Dragons’ Den

Year 9 entrepreneurs worked in teams to develop innovative business ideas in the final weeks of term.

Over the course of five weeks, girls have been working in groups to put together innovative business proposals, culminating in a Dragons’ Den experience. Each form group voted for their favourite pitch, which went through to the final, where their ideas were scrutinised by our South Hampstead dragons. Congratulations to the winning teams who were awarded the following prizes from the dragons:

• Best overall business idea – HealthBot (9T) – an app encouraging young people to get exercising
• Best company branding – Pouchh (9G) – an all in one health and safety kit for when you are out and about
• Best advertising – The WOOF Hotel (9D) – a luxurious retreat for dogs and their humans
• Best use of technology and presentation skills – Climate Count (9S) – an app that allows users to find less polluted routes of travel, especially targeting people with asthma
• Most innovative idea – Pip&Grace (9M) – a fashion service that allows consumers to order their favourite celebrity looks

Here is what our budding entrepreneurs had to say about the experience:

“The project really pushed my creative boundaries – it was such fun coming up with ideas. I also enjoyed collaborating with another group to develop their vision and pitch further. Overall, a great learning experience for those of us who would love to develop our own product and company one day.” – Daisy

“It was an exciting change and encouraged us to think outside the box. I was intrigued by all of the ideas presented and surprised at how different they all were. The skills we have learnt from this will be very useful in years to follow.” – Emilie

Mr Alaru, Head of Year 9, commented: “It was wonderful to watch the journeys of the teams, from their very first Entrepreneur Day to the final presentations in the Dragons’ Den. Every group had a unique idea, creating financial reports, advertising campaigns, company branding, logos and projected profit statements. Watch this space for the next big entrepreneurs!” 

The project is just one of the many initiatives which form part of our Futures Programme, ensuring our pupils are well prepared to consider options and develop skills for life beyond South Hampstead.