Year 10 impress in the Dallam School Dragon’s Den
On Thursday 22 January, four Year 10 teams took part in an exciting Dragon’s Den-style challenge, showcasing their creativity, confidence and business knowledge by presenting proposals to expand an existing business through the introduction of a new service.
Over several weeks, students had worked carefully to research their chosen businesses, analyse market opportunities and develop realistic, well-structured plans. Their task was to design a new service that was financially viable, attractive to customers and sustainable in the long term — before pitching their ideas to a panel of experienced professionals.
The judging panel, our “Dragons”, brought a wealth of business and financial expertise to the event:
- Mrs Houghton, Dallam School Trustee
- Mr Pickthall, member of the Dallam School Charitable Trust
- Mrs Hamer, Chief Finance Officer
Each team delivered a formal presentation before responding to detailed questioning on key areas including start-up costs, funding sources, marketing strategies, customer demand, risk management, and both short- and long-term development plans. The panel’s questions were challenging and rigorous, reflecting real-world business expectations, and students responded with maturity, clarity and resilience.
The standard across all presentations was extremely high. Teams demonstrated strong research skills, clear financial thinking and impressive teamwork. Many showed creativity in identifying gaps in the market and confidence in justifying their proposals, highlighting the impact of high-quality learning in business and enterprise.
Following a very close competition, the judges selected Ethan Giles, Lily Howsley and Jamie Graham as overall winners. Their proposal to introduce Padel courts at an existing gym in Lancaster impressed the panel with its strong market research, realistic financial planning and clear growth potential. Representing Wolves House, their success earned them a well-deserved 100 house points.
All participating teams deserve recognition for their commitment and professionalism. Every group presented interesting, well-developed ideas and showed real courage in standing up and presenting to a panel of experts. For many students, this was a challenging experience that required confidence, preparation and resilience — qualities that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
Events such as this reflect Dallam School’s commitment to providing meaningful, real-world learning experiences that develop communication, leadership and enterprise skills. We are proud of the ambition, determination and maturity shown by our Year 10 students and thank our Dragons for their time, expertise and valuable feedback.
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