Enterprising week for youngsters at Kirkby primary school

Children from Reception to Year 6 set up their own companies and sold products to the public from their pop-up shop in Sutton’s Idlewells Shopping Centre and their school makers' market.

The week has combined visits from a range of careers including a scientist, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Nottinghamshire Police and a construction site manager, as well as Jon Ball, Mansfield and Ashfield Chad Editor.

Pupils had the chance to hear about different careers, as well as get advice about how to succeed and achieve at school, with younger pupils delighted to get up close to a fire engine and police van.

In addition to the visitors in person, a team have created a school podcast – The Podcast on the Hill – and have interviewed a further group of people about their careers, including staff from the Football Association and Transform Multi-Academy Trust, giving pupils insights into their careers and things they could do.

One pupil responded to the podcast: “I didn’t even know that was a job, now I want to do that!”

Pupils have enjoyed the series so much that they have asked to continue it and further guests are lined up for future episodes.

Working in partnership with ATTFE College in Sutton, the school opened a pop-up shop at AFFTE’s community hub in Idlewells.

Products from all the companies went on sale for the morning with children staffing their “shop", while older pupils have even calculated their pricing structure based on profit percentages and margins.

A makers’ market then took place at the school for parents and carers to visit too.

One particular product on sale was the Year 5’s new Mythical Beasts and Heroes book which they have published in partnership with Taralyn Books Schools Publishing and author Gareth Baker.

The children have been learning about Ancient Greece and have written their own stories inspired by Greek Mythology. They have typed their stories, added illustrations and had the book published.

It now available on Amazin, priced £6.99 – see shorturl.at/eikps – and has been a real source of enthusiasm.

One Year 5 pupil said: “I can’t believe our book is on Amazon. We really are real authors."

Adam Jevons-Newman, deputy headteacher of the Abbey Road school, said: “We pride ourselves on giving our Abbeyhillians engaging, memorable opportunities to live happy and full lives, whatever they choose to be.

“Enterprise and careers week is such an important time for our school as they get to bring their learning to life and hear from inspirational people that inspire them to reach for bright futures.

“We love seeing their ideas come to life and are so grateful to our local community and partners for helping us make this happen.

“The publication of Year 5's book, in partnership with Gareth Baker, is an example of precisely the sort of aspirational, memorable learning we want all our children to have during their journey with us.”