Extra Curricular Activities
Using the funding which we recieve from the Specialist Schools Academies trust we have created a programme of extra curricular activities which support community cohesion and enterprise. Below are a few examples of our ongoing projects:-
Pupil Led Enterprises
Pupils who are budding entrepreneurs are encouraged to try out their business skills by setting up and running their own companies at our school. Working in small teams pupils are able to apply for start up loans by submitting a business plan.
Plans and loans are approved by the Young Chamber Committee made up of pupils from different year groups. This committee of pupils has the authority to ask for amendments to the plans and approve loans of up to £200 per enterprise. This is an extra curricular activity where pupils are committed to completing all work in their own time. Support is given by our Business and Enterprise administrator.
These enterprises run in a variety of locations throughout the school. Many businesses have been very successful in paying back their start up loans and going on to make high profits. Just as in the real world some businesses fail and the loans are never recovered. The ethos of our school helps pupils to see all of their business experiences as an important part of their learning.
This picture shows the Face-It Enterprise stall at a local primary school event
Currently running in school we have; Fair Trade Shop, Stationery Shop, Craft Enterprise, Traderz (second hand console games), Shoe Design, Face-It ( a personalised bag production company) and China Dragons ( a magazine trading business). To encourage social enterprise, all businesses give 10% of their profits to a charity of their choice and the remainder is invested in educational visits for the pupils.
“Fancy Doodles” crafts enterprise selling their products
at a recent Parents' Evening
In addition to the extra curricular activities the ASDAN group of pupils have also started to run small business projects as part of their curriculum work. Over the last year this has include; the sale of produce from their garden such as vegetables and flowers and the sale of bags at logs and wooden candle holders at the school fair.
Young Chamber
In September 2009 our school was awarded Young Chamber status making us part of a growing number of schools in the nationwide ‘Young Chamber UK’ (YCUK) project.
The aim is to replicate a chamber of commerce model within a school, so students come together and take responsibility for planning and organising several enterprise activities a term. North Staffs Chamber supports the students to set up their own chambers and helps get local businesses involved in their activities. This brings real and relevant enterprise into schools while building a lasting bond between chambers and their local schools.
North Staffs Chamber YCUK Co-ordinator, Ian McLaughlan, said:
“It’s great to see such enthusiasm for enterprise with all those involved in young chambers locally. Anything that North Staffs Chamber can do to get local students interested in business has to be a good thing – this is the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
The Young Chamber team visit the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce to gain some valuable advice on supporting the in-school businesses.
College Fair
During our annual College fair, each lateral form of 20 pupils is tasked with creating a stall to generate income. All forms are given a £10.00 start up fund and time during the month before to create their stall. This event the “College Fair” involves a large number of pupils across every year group, members of the local community and our local primary schools.
This project supports Enterprise but is also a very important to our pastoral development. Older pupils are encouraged to mentor the younger pupils in their form. Prizes are awarded to the winning form and college generating the most profit Pupils learn that creative ideas are wonderful but it is the profit margin which really counts in business and your costs must always be covered first.
The pupils have to carefully calculate the costs of their stalls, design a marketing campaign, prizes and other essentials required to run their stall. They must then calculate if they have resulted in a profit or loss. All funds raised are donated to our annually nominated charity.
