The Real World Workshops fused aspects of The Apprentice with Dragons' Den and the Year 6 and 7 children embraced the spirit of the task very well, taking the opportunity to show off and develop their leadership, collaboration, communication and creative thinking skills.
Year 6 and 7 worked in a very different way at the end of the term, splitting into four companies, each with 9 or 10 children.
First up in the den were Firefly with their Sightsport smart glasses, an excellent pitch secured the investment of £150k from property magnate Lord Little of Goudhurst for 10% of their company. An ingenious (don't through it, grow it) green packaging idea from Evergreen with a slightly confused pitch, secured a combined investment of £125k each from Fashion and textiles icon Dr Elodinia Duharn and Design guru Dame Natalia Cameroni for 20% of their business, as opposed to the 5% they asked for. Mad inventor and lapsed hippy, Professor Sir Tobin Paynesmithers offered £200k to The Cookery for their one stop wonder combo kitchen facility for 10% of the business, being beaten down to 8% after two years by a shrewd and dynamic team. Finally, in a first within the den, two dragons threw money at Plasteco's bespoke cutlery and crockery made from from Pacific ocean reprocessed plastic waste, offering them twice the money they asked for, but for 60% equity in their slightly bizarre business model.
A brilliant time was had by all, and the children learnt a lot about the real word of business, design, raw materials and supply chains, while developing skills which will serve them well in the future.
Mr Payne-Cook, PSB Leader