Six ten-year-olds launched a new business this week with dreams of selling handcrafted items to schoolmates ... and to people around the world.
Pupils at St Paul’s Community Primary School, in Queen’s Road, Spalding, began making craft items in September but the launch of The Woodland Crafters (TWC) is a huge leap forward.
Among items produced by the young enterprise group are twig pencils, bag tags, whittled wooden spoons and bird feeders made from wood.
Simona, Westa, Bartosz, Philip, Alfie and Mackenzie shared out key jobs, like sales, marketing and product development, and carried out market research among school friends to see what they would pay for goods.
Soon TWC hope to have their products featured on a website so they can sell goods made at St Paul’s to the world.
The youngsters aren’t dreaming of untold riches but they are excited about the prospect of sales.
Bartosz said: “If we make a lot of money, we might buy something for our classroom.”
Westa, who designed the TWC logo, told us: “We want to inspire other primary schools to start a business as well.”
The pencils, likely to be sold at £1 a time, are made from willow tree twigs that are in plentiful supply on the school field, where different areas are being developed for outdoor learning.
Alfie said: “We take a piece of willow, drill a hole down the middle, and dip the lead in some PVA glue before putting it into the hole. We might sometimes carve the side of the twig so there’s a place where you can write your name.”
As St Paul’s pupils get to grips with crafts, ten-year-old Mackenzie has excelled by carving a “welcome” sign.
The school is about to surprise Mackenzie by revealing the special site chosen to display his work
It’s the lad’s first ever piece of carving, and he said: “I am really pleased with it.”
He’s delighted to be part of the young enterprise group, where all members are learning new skills as they set out in business.
Fellow group member Bartosz is also happy to be in business although he describes it as “kind of weird and cool at the same time”.
Head teacher Kira Nicholls said the business is helping pupils to understand why they need to learn particular skills in the classroom – they are also coming up with ideas, such as asking to have a place on the school website, and are thinking their ideas right the way through.
Miss Nicholls said: “It really excites me and I am just really proud of them.”
Previously ...
St Paul’s Primary School in Spalding gets its record tally of Ofsted “goods”
FEATURE: The school that has its own bank, shop and currency