A Quality Standard for Enterprise Education

Questions Descriptions

1 1a) Examples of Communication, debate and dialogue with staff (through

meetings, CPD, newsletters, e-mails etc.) is an important
The school/college School definitions of
has created a
process in developing a shared understanding of what
enterprise education enterprise education means for your school/college.
policy for
enterprise
education which
The definition agreed should be compatible with
encompasses the significant external views e.g. local enterprise initiatives,
school/college's Dept for Education
vision for future
development as an 1b) Examples of This could be established through a range of strategies
entitlement for all and procedures e.g. relevant extract from the School
pupils/students Enterprise education been Evaluation Form, an agreed list of annual activities,
established as a clear and specific timetabling, use of a pupil/student diary, a
defined entitlement for all school/college schedule, etc
pupils/students?

1c) Examples of Reference to enterprise education might appear through

explicit references in a number of curriculum policies.
School enterprise education
There may also be a separate enterprise policy
policy documents

1d) Examples of There should be explicit reference to enterprise

education, clearly identifying this within the plan.
Enterprise education activity
featured as part of the school
development plan

1e) Examples of Enterprise education offers rich opportunities to

encourage equal opportunities. It can provide positive
Enterprise education activity
being structured to encourage
contributions towards meeting the equal opportunities
equal opportunities/inclusion/ policies in the school/college.
an inclusive approach?

2 2a) Examples of It is important to ensure that pupils/students are made

aware of why they are involved in enterprise activities,
The How enterprise is
school/college’s
and of the intended learning outcomes and longer term
introduced to benefits of developing enterprise capabilities. They
vision for
pupils/students and, where
enterprise should be involved in discussion about this work –
education is appropriate, discussed with (‘Student Voice’)
communicated them well before activities
to all take place?
pupils/students,
staff and the wider 2b) Examples of There should be specific channels for communicating with
community staff about enterprise education, e.g. through staff
How the leadership team meetings, notices, minutes of formal meetings, staff
ensure that there is a clear
 process for communicating newsletters, staff development events, etc.
planning decisions on
enterprise learning to staff
throughout the institution?

2c) Examples of All enterprise education activities should be preceded by

a structured briefing in which the purposes of the activity
How pupils/students are fully
briefed before their enterprise
are explained and the intended learning outcomes are
education activities and are defined. This also should reinforce the longer term
made aware of the aims and benefits of developing enterprise capabilities
objectives of particular
programmes

2d) Examples of It would be useful to have readily available, clear and

concise explanations of the school’s/college’s vision and
How the leadership team purpose for enterprise education. This could be drawn
ensure that the school’s from policy documents and school/college plans.
vision and purpose for
enterprise education is fully
explained to external
partners and/or parents,
whenever they are involved
in such activities

Questions Descriptions

3 3a) Examples of A thorough audit is an essential precursor to effective

planning. A clear understanding of current provision
The school/college Enterprise education
has undertaken a
throughout the institution will help in making decisions
activity audit documents about future development.
systematic audit
of enterprise
education activities
at some point
during the last two
Evidence has shown that schools/colleges often
years underestimate how much work they already do which is
relevant to enterprise education.

