Business team turn new page

Dec 8 2006 By The Journal

Budding business brains are playing their part in fostering a new spirit of enterprise in Wansbeck.

Sixth-formers at Bedlington's St Benet Biscop Catholic High School have launched a company - Panda Productions - under the national Young Enterprise scheme for classroom entrepreneurs.

They have demonstrated their business skills by researching, helping to write, illustrating and publishing Panda Says, a book for children aged six to eight.

It includes seven short stories written by local youngsters about childhood feelings and emotions and can also be coloured in.

Hundreds of copies will be published, accompanied by an audio CD, and sold to parents and through local schools for £4.

Last year St Benet Biscop's Cutting Edge student business came fourth in the national finals of the Young Enterprise scheme, and the school is at the vanguard of educational efforts to promote an enterprise vision.

Business teacher Cheryl Cutting said yesterday the 16 applied business students running Panda Productions had been heavily involved in the whole process.

"They have helped to write the stories, edited them to fit the school curriculum, helped devise the illustrations and approached a printing company to arrange publication. The book will be on sale in January."