SUPER LEARNING DAY REVEALS BUSINESS BRAINS OF THE FUTURE

Budding entrepreneurial skills were nurtured by unique business challenges set for every year group from 7 - 11, designed to introduce pupils to the concept of enterprise.

Challenges culminated in presentations to a panel of judges - with one team hearing ‘You're Hired' based on their proposals for new or innovative products or services.

Briefcases at the ready, the day started with pupils tasked to set up a small business and consider real issues and decisions faced by companies every day.  Each team had to assign job roles, manage a budget, prepare samples or models, and design marketing materials as well as the enticing final presentation.

For Year 8, pupils were set a Dreams Home challenge and formed teams of architects, planners, designers and builders developing an area of land. They were invited to pitch a proposal to the local council for a luxury housing estate and had to produce and display a ‘model' to illustrate their design and plans.

It was a ‘Halloween Extravaganza' for Year 10s.  Acting as small themed products businesses, the teams were invited to design a product to sell at a Halloween Fair.  Challengers worked hard to develop and cost their product as well as complete a SWOT analysis, create advertising and packaging as well as their stall for the Fair.   

Finally, Year 11s were set a task by the Royal Bank of Scotland to set up a catering company and tender for an event for 100 people. This involved creating a menu and a sample table decoration as well as costing the whole venture.  Alongside this, the students were given real-life situations to learn good money management skills.

Elsewhere in the Academy, Year 7s enjoyed a practical introduction to Citizenship and the voting system, and Year 9s visited the Museum of Science and Industry to review the attraction.

Pupils in Key Stage 3 and 4 are all required to be involved in business and enterprise activities throughout their academic life and Salford City Academy's response to this Government initiative is a diverse mix of Super Learning Days. 

Each Super Learning Day is designed as a fun opportunity for pupils to learn business and enterprise skills such as communication, team working, decision making, problem solving, creativity, organisation and financial planning.

The winning teams of business whizzes were rewarded with either Trafford Centre or WHSmiths vouchers; but each and every pupil involved were presented with a certificate celebrating their participation, effort and achievement on the day. 

Julie Larkinson, Director of Work Related Learning says "This Super Learning Day has been a great success and gives our pupils a fantastic chance to see the importance of skills learnt outside of those taught in the classroom. These enterprise days gives our pupils the chance to apply skills learnt in school in a work-related context, shows them what the world of work expects of them and shapes them into well-rounded employees."

Principal, Elizabeth Haddock says "Our enterprise challenges give our pupils an opportunity to recognise, develop and apply their knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes for enterprise and future employability."