Philips High School, Higher Lane, Whitefield

Philips High School in Whitefield has enterprise education embedded in its curriculum.

The Higher Lane school prides itself in embracing business-related activities and the development of skills needed by employers.

Pupils are encouraged to be team workers and are given the opportunity to display leadership. At the same time, they are urged to be creative and independent learners.

The school’s Year 10 pupils take part in two enterprise days — one led by the NatWest Bank and the other supported by Bolton University’s Accomplice programme. Next year, the number of such events will increase to five.

Additionally, all pupils at key stage four receive lessons to prepare them for college, job applications and the world of work. In maths lessons, youngsters also take part in an online Stock Market Challenge.

All Year 10 pupils have two weeks of work experience which they organise themselves or via an education business partnership database Tim Regan, the school’s director of enterprise and independent learning, said: “Pupils are encouraged to use enterprise skills in a variety of ways and curriculum enrichment forms a large part of our work.”

The school has linked with Salford Reds rugby league club to provide a junior rugby organisers’ award. This requires pupils to be taught the necessary skills and for them to teach primary schoolchildren.

Each year, the school produces its own newspaper, Serviam, to a high standard. It is the pupils who manage the project and have full editorial control.

The school excels in the local Young Enterprise competition, emerging as Bury’s overall winners five times in the last six years.

In 2008, Ofsted commented on the quality of enterprise activities at Philips, and earlier this year it reported that the pupils’ business education, economic and business understanding and financial capability was “good with outstanding features”.