Sponsors
Week 1
Team name: BPS
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We have created our social enterprise. Our social enterprise is dedicated to making seasonal fun accessible to families who have been grappling with the challenges posed by the ever-increasing cost of living. We recognise that these financial burdens should not deprive anyone of the joy, laughter, and cherished moments that come with seasonal festivities. Our core mission is to ensure that all families in our community, regardless of their financial circumstances, can partake in the delight of seasonal fun events.
We have created craft packs and sweet treats for Halloween and the half-term.
What did you learn this week?
We learned how a business works and what we need to do to run our business. We worked hard to research and create craft packs with resources that were available to us, alongside purchasing sweet treats to make. We found out about the need to make things cheap for families but to also make a profit.
What did you find difficult this week?
We found difficult everyone having different jobs and not always getting the job you 'want.
Quality control, as well as creating items we need to make sure they are all good quality.
Setting up our stall
Selling to our customers
Week 2 - half term
Week 3
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week, we decided to set up a christmas craft club for some of the younger children in our school, so that they can join in in some festive fun. We charged a minimal amount and had lots of children attend! Years 4/5/6 helped to set up and run the club, even staying back to tidy the classroom after it has finished!
What did you learn this week?
Running a club is hard!!! We need to be more organised in the future so that the club runs smoothly ! But the children who attended the club absolutely loved it and have even gained more children for the club next week! It was nice for everyone to make a Christmas decoration.
What did you find difficult this week?
Being the 'teachers' in charge of a club is hard!! We needed the help from our actual teacher to set it up and help it run! It is hard work teaching younger children!!
Week 4
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week, we researched and bought resources to make a new product for Christmas. We have decided we would like to make some clay bead bracelets! We are going to personalise the bracelets and offer this to customers to be able to order. We made up some examples and took pictures of the items. We then posted the pictures on our school dojo and facebok pages to show people what will be coming up for sale in the next few weeks!
What did you learn this week?
We learnt how to ensure our product is photographed and marketed properly. We had to work out what kind of pricing would be appropriate for the products. This depended on the amount of bracelets we could make from the resources we had purchased to ensure we made a profit.
What did you find difficult this week?
The MATHS!!! Working out how many bracelets we could make and how much approximately each bracelet would cost so that we can make a profit on every bracelet sold and we are not running at a loss!
Week 5
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week, we set up an idea we have been speaking about alot. 'Elfrdiges' the idea that children can choose presents for people at home, wrap and gift label them. We researched this idea and loved it because we thought for children in our school it would be great to be able to enjoy the gift of giving gifts as well as receiving gifts this Christmas! We researched to find out what kind of products we could stock in our shop and how much they would cost, then decided on a price for the children to pay to be able to choose a gift for the shop. We made and distributed posters and order forms.
What did you learn this week?
About how to stock items in a shop, shopping around for appropriate products at an appropriate price. To see what we think would be a suitable gift for age categories we came up with but that also allow us to generate a slight profit, but this was more about children enjoying the gift of giving!
What did you find difficult this week?
Organising the order forms and money that came into school! We had to do lots of counting, checking and tallying! But we were very happy with the uptake of elfridges. We think our posters worked!
Week 6
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week, we were busy creating our items to sell at our Christmas Fayre next week. We found the bracelet making works best when the older children (year 6) are buddies for the younger children and show/lead them how to make the bracelets and help with the hard parts (putting in the knots!!)
We also have worked really hard as a team, sometimes doing jobs we are unsure about.
We also collected and ordered our Elfridge orders. We then worked out how many products we would have to order for our shop and placed the order- making sure they would be delivered in time!
What did you learn this week?
We learnt about how to work well as a team. To ensure all children (there are 54 of us!) get a turn at doing all of the parts of the business, we had to make sure we had buddies to help and train the younger children on how to do the job! We also had to make sure we had some quality control too!
What did you find difficult this week?
We found it difficult to do the jobs no-one wants to do! Often the 'boring' jobs such as packaging, however the children were amazing at having a go at the jobs that were less desirable to help!
