YOUNG entrepreneurs entered the dragon’s den to improve school life for everyone.
Pupils at Barnard Castle Preparatory School were set a challenge of coming up with a project that would help their classmates but only cost £100.
Year 6 children took up the MoneyWise task as part of their Achievement Award, a valuable alternative the school operates instead of pupils having to sit SATs.
They had just two weeks to come up with their ideas which they had to pitch to a panel of judges Dragon’s Den-style.
Topics ranged from nature walls, ponds and bird boxes to additional play equipment and plants in the classroom.
The top five schemes were put to the vote with pupils selecting two that couldn’t be separated. They were both awarded the £100 funding and are now operating in school.
Freya Turner has now helped introduce her idea of having a break-barrow offering healthy fruit on the playground, while Elodie Lavery is helping promote reading with a book exchange initiative.
Headmistress Laura Turner said: “We had some amazing ideas which showcased our Year 6’s entrepreneurial skills to the full and will now benefit everyone at school for years to come.
“The initiative, and the Achievement Award as a whole, develops a range of abilities, including public speaking, presentation and numeracy skills, which will also have a practical benefit that exams fails to address.”
