Set up at business in school

Event: Set up at business in school

Number of pupils attending: 1

Aim of the activity

Linking Gatsby Benchmark 1,2, 3, 4, 6.

Activity

A RAP (Year 6) student created and ran a jungle-themed stall at the school summer fayte. He came up with a business idea to do a lucky-dip style stall where you could win different types of prizes. The pupil handmade various decorations to go on his stall, including lucky-dip tokens and other jungle-themed items to draw attention to his stall. He also customised the prizes to match the overall theme. The student came up with a name for his small business and created a branded sign to advertise. He put a lot of effort into ensuring his stall ran smoothly by counting all the individual prizes to meet the supply and demand needs. Once he had finished creating the practical side of his business, the pupil moved onto the financial side. He designed a money box for his earnings and then decided on an appropriate price for each turn on his lucky dip. On the day of the fayte, he ran the stall almost independently. To develop his customer service skills, the student interacted with a range of age groups and asked appropriately for the money required to have a turn. As market research, he went round other stalls at the fair to see how they compared to his and evaluate his own business. The student reflected on whether there could have been any changes to his business plan to improve his stall. To complete the activity, the pupil counted his earnings and decided how to usefully use his profit.

Impact of activity

The student gained valuable experience of what it’s like to plan and action his own business. He was able to develop his customer service skills by interacting with both other students and parents. The pupil also experienced market research and worked on his ability to reflect on business ideas to decide which aspects were successful. As he created and designed all of his own decor, he was able to feel pride for his finished stall. The summer fayre itself was quite a busy environment for the pupil to be in, so it was good practise for regulating himself in these career-based situations. He enjoyed taking part and actioning his business idea, so it was a sucessful exposure activity for a younger pupil to develop his career pathway.

Quotes from the student

“My stalls going to look so good.”
“Where shall we keep the money I earn?”
“Everyone’s enjoying my stall.”
“I liked the idea of the chocolate tombola.”

Teachers Feedback

The pupil was able to experience a positive reaction to a business idea he carried out. His Mum came to the event which allowed him to showcase all his hard work and feel proud of what he had achieved. As it was a busier environment for him, it was great to see the student interacting appropriately with other pupils and coping well with this social situation. He learnt a lot of careers skills by working through the process of establishing his business. For example, he had to consider the financial aspect of running a business which he previously may not have considered. This was another successful activity for continuing his career development and awareness.