Kidderminster pupils vie to arrange prom (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Kidderminster pupils vie to arrange prom

7:20am Wednesday 17th June 2009

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PUPILS at a Kidderminster primary school have set up their own party planning "businesses" to organise their perfect leavers' prom.

Year six children at Sutton Park Community Primary School, aged 10 and 11, formed four companies to compete for the best business plan.

They will meet the school’s headteacher and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in an Apprentice-style summit, when only one company will be hired.

Liz Jones, deputy headteacher, explained that the pupils had been busy planning and researching factors such as food, entertainment, decor and best value.

She added: “They have been absolutely brilliant. They are really starting to shine. Their negotiation and leadership skills have been outstanding.

“They have had to think of everything, including all the nitty gritty. It has really brought out a lot of maturity in them.”

Mrs Jones said they started off by electing team leaders, who then delegated roles such as promotion, research and budget analysis.

They then had to persuade the PTA and school headteacher they were up to the job and could stay “on task”.

They raised more than £180 at a school fund-raiser, with games such as “soak the student” and a penalty shoot-out.

Mrs Jones said the project was being run in partnership with Baxter College and was a more realistic way of meeting numeracy and literacy objectives in education.

She explained: “It is vital that learning is real and relevant to children and they can see an end product. The prom is actually going to happen for them, so there is a real purpose to their learning.”

Natalie Ward, 11, deputy head girl and company director of The Meals on Wheels Squad, said they were still ironing out the final details of their business plan.

She explained they had discussed having Chinese food for the prom’s buffet but keeping the food warm would have been too difficult and impractical.

She added: “Everyone is really excited about the prom and how it will turn out. It is really nice to be able to decide what it will be like.”

The prom is due to be held at the Greatfield Road school in mid-July.

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