Vauvert team clean up with Dragons’ Den soap
TEAMS of budding entrepreneurs from Vauvert Primary have pitched ideas to a panel of investors in a Dragons’ Den-style competition.
Nine teams of Year 6 pupils had been working hard developing their products to pitch to the potential investors from seven different local organisations.
Their prototype products were shown to the panel yesterday, before asking for an investment to make them in bulk and sell at their spring disco.
Any money raised from the sale of the items will then go towards funding some of the costs for a Year 6 trip to Jersey.
Deputy head Mary Robertshaw said it was all part of the Big Picture Curriculum.
‘Interacting with the people of the world of work is a big part of the Bailiwick curriculum,’ she said.
‘There is a lot of skills that they learn here.
‘The children are using maths and presenting skills, learning how to design a product and their literacy skills are dramatically improved. It is also teaches them financial literacy, how to manage money, which is a vital life skill.’
Mrs Robertshaw added: ‘It is quite a nerve-racking thing for a 10-year-old to do, to come in here in front of the panel, but they seem to rise to it.
‘Once they are out of the room they are so excited and proud of themselves, but then the hard work starts and they need to start making the product.’
This is the third time Vauvert has held the Dragons’ Den event, previously raising more than £4,000 from sales of the items.
The panel are asked to invest between £25 and £60 to allow the teams to buy the stock to make more of the product, but investors can give more if they particularly like the idea.
A team called Soappence pitched an idea for soap to the panel made up of companies including Barclays, financial services and Ravenscroft.
Christopher Anderson from Carey Olsen was very impressed.
‘This is my third Dragons’ Den and I have never seen a group come in selling soap before,’ he said.
‘I think it is a brilliant idea, I think there is far too much sugar in products and one of your strongest messages could be that you are not a sugar-related item.’
Soappence ended up with more than £120 of investment from the eager panel.
Morgan Souplet, 10, spoke about the team’s process.
‘It has been quite stressful at times. I’ve had to stay up late redoing some of the maths,’ he said.
‘It all really started when I saw a five-minute craft video of people making soap. I thought that was really cool and that we could do that for Dragons’ Den.’
Morgan added that he felt really confident with his idea when speaking to the panel.
