Children as young as 11 from Gloucestershire’s Wycliffe Prep have been putting their creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurial thinking to the test through an exciting employer-led challenge in partnership with Marshfield Farm.
As part of the school’s ambitious Discovery Programme, designed to develop life skills beyond the classroom, students were tasked with designing a brand-new ice cream flavour in response to a real-world business brief.
Working collaboratively in teams, pupils explored every stage of product development, from flavour creation and branding to marketing and identifying a target audience.
Inspired by the format of The Apprentice, the challenge encouraged students to think commercially while developing key transferable skills including communication, problem-solving, leadership and presentation skills.
The project began with a visit to Marshfield Farm, where students gained first-hand insight into the business and the ice cream production process. Back in school, teams refined their ideas and recently presented their final concepts for a seasonal twist on a Christmas special to a panel.
Although students did not physically produce the ice cream itself, several groups created impressive visual concepts and branding materials to support their pitches. Their presentations are now being shared with representatives from Marshfield Farm, who will provide professional feedback on the students’ ideas.
Head of Futures at both Wycliffe Senior and Wycliffe Prep, Mrs Amy Penney, who led the project, said it was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to apply their learning in a real-world context.
She added that she had wanted to elevate the challenge by bringing in real industry leaders, entrepreneurs and farming specialists and was inspired one day to ask bosses at Marshfield as she was driving past its farm near Bath.
“I am very proud of our Year 7 pupils and the way they engaged with this challenge. They have shown enormous creativity, confidence, and teamwork throughout the process, and we are incredibly proud of the professionalism of their final presentations.”
The Marshfield challenge forms part of the school’s wider commitment to experiential learning through its Discovery Programme, equipping students with the confidence and skills needed for future study, work, and life.
The programme for Years 6, 7 and 8 was newly created last September and is carefully structured into blocks, with each one challenging pupils to think, problem solve and collaborate.
Other events at the school to promote careers have included a mock trial where teams of pupils argued whether a Jaffa cake was defined as a biscuit or a cake with real members of the legal profession taking part to help adjudicate.
