Rise Multi Academy Trust Year 6 pupils become young entrepreneurs through Virgin Money's Make £5 Grow Challenge 

Year 6 pupils from across Rise Multi Academy Trust, which includes several schools in the Melton area, have demonstrated outstanding creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit after taking part in the Virgin Money Make £5 Grow challenge. 

The initiative gives pupils the opportunity to experience the world of enterprise by developing their own business ideas from the ground up. Supported by free lesson plans, activities and resources from Virgin Money, each pupil can access a £5 loan to invest in creating a product or service to sell, learning first-hand how businesses are planned, managed and grown. 

Across the Trust's schools, pupils embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, designing business plans, managing budgets and bringing their ideas to life before hosting fundraising events within their school communities. 

Each school put its own unique spin on the project, with pupils organising summer fêtes, school fairs and enterprise stalls featuring everything from homemade baked goods and handcrafted gifts to creative activities, including an art café. The programme encouraged pupils to think innovatively while developing practical solutions to make their initial £5 investment grow. 

The funds raised were used in a variety of meaningful ways. Some schools chose to reinvest the profits into resources that will benefit future pupils, including new sports equipment, while others supported charitable causes close to their hearts, donating to organisations such as a linked school in Uganda, Childline, the RSPCA and the Trussell Trust. One school even created a lasting legacy by using its profits to introduce a Shining Star Award – an annual award that will be presented to a Year 6 leaver who truly represents what it means to be a pupil at their school. 

Pupils achieved incredible fundraising success across the Trust, with St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary School, Rearsby, raising an outstanding £750 through its enterprise activities. 

Jo Westaby, Deputy CEO (Education) at Rise Multi Academy Trust, said: "The Make £5 Grow challenge has been a wonderful opportunity for our Year 6 pupils to put their learning into practice in a real and meaningful way. It has been inspiring to see the creativity, determination and teamwork shown by pupils across our schools as they transformed simple ideas into successful enterprise projects. 

Beyond the impressive fundraising totals, this initiative has helped our pupils develop invaluable life skills, including communication, financial awareness, problem-solving, resilience and leadership. These are skills that will benefit them throughout their education and future careers. I am incredibly proud of every pupil who took part, and I'd like to thank our dedicated staff, supportive families and local communities for encouraging our young entrepreneurs every step of the way." 

Projects such as Make £5 Grow play an important role in preparing young people for the future by helping them develop essential life skills beyond the classroom. Throughout the challenge, pupils strengthened their confidence, communication, creativity, teamwork, financial literacy, problem-solving and leadership skills while gaining a greater understanding of budgeting, marketing and responsible decision-making. The experience also encouraged resilience, adaptability and community engagement, showing pupils that even a small idea can make a big difference. 

The challenge highlighted the enthusiasm, determination and imagination of Year 6 pupils across Rise Multi Academy Trust, while strengthening links between schools, families and their local communities. By taking ownership of their projects from the initial idea through to selling their products and managing their profits, pupils gained a genuine insight into entrepreneurship while making a positive difference to causes and projects that mattered to them. 

Congratulations to every Year 6 pupil who took part in this year's Make £5 Grow challenge. Rise Multi Academy Trust would also like to thank its dedicated staff, supportive families and local communities whose encouragement, generosity and hard work helped make each enterprise project such a success. Their support has enabled pupils to create lasting memories, learn valuable life skills and discover the impact they can have when they work together with confidence, creativity and purpose. 

Find out more about Rise Multi Academy Trust by visiting https://rise-mat.com/