Going straight to 'flotation' high-flying pupils at Chilton Cantelo School recently set up a business with teachers and staff buying shares in the company as part of their Year 10 Business Studies project.

Going straight to ‘flotation’ high-flying pupils at Chilton Cantelo School recently set up a business with teachers and staff buying shares in the company as part of their Year 10 Business Studies project.

The pupils set up ‘Young Vintage’, a limited company, to produce and sell decorated mirrors, mobile phone cases and bowls all decoupaged with newspapers, maps and Beano and Dandy comic paper.

Teachers and staff at the school bought shares in the company in return for anticipated dividends at the end of the project.

Working with Young Enterprise, a national educational charity, that helps schools use business projects to teach, the nine pupils have been learning how to set up a business, promote it and apply basic accounting principles to ensure viability. The experience gives the pupils a taste of team working, showing initiative and improving their communications skills.

The products will be sold at numerous fairs including the first in the Guidhall in Exeter next month.

The team has entered into a South West competition against other schools for the Young Enterprise Innovation Award 2013.

Caroline Wilkinson, Business Studies teacher, said: ‘This is a great experience for our pupils. Not only have they had to be very creative in producing their products, they will also be selling the products which requires a lot of self-confidence. It’s important that our pupils begin to develop the kinds of skills and attitude needed early on for when they move into the wider world of work later.’