Week 7
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week, we have set up little stalls around school to sell some of our items such as bracelets and craft packs! We have also set up stalls at break selling biscuits! Our big job this week was to use the technology to produce advertisements for our items to be sold at our Christmas Fayre. Miss Lightfoot gave us a tutorial on how to use an online website called Canva to create some professional looking posters! We did a really good job and have our posters ready to be put up at the fair but to also share on our school Dojo and social media pages.
What did you learn this week?
We learnt how to use technology to our advantage to help sell our products. We looked at advertisements and how to use websites to create a professional looking poster for our business.
What did you find difficult this week?
Using and learning the technology. Also, making sure the posters actually display everything we need them to display!
Selling our cookies!
Selling in action!
Week 8
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week was our Christmas Fayre- our biggest selling day!!!
We had a full day baking Miss Lightfoot's famous cookies, making and packaging biscuits to sell and doing the finishing touches on our bracelets. The children helped to set up our classroom and then sold all of the items at the Fayre. The children were brilliant and gave up their own time to work as a team and help to make money for our social enterprise!
We had some left our produce- we think we may have overestimated how much we could sell so we sold the rest in the break times in the week after the fayre.
What did you learn this week?
We learnt about how we could better estimate how much we need to make to sell at the Christmas Fayre- however we did change it into a positive by selling the items for the rest of the week in school and make a good profit from what we made!
What did you find difficult this week?
Changing jobs and ensuring everyone is busy. We work really well as team and it is hard to fill all of the roles. Also, making soooo many cookies and biscuits. BUT they were delicious!!!
Week 9
Tell us what you have been doing this week
Our last week!!! We have been busy being little Elves and setting up our 'Elfridge' shop. We have collected all of the orders and wrapped them accordingly, keeping them organised with the same present. We have collected the orders and written out all of the stickers. We have created our own stickers! We have asked staff and parents for donations of gift bags. The exciting part... We have taken children from the whole school to the Elfridges shop! The children are so excited to give their gifts to their family and friends! It is amazing for our children to love giving as well as receiving!
What did you learn this week?
We learnt how to be organised and keep things running smoothly. Also, how giving a gift can also be just as exciting as receiving a gift. We are confident that the children in our school have all experienced this magical part of Christmas without the families feeling the pressure.
What did you find difficult this week?
When children wanted presents and using persuasive techniques to ensure the children are happy with their gifts! Next time, we may need to order extras and now we know what is popular!
For pupils to answer:
In one sentence please tell us what bright stars has meant to you?
Bright Stars has meant fun, working and learning.
We have loved working together as a group, it has helped me formed friendships with people I haven't really spoken to in the past.
For teachers to answer:
Can you tell us the impact this programme has had on your school?
The impact on our school has been amazing! Our school has been buzzing with bright stars activity.
The children have had to use skills and knowledge not usually taught through our usual curriculum: teamwork, communication, friendship, money/change and personal skills. We have loved every minute of taking part!
We are so proud of the children but also feel great knowing that we have really made a difference to some of the families in our school, relieving the financial pressure has been huge. Some parents have thanked us for what we have done and how it has helped them as a family.
One highlight was watching the older children run craft clubs for the younger children, demonstrating how kind and considerate they are. The children really are a credit to our school.
Also, Elfridges, watching the children learn how giving is just as exciting as receiving. Watching them carefully select presents for family and friends, thinking about their likes and dislikes. Then, being so excited to take them home, one child said, 'I can't wait to see my Mum's face when she opens her present, I am going to keep it under my bed and put it under the tree on Christmas Eve'. I now can't wait to hear the reaction from the presents after the Christmas break.
From everyone at BPS- we have loved Bright Stars, thank you for the opportunity!
Please provide your business plan.
Please provide your marketing plan.
Please provide your finance report/template.
Charity name/money donated to.
We are going to use the 50% of the profits to continue ensuring families can enjoy seasonal activities without the financial burden. Our ideas are- Easter eggs, easter treats, workshops to make bonnets. All pressures a family can face, we want to ensure no family in our school feel this as we can provide the opportunities due to our fund raising through our Bright Stars project.
Final profit (minus the £50 seed funding).
£1296
