caused the pile to explode, before a pupil decides to climb onto the bench and trample all over the cindered books.

Rhiannon, from Great Hollands, wasn’t even aware that her coursework, which she had been working on since September, had been stolen from the classroom the previous week.

The 15-year-old Year 11 pupil, who dreams of a career as a nursery nurse, now fears that her place at Bracknell & Wokingham College next year could be in jeopardy, as she was only two weeks away from submitting her work from marking.

She said: “I was shocked and disgusted when I was sent the video by one of the pupils involved. None of them seem to be sorry for what they have done or show any regret. I am just very upset and tearful that all my hard work has gone to waste.

“I have always wanted to work with children and it is what I had set my heart on doing for the rest of my life. I am not even sure if I can get a place on my course at the college anymore. I can’t understand why anyone would do this.” The youngsters in the video, which has received nearly 50,000 views after Rhiannon’s sister Katie uploaded it to Facebook last Wednesday night, were suspended by the school for three days, from Wednesday to Friday last week.

The police are also investigating the incident but no arrests had been made when the News went to press.

Rhiannon said she had been the victim of bullying since last September and suffered from anxiety and depression as a result.

Her mum, Debbie Groom, said: “I am so angry. These pupils have ruined my daughter’s life. I would be mortified if that was my child carrying out that sort of behaviour.

“This incident is going to scar Rhiannon for life. She has been very stressed and upset but the reaction to the video being posted online has been amazing - it just shows that people do not like bullies.” Another pupil, 15-year-old Kayleigh Holloway from Hanworth, also had her child development coursework destroyed in the pile.

Her uncle Neil Holloway, who is also her guardian, said: “I am disgusted by what has happened. I don’t think the three days suspension given to the children involved was not enough punishment. They have all probably seen it as a nice holiday. Even though the school has said her grades won’t be affected that is not the answer or what we want to hear.

“Kayleigh was very upset when she found out - she has got enough going on in her life without all of this.” Liz Cook, head teacher of the school, said none of the pupils’ grades would be affected as the exams board had measures in place to protect results in events such as this.

She said: “The school has investigated the incident at length and its origins were a falling out between girls, property was taken as a spiteful act designed to disrupt the victim’s lesson the following day. On leaving school, discussions between students took the original act further in an act of bravado.

“On reflection students have realised this act was a huge error of judgement on their part and have been shocked that their act has attracted a social media storm. This has been a steep learning curve for them all. The victims of the theft are also being supported as we make every effort to make sure their hard work and studies are not compromised.

“I hope for our students’ sake that we will be able to put this incident behind us and the focus will move on to the very many students I have in school whose talents and abilities deserve to be recognised for the good they do.” Letters have also been sent out by the school to everyone involved.