Rochdale pupils show enterprise

Over 100 students from seven secondary schools, together with over thirty primary school pupils have taken part in a borough wide enterprise day to build on their business skills and team co-operation.

The budding entrepreneurs were tasked with designing an educational toy or game, working in teams from across the schools.

The day, held at Middleton Arena was supported by local businesses, with a mentor being assigned to each team, to help them work on the business and marketing plan. Many teams constructed their product, using materials made available on the day.

Three judges had the unenviable task of trying to judge the products, scoring them against a range of criteria including whether it was innovative, suitability for the age group and overall design.

The winning team designed a game called ‘I- learn’, which focused on the core subjects of Maths, English and Science. It was an interactive game with wide appeal, and available in a variety of formats e.g. Ipod and Wii. Judges said they were impressed with the design and adaptability for different age groups.

Penny Sharp, Head of Regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council said it was an excellent opportunity for pupils to work together, developing key business skills: “The exercise was challenging as they had only a few hours to develop the product and then present the concept to the judging panel. I congratulate everybody who took part, and hope they found the experience useful. This is the first time we have involved primary school pupils and is something we will consider again in the future.”