By Mr Will Scott, Principal at Dame Allan's Schools, Newcastle.
What do Year 7 pupils and business owners have in common? As a School Principal who sees first hand these young people at work, I would say there are many similarities, and indeed, many skills that we work hard to encourage in the young people under our care.
First up, enthusiasm. When you’re a fresh-faced secondary school pupil, aged 11 and looking forward to your time in ‘big school’ for the most part you are eager to get started and learn.
Those who take the leap and start their own business too are often those who are eager, keen to learn new things and not phased by new beginnings. Vera Wang, the hugely successful fashion designer, was an editor at Vogue before turning her hand to bridal gowns. And, before that, she was a figure skater.
Learning to look at a new start as something exciting, rather than something to be feared, is a great skill. Our Year 7 pupils have many chances to learn more about Dame Allan’s before they officially begin their schooling, including Open Days and ‘Jump In’ classroom taster sessions. These touchpoints help to reduce nerves and build excitement and enthusiasm.
Resilience is another key skill that is integral to entrepreneurs, and to our Year 7 pupils. Learning to try something new, fail, learn, and try again is something we are passionate about developing in all of our pupils. For example, every pupil is encouraged to take part in at least one co-curricular club a week to try out a new hobby or sport. Our co-curricular programme offers a wide range of opportunities to suit all tastes – from chess and dance, to the fencing and plant club. Reframing failure as progress and a tool for learning is not only a great way to build confidence in young people, but also an essential mindset for any budding business owner: just look at James Dyson, who created 5,127 prototypes to reach the first bagless vacuum! This ‘growth mindset’ was recently championed amongst our pupils in a talk by renowned journalist and author Matthew Syed, who spoke in the most recent edition of our inspirational speaker series, The Lectures.
When it comes to the vital spark that makes an idea become a business reality, a level of creativity is also required. At Dame Allan’s, we ensure that our pupils nurture their creative spirit from their first weeks in school, with art, dance, drama, and music classes part of every Year 7 pupil’s timetable. With our dedicated dance studio, high quality art rooms and studio space, plus our music labs, we hope to nurture that spark of creativity – what may be a painting, a dance piece, or a melody at a young age, could become the plans for an innovative, problem-solving business as an adult. Co-curricular clubs can also be a basis for a whole range of useful entrepreneurial skills, for example, pupils in Debating Club learn to become confident and articulate speakers, and to formulate opinions well, whilst others may develop robust leadership skills when captaining their sports team.
Older pupils too carry these lessons throughout their schooling, with pupils from Years 9 – 13 invited to attend The Lectures – a series of inspirational talks – that have often featured renowned business owners sharing their stories and tips for success. Previous speakers have included Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies, bakery boss Jonathan Warburton, and Jo Fairley, of Green & Black’s chocolate fame. Once they reach the Sixth Form, students can formally study business and economics, with many choosing to take their interest in entrepreneurship to fruition with an enterprise module. This sees them set up their very own small business; in the past we have had Dame Allan’s merchandise created, a staff car wash set up, and raffles a-plenty.
So, for anyone reading who may be thinking about setting up their own business, why not think like a Year 7 pupil? Embrace your enthusiasm, resilience, and creativity, and see where it may take you.
Find out more at dameallans.co.uk