Risedale School has emerged as the overall winner of the prestigious Primary Inspiration through Enterprise (PIE) Project school competition. This remarkable achievement reflects the hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit of the Year 7 pupils and their committed teacher, Mrs Jane Hailwood.

The PIE Project aims to foster entrepreneurial and enterprise business skills, inspiring young minds through engaging, hands-on projects. Competing against numerous schools across the North East, Risedale School's pupils demonstrated exceptional creativity, teamwork, and business acumen, securing the top position in this esteemed competition.

The winning business idea from Risedale School was to create a school magazine. This publication showcased the great work at the school, highlighting academic achievements, sporting successes, and other extracurricular activities. The business element and profit-making aspect involved visiting local businesses, where the pupils presented a professional pitch to business owners and secured advertising space, generating profit from advertising sales. The pupils’ vision was to celebrate the diverse talents and accomplishments within the school community, fostering a sense of pride and unity among pupils and staff.

All participating schools received an initial £100 seed funding grant, which supported the setting up of their business ideas.

The top three schools were invited to a Zoom call. I would like to congratulate all the participants for their amazing efforts. Ammar Mirza CBE, one of the PIE Project's trustees and a radio presenter on Spice FM in Newcastle, announced the winners live on air. The 3rd, 2nd, and 1st placements were broadcast on Spice FM and reached audiences worldwide.

We were also honoured to welcome Lt Col Andy Black from the Army, a trustee of The PIE Project. His presence added significance to the event and provided further encouragement to the students. Upon becoming winners, Lt Col Andy Black presented the pupils with a cheque for £2000.

Mrs Hailwood, a Senior Teacher at Risedale, played a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring the pupils throughout the project. Her unwavering commitment, especially during the busy end-of-year period, was instrumental in their success. The pupils' enthusiasm and innovative ideas were brilliantly showcased, earning them well-deserved recognition.

As the school's PIE Project volunteer, known as PIE'Oneers, I express immense pride in every single pupil, acknowledging their hard work and dedication – well done.

Risedale School's success in the PIE Project not only brings pride to the school community but also serves as an inspiration for other pupils to engage in entrepreneurial and enterprise activities. This victory underscores the importance of fostering creativity and enterprise skills in young minds, preparing them for future challenges and opportunities.

Congratulations to Risedale School, its talented pupils; Oliva Bamber, Willow Curtis, Rosie Dobson, Olivia Naylor, Louise Savery, Florence Sewell, and the dedicated staff for this outstanding achievement!

Mark Hill MBE | PIE Project PIE’Oneer

On X (formally known as Twitter) the PIE Project commented, "Well done and congratulations to our number one #PIEOneer @MarkHillMBE thank you for your continued support of our charity 🙏🏽"