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Portree Primary School were the winners of the 2009 DTS Best Enterprise Award. You may find it helpful, as part of the nomination process, to take a look at the nomination that was submitted...
The ‘De an Diugh’ business enterprise followed discussion among the Gaelic-medium P6/7 pupils and their teacher at Portree Primary School. They identified a gap in the market for age-appropriate, Gaelic-medium materials for junior/pre-schools and decided to produce and retail their own song and dance DVD. Their enterprise ran for 14 months and has successfully marketed approximately 400 DVDs, realising a profit of approximately £3000.
The pupils took a business-like approach to their enterprise. They researched products currently available, investigated what would engage young children and consulted with a local production company to explore the feasibility of their undertaking.
Within the school they approached staff members to secure their support and agreement to involve the children of Sgoil Araich 4 (Gaelic nursery) with a view to producing a music DVD where the SA4 children would play the roles of children and GM7 pupils would play characters. This also involved contacting and obtaining written agreement from the children’s parents – an exercise undertaken very professionally and resulting in consent from all parents.
Having decided to go ahead, the pupils established a structure for their company. They appointed pupils to undertake specific roles (eg Managing Director) and each had to formally apply for their ‘jobs’ (being interviewed by the head teacher).
They approached skilled professionals for assistance and advice, formalised a timeline for production and identified all tasks to be undertaken. They considered undertaking their own filming and recording, but decided to ensure a quality product by employing technical professionals.
Their financial aim was to raise ‘some money’ towards buying a school minibus, but having decided that they would also like to support a charity, they also produced a lyrics booklet to accompany the DVD (profits from the sale of the booklet (£150) going to Children in Need). However, their main aim was to produce the DVD itself. Professional advice was that to produce a 30-minute DVD would be over-reaching themselves, but they were determined (following their own research) to produce a quality item which would hold greater appeal to buyers – so the decision was made that it would be a 30-minute production.
Having formalised their company structure, they engaged with local businesses for advice and assistance, they sourced and opened a bank account, approached technical professionals for their services and identified local businesses and organisations to promote and sell their product (targeting businesses who would not charge them for retailing – they were determined to maximise their profits!).
It was critical to the pupils that their enterprise was properly structured and managed, as the importance of producing this unique product was beyond measure to them. They learned early on, through planning meetings, that their success was dependent on their ability to work as a team, flexibility in their approach to their task, taking direction and advice even when they did not personally agree with decisions and their reliance on one another to ensure that they each undertook their own individual and collective responsibilities and adhered to their production timetable.
They studied their potential market, costed their production and compared the retail cost of other products before deciding their unit price (£10.00). They decided, as their potential market was wider than Skye, to distribute by mail for an additional £1.00 per unit without impacting their profit margin. They designed order forms to ensure efficient distribution, including a refund-and-replace policy to ensure good customer service.
They approached the school and local businesses for financial assistance. Their finance was raised partly through sponsorship (monetary and in-kind) and partly through borrowing (the debt has now been repaid!). They researched copyright legislation. They hired professional camera operators, an editor, a choreographer, a music adviser, a sound recordist and equipment. They arranged still photography (for the cover) and secured the services of a publishing company to design their sleeve.
Rehearsals were then organised with the children – no mean feat teaching songs and dance steps to four year olds! They had to take into account the needs of the Sgoil Araich children and also pupils with special needs. Then, come filming day, the team had to contend with unsuitable weather – no rain! The problem was solved by enlisting the services of the school janitor to provide rain through a hose!
The DVD had its premiere at a local theatre, with invited guests and media coverage. The pupils with ‘jobs’ made a presentation to the audience which, while in itself impressive, was made more so by the knowledge that there were pupils on the stage making a formal presentation to a packed theatre who would normally have been reluctant to speak in their own class. The DVD was then played to a packed and nervous house – the parents clearly far more nervous than the pupils! The finished product is stunning and should continue to sell for years to come.
What they have learned from this enterprise cannot fail to make a lasting impact on them. Their confidence in their abilities is apparent, their teamwork skills developed – learning to work together while taking into account individual needs and how their actions and behaviours can impact on others both positively and negatively. They have learned the importance of planning and research. Their knowledge of business requirements is enhanced and their learning of the importance of financial management and accuracy in record-keeping are essential life-skills that they will carry with them into the future. Fellow pupils and staff now have an added resource and a demonstration of what is achievable.
Having followed the progress of this enterprise in my capacity as Director and Gaelic presenter at Cuillin FM local radio and having seen the children’s pride in what they have achieved in producing this fantastic product, I feel it is important that the pupils who took part in the De an Diugh Business Enterprise know how much pride their community has in them for their achievement and therefore I am delighted to have the opportunity to nominate the De an Diugh Business Enterprise for this award.
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