Walmsley CE Primary School, Bolton

CHILDREN at Walmsley CE Primary School get an early introduction to the world of business.

Every summer, pupils in Year Five take part in a five-week challenge, Who Wants to be an Entrepreneur?

According to Year Five class teacher Eileen Murphy, the children create their own companies, draw up a business plan, research and develop their ideas and carry out market research.

The budding businessmen and women then design and produce their end product and conduct a week of selling to the school community, including parents and children.

She said: “They learn how to run business meetings, record income and expenditure, solve problems and work as a team.

“After children have come up with their initial ideas, they put them forward to a panel of Dragon’s Den investors, who decide whether their ideas merits a funding — out of school funds — and how much.

“The Dragons Den is made up of local business people who have connections with the school, as well as the school bursar. At the end of the challenge, a business awards ceremony is held, where the winning companies receive their awards.”

A total of £753.21 was made in a week, of which £250 was donated to the Durian Project, which provides micro-finance to poor people in The Phillipines.

Mrs Murphy said: “In 2008, 10 companies were formed and children worked hard, outside and inside school to produce their finished product.”

The school, in Blackburn Road, in Egerton, is no stranger to success having won two major accolades. It received top marks in the latest education watchdog Ofsted report and it was voted in Top 50 best primaries in the country in the Sunday Times league table of primary schools. The inspectors reported: “Inspection findings confirm the school’s judgement that this is an outstanding school which provides excellent value for money.”