A success story for one of our BTEC Enterprise pupils.

Ms Bell-West has nominated one of our pupils, Archie (U6^th Form), for the BTEC Awards 2021. The BTEC Awards is an annual competition, run by Pearson Education, where the outstanding achievements of BTEC learners, tutors, teachers, schools and colleges around the world are recognised and celebrated.

Archie is an exceptional BTEC Enterprise pupil who took the ideas, research he learnt in lessons to go and set up his own business. He has done this successfully, despite being in the middle of the lockdown. I was so proud to read what he had to say about this achievement when I interviewed him. Archie has also given a presentation to my L6^th Form BTEC Enterprise class about what they are learning and what he learnt along the way. The class were enthralled (as was the Headmaster who dropped in remotely to the lesson), and it led to over 30 minutes of non-stop questioning from all the pupils. A real inspiration. Why not check out his website www.cbbikeservices.com.

Heidi Bell-West - Teacher of Business Studies & Economics

Read the Archie's answers in his BTEC Nomination Interview

• Why did you choose to study your BTEC Enterprise?
  I chose BTEC Enterprise because I knew it was going to provide me with a good life skill and understanding of business. I thought it would be interesting and more relevant to the real world compared to other subjects. I also chose it because I knew at some stage I wanted to start my own business and taking this subject would help me do so.
• What makes you so passionate about your BTEC course and subject?
  I find learning about the entrepreneurs and how they overcame the issues they faced as well as what they considered when they started their business. It was also interesting to see, if a business didn’t last, why that was and how it could’ve been prevented. The inner workings of a business is something so complex too, and I like that the course teaches you to understand how they work and how to optimise them.
• How has your BTEC course helped you to develop your career ambitions?
  My BTEC course has shown me how to start my own business, which I have done. One of the assignments was to theoretically start our own business and I made it a reality a couple months later, CB Bike Services. The course taught me about marketing and how to get my name out as well as identifying that I had found a gap in the market and offered some new services such as collection and delivery of bicycles, something no one else does. During the course I also completed lots of research into my market which saved time setting the business up.
• How you feel you are going the extra mile in your learning?
  In my course I would put myself into the mindset of making what I was studying a reality. For example when I was doing my assignment on setting our own businesses up, I envisaged myself actually setting up a business and doing as much as possible to make it as real as it could be. Or for marketing I would try and put myself in the shoes of the business and think about what I would do if I was that business, who would I advertise to and what social group would they be from.
• How are you a role model to others - within your school, college or local community?
  It is unlike many 17-18 year olds to set up their own businesses. I believe I have inspired other people my age to do the same, even if it's just for the experience, to get the fullest understanding of one and do something they enjoy. After my talk with the Lower Sixth pupils, it was clear that they were invested in knowing more about starting their own business and asking the right questions to prepare them for that if they wanted to.
• What are your successes and achievements (over and above your studies) inside or outside school or college?
  As mentioned, I started CB Bike Services in late May 2020, and I was astounded at how well received it was by my local area, since then I have serviced nearly 150 bikes and have started growing some loyalty with familiar faces appearing 6 months after their original service for another booking. In school for Lower Sixth I got the Enterprise Award, which I am very proud of, and have also received a week’s work experience at Alpine F1 Factory in the summer which I am extremely excited about.