Sponsors
Week 1
Team name: NLS Stars
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We asked the children to present their business ideas 'Dragon's den' style to our 2 investors - the 2 class teachers. We welcomed questions from the audience (the other Year 6's) and the children came up with some brilliant ideas. The children presented their ideas with confidence and had planned their products and services so they were appealing. We had a variety of ideas from 'hot chips' - spicy crisps, to 'North Smores' a homemade smores company with many flavours and toppings. We also had 'Clouds and Cuppas' a bakery with hot drinks, 'super sweet' a pick n mix type company to name a few
What did you learn this week?
Groups of children had the confidence to pitch their ideas - they had considered their products, costings, customers and some had made prototypes! - everyone enjoyed this task. The audience considered their questions carefully and asked pertinent questions about costings, recyclable packaging, etc
What did you find difficult this week?
Some groups had done more research than others - this was evident in the presentations. Some teams worked better together, some groups had one strong leader with a good idea.
Watching the live zoom to introduce the project
Year 6 being inspired by Emma Porter
Week 2 - half term
Week 3
Tell us what you have been doing this week
The successful business idea was launched! We all had to come up with a design for a 'furry friend', a product based around a pompom. This could be an animal, a game character or a Christmas linked creation. We had to design this as a homework task so that resources could be organized ready for production next week. We discussed how to make a pompom and characters/ animals that would sell well to our customers (children at NLS). The original product creator agreed to do a workshop next week so that everyone could learn how to make a pompom. Many children offered materials from home to support
What did you learn this week?
Some groups were disappointed not to chosen for investment - lessons in resilience and team work. Everyone could not be chosen and the dragons explained that an original, home made product that would appeal to children was the best option.
What did you find difficult this week?
Some children found creativity difficult when designing their own characters. Some children didn't understand how to make a pompom - a workshop will be led by the business leader next week to support
Design a furry friend homework
Another design
Cordelia explaining the pompom process
Making our first pompoms
Week 4
Tell us what you have been doing this week
This week we began making/ creating our pompom products. We had a workshop from the child who had the idea and we all had a go at creating our own creatures from pompoms. Some of the children learned a new skill, many of them worked together and we soon discovered the children with particular creativity who were helping everyone. We had lots of fun together and shared our new skills and lessons from this process. Some children began to design posters to advertise our products and prices.
What did you learn this week?
Pompom making skills, cutting cardboard circles, drawing round circles to create our own pompom templates, wrapping wool, cutting with large scissors, how to tie the centre string so the pompom doesn't unravel, how to rescue a pompom if the process goes wrong! Cutting from felt.
What did you find difficult this week?
Some children found creating a pompom tricky. 1:1 pompom making workshops are happening to support everyone so that everyone can be successful.
Week 5
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We have been creating our products - we have all been busy making our furry friends. We buddied up to support each other and shared our skills together. Some children looked at quality control and worked together to ensure all of our products were of high quality and ready for sale.
What did you learn this week?
The importance of teamwork and a high quality product. We listened to Cristina and considered our business and what we will do with our profits to support school and 'pay it back'
What did you find difficult this week?
Some children still found making the pompoms difficult, especially cutting their wool when it was wound too tight. We supported these children.
Team work
Team work
Poster advertising our business
Another example of a poster
Week 6
Tell us what you have been doing this week
Producing posters to advertise our company to get ready for trading next week. Some children practised their bubble writing, some posters were produced on a laptop but we got the facts clear (supported by Cristina). Where will the sale take place? When will it happen? How much do the products cost? What are we doing with our profits? Can we text the parents to share this info with them? Do we need a float and some change for the sale? Who is taking the money? Who is selling the products? We ironed out all these details ready to sell sell sell!
What did you learn this week?
Building on the strengths of each other
Letting different people play to their strengths
The value of the team!
What did you find difficult this week?
Some children wanted to do everything and take over.
Knowing when to step back and let others lead!
Week 7
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We spent the week ensuring our Pompom friend creations were all finished to a high standard. We worked together to do this. We introduced our business in assembly and told the whole school about our sale next week. Two children were very brave and spoke inti the microphone in front of the whole school and some parents. We shared our posters with different classes and they were put up around school. We were very proud to share our eye-catching posters with the whole school. We wrote out to the parents, introducing ourselves and asking for the children to bring £1 to spend on our pompoms.
What did you learn this week?
Bravery and facing our fear by speaking in front of the whole school.
Writing our to the parents - one child did this
Trimming and tidying the pompoms ready for sale
What did you find difficult this week?
Bubble writing for our posters
Speaking up in front of the whole school
Trimming and finishing our pompoms
Working as part of a team
Our stall all set up
Trading at playtime
Week 8
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We begin the week by selling our pompom products. It was exciting getting the stall ready and the whole team helped to create bright paperchains to make the stall attractive and eye catching. The children were all keen to sell the pompoms so we took turns. All week, every breaktime, we set up our stall. The children enjoyed taking the money, selling the pompoms to the rest of the school, and counting the money at the end of the week when trading finished.
What did you learn this week?
Promoting our business, setting up the stall, making paper chains to make the stall colourful, counting the money,
What did you find difficult this week?
Taking on different roles to support the business and sharing these. All of the children wanted to set up the stall and sell the products so we took turns and ensured everyone had a turn.
Week 9
Tell us what you have been doing this week
We had time to reflect on our project, consider what went well and how our business would be even better if we did it again. We counted our profits and were pleased to discover we'd made over £100. We discussed as a team what to invest this money in. We reflected on all the positives we gained from the project (the list was long) and we discussed if we ran our business again how we would improve it.
What did you learn this week?
Sharing our ideas and views, reflecting on our successes and how to improve our business further.
What did you find difficult this week?
Reaching a team decision about what to invest our money on.
For pupils to answer:
In one sentence please tell us what bright stars has meant to you?
Bright Stars has given us an introduction into running a business, it will inspire us as adults and we have learnt skills for life. We have has so much fun and making money was a bonus.
For teachers to answer:
Can you tell us the impact this programme has had on your school?
The children gained a real insight into running a business, they enjoyed the whole process and their team motivation and support was brilliant.
Please provide your business plan.
Please provide your marketing plan.
Please provide your finance report/template.
Charity name/money donated to.
The Children's society
Final profit (minus the £50 seed funding).
£64
