Students Turn Entrepreneurs for Arbour Vale Market Days
Students at Arbour Vale School recently put their enterprise skills into practice during two successful Market Days, with Early Years and Primary holding their event on Friday 12 June, followed by Secondary, Post 16 and PMLD on Friday 19 June. Both events were extremely well attended by parents and carers, creating a fantastic community atmosphere.
Market Day forms part of the school’s curriculum enrichment programme, alternating with an Arts Week every other year. This year’s focus on enterprise gave students the opportunity to explore the world of business and develop valuable life skills through practical, hands-on learning.
Over the past few weeks, students have been learning about what enterprise is, how markets work, and the important decisions businesses make around products, pricing, costs and profits. Working within their classrooms, students collaborated with teachers to develop stall ideas, decide what to sell and agree on pricing strategies.
The result was 2 vibrant and busy events, with classrooms transformed into a variety of stalls offering everything from homemade cakes and cookies to handmade jewellery and games. Students took an active role in promoting their stalls, interacting with customers and handling sales, putting their communication, teamwork and maths skills into practice in a real-life setting.
One of the most popular attractions of the day saw two brave members of staff volunteer to be pied with squirty cream, much to the delight of students and visitors alike.
The event was made even more special by the fantastic support from families, with more than 60 parents and carers attending throughout the day. Their encouragement helped create a real community atmosphere and gave students the opportunity to showcase everything they had learned.
The learning continues beyond Market Day itself. Students will now calculate the profits from their stalls and work together to decide how the money should be spent. Whether they choose to fund a special event, purchase new resources or invest in something that benefits the wider school community, the decision will be theirs to make.
Market Day was a wonderful example of learning brought to life, helping students develop skills in communication, teamwork, problem-solving, financial awareness and decision-making, while having plenty of fun along the way. A huge well done to all the students and staff involved in making the day such a success.