J P Morgan grant boosts enterprise at St Paul's Way Trust School

A major new programme to help children learn enterprise and employability skills will be launched at St Paul's Way Trust School in January 2015. A generous grant from J P Morgan to the school, in association with St Paul's Way Community Interest Company, will support students to develop their own business ideas, and turn their plans into real community enterprises. The grant will also support the school to develop a more comprehensive work experience programme, meaning that every student will have opportunities to learn about work which is tailored to their hopes for the future. This is the second grant from J P Morgan to the school. In 2013-14 the school ran a pilot enterprise programme which led to the creation of micro-enterprises run by students.

These included 'Trust Food' which created a recipe book, working with Tesco locally on its format and design. 'Bouquet Bou' sold children's clothes presented as beautiful cloth bouquets. Younger students took part in a 'tenner challenge' to make a profit from their initial investments of £10. Students also took part in business related learning, including how to develop a business plan, do market research, sell products and write accounts. Students in the VI Form took part in internships at J P Morgan over the 2014 summer holidays. The new programme seeks to build on the foundations laid by the pilot scheme.

A new Director of Learning for Enterprise and Employability will work to develop an extensive programme of engagement with local businesses to create opportunities for work experience, internships and business mentoring. The team in school will support the micro-enterprises which have already started to become independent businesses, and will help students throughout the school to develop new ideas into real businesses. A further strand, based at St Paul's Way Community Interest Company, will support the development of community based enterprises such as 'Mohila Creations', which was founded by parents of children at the school, and has been trading successfully for 3 years.

The J P Morgan project is a part of the school's 'St Paul's Way Graduate' curriculum offer. By focusing on the 6 key strands of Communication, Investigation, Participation, Networking, Scholarship and Vision, students are prepared to embrace life with confidence on leaving school. By learning about business and enterprise within a community context and an ethical framework, students will be well positioned, as they move onto the next stages of their education, to enter employment and wealth creation.

Hang Ho, UK Philanthropy Representative at J P Morgan, said: "J.P. Morgan is committed to working with our neighbours in East London on projects that support our local community in meaningful and sustainable ways. We have been hugely impressed by the young entrepreneurs that we have met from St Paul's Way Trust School and are very excited to be working with the school on this new and inspiring project.'

Jan Iley, leading on the Enterprise and Employability project for the school, said:

"J P Morgan's grant supports our students to develop a wider perspective. They are given chances to network with people running real businesses, as well as to develop their own enterprise ideas. The opportunities for work experience and internships will open up a wide range of new opportunities."

"The school is very grateful to J P Morgan for its ongoing support."