Bright Stars

The main priorities are to:

• Raise attainment: Lifelong learning is to be encouraged and this starts at primary age, linking learning to real world examples, more business engagement is needed.
• Nurture and raise future aspirations: nearly all schools have said there is a key need to raise aspirations of their pupils and challenge gender and social stereotypes. We know from our other programmes that opportunities to develop these skills through meaningful engagement and programmes can be a life-changing experience for young people, broadening their horizons and instilling a new confidence in themselves, and in their futures. More opportunities & interventions with business role models are required.
• Skills Development and learning beyond the classroom: providing young children with opportunities to develop essential skills through participation in a range of enrichment activities enables children to build these skills and apply them and practice them. Skills include increasing confidence, teamwork, communication, critical thinking, problem solving and social skills can have a huge impact on life chances, social mobility, and attainment in the classroom. More opportunities to develop and explore these skills are required.
• Challenge gender and social stereotypes: by providing access to positive role models from local employers including Sellafield Ltd, working with the Women in Construction, WIN and Sellafield employee networks and STEM ambassadors.
• A longer-term approach to developing a future pipeline of home-grown talent starts at primary age where the golden age for careers is year 5. We know that many young people leaving the county are unaware of the opportunities available to them on their doorstep within Cumbria, or are limited by their own sense of self, social circumstances, and mobility. There is also a skills shortage across all sectors, with a 6.8% average unemployment rate in Copeland and Allerdale for 16–25-year-olds (CLEP, 2023).  Having more enrichment opportunities and a more collaborative approach to developing skills from a young age helps to provide a longer-term sustainable solution to some of these challenges, potentially reducing NEET numbers.
• Maths and English is an area of focus so providing enrichment opportunities that bring learning to life can bring huge benefits and help link learning to jobs and careers and provide enrichment opportunities and a newfound confidence and love of learning.
  • Schools need to have greater employer relationships which is now outlined in ofsted but often there are barriers to engagement. Bright Stars removes those barriers and can help schools forge ongoing links with local businesses outside the scope of the programme.
• The Covid pandemic has significantly disadvantaged young people who have missed school and now there is a big focus on getting kids back to school, particularly those from areas of deprivation. They have had limited opportunity to develop social and emotional skills as well as disruption to their academic education and programmes including Bright Stars can help to bring schools, pupils and parents together.
• Cumbria is a large and rural county with an aging population so there is a need to develop long term plans to nurture and grow a pipeline of home-grown talent which starts at Primary.
• Starting engagement at those early years where young people are already forming gender and social stereotypes is essential and now something the careers and enterprise and government are prioritising and investing in
• With large employers in the local area there is a need to ensure we create a diverse and thriving sustainable economy, so key to this is nurturing key entrepreneurial skills and creative thinking and problem-solving skills which may increase and encourage the entrepreneurs and innovators of the future

• Improved longer term outcomes for young people by increasing confidence and self-belief.
• It provides access to positive role models from business which can help raise future aspirations.
• If provides opportunities for young people to make a positive impact in their local communities which in term can help create a sense of pride in place and reduce anti-social behaviours and create al lasting opportunities for community leadership
• It provides a framework that helps schools and pupils set up social enterprises and where the benefits and businesses can reach far beyond the 12-week competition period, creating greater social value
• It addresses barriers experienced by disadvantaged groups to help them access future opportunities
• Young peoples voices are heard and listened too, helping them to develop confidence and new skills as they showcase hidden talents
• Young people gain a greater understanding of work and the excitement of business.
• Young people learn about social enterprises and local charities in their area
• Helps young people to develop teamwork and leadership skills
• Helps young people to know different jobs and careers in the local area – helping to retain talent in the long term.

Bright Stars was co-created with local businesses and educators over 10 years ago and since then has gone from strength to strength with more and more schools seeing the value and wanting to have this opportunity for their schools and the young people.

• It is an exciting 12-week programme with 8 weeks trading, run as a mini competition between schools
• Schools are matched to a local business mentor who will help the children to set up their own mini social enterprise, helping where possible to approach it like they would a business looing at finance, accounting, marketing
• Schools decide what year group take part, often it is a whole class or could be a whole school and open to any age group
• Centre for leadership performance match schools and businesses, host an intro meeting to talk through all the resources and lesson plans and introduce one another.
• Schools are provided with £50 seed funding to set up their own mini social enterprise and tasked with making a difference and making a profit – this is based on what children want to make better in their local communities.
• It is run as a competition and schools provide CforLP with weekly website updates the pupils provide by using a simple login and template and again links to English and writing skills – they are also able to see that they are part of a wider programme and see what other schools are doing.
• CforLP provide training for the volunteers on how to talk to tiny people and onboard as a volunteer proving them with all the safeguarding info and all the resources and lesson plans throughout for them to use
• Volunteers go into the schools once a week, some of this can be online as well as face to face and businesses can bring in their apprentices and graduates which can also provide fantastic development opportunities for them also
• Based on the weekly updates a panel of judges at the end of the programme decide on the winning schools in a number of prize categories – with £250 for schools to win per cateogory
• We hold a celebration event for schools and businesses to attend at the end where we celebrate everyone’s achievements and award certificates to all involved.
• We provide schools and companies with regular updates, support throughout and a PR and marketing pack so schools and businesses can shout about their involvement to the local community

Click here to download the Bright Stars BUSINESS Info and Expectations sheet

Click here to download the Bright Stars SCHOOL Info and Expectations sheet

• Improved sense of belonging and community for young people
• More diverse and sustainable talent pipelines
• Reduced skills and labour supply issues as young people choose to stay in Cumbria
• Young people are confident communicators with a clear plan for their future with raised aspirations for their future.
• Young people are more aware of the careers locally but may also be inspired to set up their own business one day increasing business start-up’s and social enterprises
• Greater community leadership, making local change through their social enterprising ideas at a localised level
• Local businesses develop a pipeline of future talent and connect to their local communities which supports their future growth and sustainability for the future
• Development and volunteering opportunities are created which can improve employer wellbeing and help with retention of the workforce and greater productively, create a sense of purpose for retirees who may choose to get involved

Each year we ask businesses to help contribute to the running of the programme which costs around £1650 per school. We ask businesses depending on size to contribute which ranges from £750 to £2500 but we know this can be a barrier so we also seek grant funding and sponsorship for charities and smaller businesses who may wish to get involved but would find this funding model a barrier to engagement,

Funding enables us to grow the scheme across Cumbria and offer this opportunity to more young people.

A wide range of companies have been involved with Bright Stars over the years. Take a look at who is, so far, involved in Bright Stars 2025 below.

Visit our YouTube playlist to watch all the amazing videos primary pupils have produced over the years here