Westborough’s crowning glory

A KIRKLEES school has won a top award for budding business stars of the future.

Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star, Peter Jones CBE, has announced a team from Westborough High School in Dewsbury as the winners of his nationwide enterprise competition Tycoon in Schools.

The team called Lease 2 Learn were crowned at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace and presented with £1,000 to fund the continued growth of their business. They also met the Duke of York, who is patron of the Peter Jones Foundation.

The team fought off tough competition, with more than 2,000 children across the country going head-to-head to claim the winning title.

The six students, all in Year 11, received £280 as a start-up loan from the Peter Jones Foundation to officially launch their idea to market in October.

Their business allows students, teachers and the wider community to lease and hire school IT equipment, including refurbished laptops, at a very competitive and affordable price.

Lease 2 Learn’s main aim was to create a level playing field at school, where everyone has access to the technology that they need to succeed.

The idea was conceived as they discovered over a third of students at their school did not have access to a computer or laptop at home.

Lease 2 Learn was selected by a panel of judges based on the criteria of profitability, teamwork, business concept, sustainability and community engagement. The team had a final profit ratio of a fantastic 1,839%.

Peter Jones said: “Lease 2 Learn really stood out amidst the competition. The team blew me away with their professionalism – and most importantly, their business idea to support other students’ from their school.”

Lukman Patel, Director of Learning Business & Ethics at Westborough High School, said: “It’s really important to educate children about running a business, and Peter Jones’ Tycoon in Schools has provided a fantastic and inspirational experience for the Lease 2 Learn team.”

Tycoon in Schools has grown by 300% since it was launched in 2012, and sits at the heart of Peter Jones’ mission to put enterprise at the heart of the education system.

The impact of encouraging the nation’s young people into entrepreneurship is clear to see.

According to a survey of students that took part in the initiative last year, 70% feel that taking part in Tycoon in Schools has made them want to start their own business in the future.

Those who wish to sign up for next year’s Tycoon in Schools can do so here: https://www.tycooninschools.com