Ranelagh School children win over the dragons
Enterprising children from Ranelagh Primary School have proved they are the entrepreneurs of the future, thanks to an innovative learning programme based on popular TV programme "Dragon's Den".
The 10 and 11 year old pupils came face to face with a team of "dragons" whose job it was to assess their business ideas. Each team was given £25 to invest in its business ideas, which ranged from making cakes and healthy drinks to bookmarks and cards.
The team of dragons was made up of deputy head Daniel Jones, admin assistant, Val Haugh and Lizzie Love-Mott, soft furnishings gifts and lighting manager of Glasswells showroom. Each dragons admitted to being amazed at the creativity and entrepreneurship of the Year 5 & 6 groups. The winning group achieved a return on profit of nearly 200 percent.
Lizzie Love-Mott said that the children had all learned a valuable lesson in business. "A good idea had to be the starting point," she said. "So we gave them a hard time when they presented their ideas questioning them closely."
"We looked for evidence that they had thought through their business strategy and managed their businesses well. The children clearly had a lot of fun developing their ideas too," she added. "What they achieved was nothing short of astonishing."
The new Glasswells home furnishings store is immediately adjacent to the school and the two have built up a strong relationship. Staff from the showroom regularly visit and offer practical advice and support.
April 2009