Peter Jones Enterprise Academy Ceremony in London

Last week, students from our Sixth Form embarked on a trip to London. They were incredibly smartly dressed and turned out with their most professional manners and attitude. This was just as well because, on this highly anticipated budget day we were heading right into the heart of the business world by attending the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy awards ceremony. The awards ceremony is designed as a celebratory moment for all the students who graduated from the Enterprise schemes last year, to praise and reward those whose businesses were the most successful, and to welcome the new cohort of PJEA students (our year 12s).

The students spent time looking around the displays put on by the finalists for the Business of the Year award, alongside students shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the year awards. Our students took inspiration and gained tips from others who have been able to launch and keep running highly successful, profitable businesses. There were key notes speakers who had themselves graduated from the PJEA programme and have gone on to maintain the businesses they founded whilst at school; they now work with highly prestigious companies across the country and have maintained close links with Peter Jones himself and the foundation.

Finally, and most anticipated by all, were speeches and praise for all students from the CEO of the Peter Jones foundation and Peter Jones himself. The students came away from the day with a renewed interest in tractors (the awards were around the corner from the farmers’ protests) but much more importantly an enthusiasm and renewed vigour for entrepreneurship, full of ideas and inspiration for their own business plans. We are looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the near future.