Entrepreneurial Spirit Programme

Summary

Kirkley High School in Suffolk is identifying potential entrepreneurs and giving these students the opportunity to learn about business practice from local businesses.

• The Idea!
• In Practice
• Collaboration
• Impact
• What Next?
• The Kirkley High School, Lowestoft
• An Innovative Culture
• Links and contacts

The Idea!

Staff at Kirkley High School felt that the school could play a (much needed) role in the economic regeneration of this deprived community by recognising difference to a much greater extent and designing bespoke curricula more effectively across the board. Specifically, in an effort to tackle low expectations and low esteem, it was decided that certain students who find conforming to mainstream schooling expectations difficult, and opt out either physically or mentally to the detriment of many, must be catered for more innovatively than traditional schooling allowed.

Synchronicity enabled a link with a pilot scheme in Scotland, headed by a Scottish entrepreneurial company called Mindscreen Ltd, underwritten by the Scottish Executive and established in six schools. This scheme uses software to psychometrically test students to identify potential entrepreneurs, for whom a bespoke curriculum has been designed. Kirkley High School's link with this group has enabled them to use the same tools and design a programme, which is attuned more closely with local needs.

Hazel Johnson, Deputy Headteacher of Kirkley, says:
"If we actually want to regenerate the economy, then let's do it through our young people. They need to actually experience the world of work. They need to gain the expertise from people who are successful in business, and what better way can we do it - by drawing them into personalising the curriculum that actually exposes our young people to as much time with individual coaching from business people as you can get."

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In Practice

Initial funding from the local LSC enabled the School to purchase access to the software and training for staff over three academic years. This underpinned the whole programme, as well as enabling more focused pastoral discussions by tutors with their students.

Initially the School had planned to follow the Mindscreen programme much more closely, but factors such as cost and geographical isolation from the other group members in the Scottish project made it judicious to work in tandem with, but separately from, that group. By liaison with the County Senior 14-19 Advisor for Suffolk LA, who provided invaluable advice and guidance, and discussions with the CEI at Warwick University amongst others, the programme was gradually developed for operation at the beginning of 2003/2004.

Funding has been made available by significant donation of money and especially of time from local successful businesses, as well as money from The Innovation Unit and from the School Business Link Team, who granted the three High Schools in Lowestoft 'Enterprise Pathfinder' status, as the result of a successful bid to enhance three different, complementary enterprise thrusts that the schools are engaged in.

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Collaboration

The East Coast Enterprise Cluster has been formed as a result of the Pathfinder status, with the goal of establishing an Enterprise Forum, chaired by Simon Loftus, a local businessman with a high profile locally and nationally. The aim of this group is to ensure the sustainability of each school's projects long-term and to enable a sharing of best-practice as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The intention is that, as they refine and prove the value of our programmes individually and collectively, they are in a strong position to roll ideas and materials out to other interested schools, locally, regionally and nationally as schools express interest.

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Impact

The differences are already becoming obvious, although Entrepreneurial Spirit is only in the early stages as an operative programme. Punctuality has improved, by 66 per cent in the more extreme cases. Engagement in mainstream classes is more noticeable by teachers of the students. Self-esteem and 'can do' is visibly growing amongst the students, especially as a result of the one-to-one working with local successful business people.

Considerations to be undertaken before engaging in such a work-related earning project is 'how well developed are your business contacts?'. This is a key to successful operation and it is important to identify and appoint the right sort of people who have, or can quickly acquire, some form of standing in the eyes of local business. Howard Davies' recommendations, at this early stage, have not necessarily penetrated far (or at all) into the smaller businesses - or even, in truth, higher up. Having a pile of copies of the report (or a digest from it, although this may look less impressive) may help to spread governmental intentions and desires on this point.

At all times it is important to present a professional and positive face to the world of business so they feel you mean business. Kirkley High School made a preliminary investment of impressive looking, professionally produced publications to act as information and sophisticated 'begging letter' as we began promoting interest and locating funding.

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What Next?

It is hoped that the next stage of development of the programme within Kirkley, apart from expanding the programme from the pilot 15 to all students eligible according to the software and follow up interview, is to establish an e-academy, providing distance learning in enterprise and entrepreneurship.

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The Kirkley High School, Lowestoft

The Kirkley High School serves a community that presents several challenges: low educational attainment; high unemployment; high levels of drug usage and criminal records. There are also a huge number of decent, honest people who want to get on for themselves and their children.

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An Innovative Culture

The school and its staff at all levels are aware of the particular demands of the area and its concomitant needs. There is a continual striving, both individually and collectively, to adapt old ideas and innovate to attempt to counter the effects of the local environment, which tend to create a 'can't do' rather than a 'can do' culture. The overall determination and success is exemplified by the fact that the last set of end of year results by students was set at the highest level ever at all Key Stages (3-5).

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Links and contacts

Kirkley High School website

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