Each year at Greenfield School, following the completion of exams and securing senior school offers and scholarships, our Year 6 students brace themselves for the eagerly anticipated challenge known as Dragon’s Den.
As part of our ongoing aim to foster innovative thinking and practical skills among our students, Dragon’s Den stands out as a final challenge to put their capabilities to the test. The premise is straightforward: conceive and present a product or service to our panel of “Dragons” – comprising our Headmistress, Mrs Botting, our Deputy Head, Mr Brown, and our two Assistant Heads, Miss Griffiths and Mr Gudgeon. Every year the challenge gets more complex, and we are continually amazed by the presentations and ideas that our Year 6 cohort delivers. In recent years, we brought the challenge to life by materialising the children’s business plans and asking them to sell to a group of discerning customers (parents, teachers, and children with a pouch of coins).
Now, they’re tasked not only with coming up with a sales pitch but also carrying out…
- Market research,
- Sales forecasting,
- Charity selection,
- Marketing and promotions,
- Packaging design,
- Designing their market stall.
Since this extra challenge we have consistently been overwhelmed by the amount of money the Year 6s are able to raise at their stalls, each year sending thousands of pounds across an array of local and national charities. It’s a remarkable opportunity for them to test their skills, see their ideas come to life, and, importantly, contribute all profits to charities of their choice.
Embracing the Challenge
Divided into randomly assembled teams, the students dive headfirst into the task: coming up with a business idea that not only garners sales but also yields profit after factoring in production costs. Each team selects a charity to support – an integral part of their pitch to the Dragons, explaining how their proceeds will benefit the chosen cause. Market research kicks off promptly: conducting surveys to gauge product demand, optimal pricing strategies, and potential areas for refinement.
Pitch Day
With their ideas prepared, teams work on their prototypes and refine their sales pitches. They present their business rationale, including insights gleaned from market research. Financial breakdowns are meticulously presented in charts and graphs, detailing production costs and investment requirements for bulk manufacturing. Armed with these projections, they articulate how their earnings will impact their chosen charities.
True to their name, the Dragons proved to be fierce evaluators, scrutinizing the products and costs, and probing for potential hurdles. Yet, the children, thoroughly prepared and deeply invested in their ventures, field the queries and take on any sage wisdom imparted by their teachers. After their conversations the children will come away with not just a small sum of money for investment but also suggestions for enhancing stalls, ensuring product diversity and profitability – all with the ultimate aim of maximising charitable contributions.
The Road to Final Production
The array of offerings at the 2024 Dragon’s Den marketplace was an array of handcrafted goods and enticing games and challenges with prizes up for grabs. Each team adhered to the budget allocated by the Dragons, striving to generate as much money for their charities post-investment. The children worked hard over the Spring term putting their ideas into production, printing materials, preparing backup plans, and sourcing any final resources before the marketplace day.
A new venture that was taken on this year was a collaboration between two teams – keen to set up a disco at the end of the Spring Term, two teams worked together to bring this plan to life. As you will see from results, this idea was hugely popular and reaped an excellent total for their charities!
Launch Day
The day of the marketplace unfolded as a whirlwind of activity, with pupils bustling about, perfecting their stalls and hosting competitions and games in the courtyard. Year 6 pupils embraced their roles as salespersons, explaining their wares and demonstrating their products. Throughout the morning, the Hall was a buzzing hive of activity as children and parents alike eagerly perused the entrepreneurs’ wares.
Witnessing the students’ confidence as they engaged with customers and clinched sales gives a real sense of the mature and ambitious Senior School students that they will become in the coming months. This year’s incredible total is a testament to their diligence and determination.
Results – Meet the Teams
Go for Gold
- Who? Sienna, Hari, Imogen, Reuben, Freya, Freddy and Sae.
- What are they selling? Olympics-themed games, prizes and merchandise inspired by Paris 2024.
- What is their USP? As well as teddies, fidget toys and stickers available for participants in their tournament, the children sold crocheted French themed keyrings. Adults participating had the chance to win shop vouchers and wine (kindly donated!)
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Keychains, and two grand prizes for the overall winners – brand new footballs.
- How much profit did they make? £215.20
- Who did they raise money for? Lighthouse
Fidget Funtastic
- Who? Maya D, Maya N, Alex, Tyler, Kevin and Fergus.
- What are they selling? Handmade fidget toys
- What is their USP? Customers can try their luck to win exciting bundles of fidget toys with a Lucky Dip.
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Materials needed to craft hundreds of fidget toys.
- How much profit did they make? £268.62
- Who did they raise money for? The Gorilla Organisation
Books Galore
- Who? Ezekiel, Jessica, Maria, Matthew, Mia, Nina and Robin
- What are they selling? A vast array of children’s books, across a variety of genres, lengths and age ranges.
- What is their USP? Using a handy 3D printer, they also sold bookmarks and book model keyrings.
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Using resources and equipment at home, this team’s overhead costs were practically nil – requiring just the card for the bookmarks.
- How much profit did they make? £346.92
- Who did they raise money for? Macmillan Cancer Support
Bead Buddies
- Who? Sloane, Arjun, Quinn, Daniel, Mena and Anabelle.
- What are they selling? Unique and customisable beaded bracelets.
- What is their USP? Customers could request bespoke bracelets using chosen words and colours.
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Elastic, and lots and lots of beads!
- How much profit did they make? £382.37
- Who did they raise money for? Sepsis UK
Mystery Mix
- Who? Arthur, Jake, Pixie, Luca, Stephanie, Maiya and Neev.
- What are they selling? Lucky dip prizes.
- What is their USP? With a 50-50 chance of winning, participants have the chance of winning stationery, teddies, fidget toys, keyrings and sweets.
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Purchasing various prizes in bulk.
- How much profit did they make? £447
- Who did they raise money for? British Heart Foundation
Disco Dragons
- Who? Abhay, Ella, Freddie, Matilda, Rohan and Theo.
- What are they selling? Tickets to the school disco.
- What is their USP? At the marketplace, children could purchase a song request ahead of the disco.
- How did they spend the Dragon’s investment? Balloons and drinks.
- Collaboration with Mystery Mix – For the first time in Dragon’s Den History, two of our groups formed an alliance to maximise their profits. Mystery Mix, having purchased a large amount of sweets at a bulk discount rate, set up a tuck shop during the disco and continued to maximise profits.
- How much profit did they make? An incredible £1345.75
- Who did they raise money for? Bipolar UK
The grand total for this year’s Dragon’s Den was a record £3005.85 – outstanding!
Year 6 Results Life After Greenfield