4 4a) Examples of The coordinator should be clearly identified, and known

in this role throughout the school/college. There should
The school/college Enterprise education co- be a specific job description and objectives for the post.
has an enterprise ordinator job descriptions Co-ordination includes cross-phase working (between Key
education
Stages, and in transition from primary/secondary/FE)
coordinator who
operates with the
The post holder should have appropriate authority and
full support of the
senior
support from the senior management team to operate
management team effectively
 Questions
5 5a) Examples of
The school/college Formal commitments being
allocates specific
made by the leadership
resources to
team to support and
encourage and
support enterprise
resource appropriate staff
education activity development for enterprise
and all necessary education?
legal and safety
issues are fully 5b) Examples of
addressed
How school identified time
from the normal
curriculum for enterprise
education activities to take
place
5c) Examples of
How the school/college co-
operate with external
agencies, including
businesses to deliver the
enterprise education
curriculum
5d) Examples of
How the school supports
enterprise education
activity through the
allocation and tracking of
specific resources
5e) Examples of
How the school addresses
current legislation
regarding health and safety,
public liability insurance
and child protection in
preparing for and
Descriptions
There should be records of the commitment of resources
e. g. in meeting minutes, management records,
leadership team records, etc. There should be a specific
identified budget for enterprise education which is
available to the enterprise education coordinator
Time for enterprise education should be identified in the
timetable. This can include time identified within the
‘normal’ curriculum, in any subject area(s), and also
opportunities created through collapsing the timetable,
operating ‘themed’ sessions etc E.g. student enterprise
clubs, after school enrichment clubs
Enterprise education should capitalise on the
school’s/college’s existing links with a wide range of
external partners, including parents, and also play a
leading part in developing relationships with new
contacts, and extending the range and value of
contributions from external partners.
Enterprise education should operate as an integral part of
work-related learning and within the broader context of
economic well-being
There should be a specific budget identified for
enterprise. Other types of resources to support
enterprise education can include staff responsibility
allowances, staff time allocations, physical resources,
allocations of small sums for pupils/students to use for
enterprise activities etc.
Schools/colleges can also seek external sponsorship to
support enterprise education.
School/college and Local Authority policies for health and
safety, insurance and child protection must be consulted
and complied with in the development and
implementation of enterprise education. Key documents
and information should be made available to the
enterprise education coordinator and other staff involved
 implementing enterprise
education activity

6 6a) Examples of The importance of moral and ethical issues should be

emphasised from the beginning in enterprise education.
The How pupils/students are Pupils/students should be encouraged to consider and
school/college’s required to consider the
enterprise
reflect on moral and ethical issues in any enterprise
moral and ethical issues activity they undertake.
education activities
include attention to
associated with all of their
moral and enterprise education
ethical issues activities?

Questions Descriptions

7 7a) Examples of Enterprise education should aim to develop a range of

enterprise capabilities in pupils/students. Staff should be
The enterprise How pupils/students are
education
clear about which capabilities a given activity is designed
required to make choices in to encourage, and should make pupils/students aware of
activities develop
their enterprise education
a full range of these.
enterprise activities
capabilities An individual activity may not offer opportunities for
7b) Examples of:
pupils/students to practice the full range of enterprise
Enterprise education capabilities, but the school’s/college’s overall provision
activities which require should offer full coverage as part of the pupils’/students’
pupils/students to apply entitlement to enterprise education
decision-making skills?

7c) Examples of:

Enterprise education
activities which require
pupils/students to apply
problem-solving skills

7d) Examples of

Enterprise education
activities which require
pupils/students to work as
part of a team

7e) Examples of Enterprise involves an element of risk, and the possibility

of failure. Having the confidence to take risks, developing
Enterprise education the judgement to assess risks, and recovering from failure
activities which allow are all important aspects of enterprise learning
pupil/student involvement in
 ‘supported’ risk-taking and
incorporate the possibility of
failure

7f) Examples of Enterprise education offers excellent contexts for learning

Enterprise education
programmes which provide
opportunities for
pupils/students to learn
about personal finance and
develop their financial
capability
about personal finance and developing financial
capability. This can be through simulated financial
activities, but learning can be enhanced where
pupils/students are given real responsibility for handling
money and finance.

7g) Examples of Enterprise education provides excellent opportunities for

Enterprise education
activities related to the
development of
communication, numeracy
and ICT skills?
pupils/students to develop and practice these
transferable key skills, and personal, learning and thinking
skills. Briefing and debriefing of enterprise activities
should help pupils/students to appreciate the value of
this learning.

7h) Examples of
Enterprise education
provision which helps
pupils/students to
understand how goods and
services are produced and
provided, including :
Whilst some activities may not allow opportunities for
pupils/students to experience all aspects of the
production cycle, the school/college’s overall provision
should offer full coverage as part of the pupils’/students’
entitlement to enterprise education.

- Designing a
product/service;
- Producing/delivering it;
- Looking at costs and
deciding on pricing;
- Advertising or
promoting their work
- Carrying out market
research in some form;
- Reviewing their success
- Identifying opportunities
for product/service
improvement and
development
8 8a) Examples of Enterprise education offers excellent opportunities for
pupils/students to experience different learning styles. It
The Enterprise education
school/college
provides an ideal context for pupil/student-centred
activities which are learning, and for them to share tasks and use skills of
ensures that adequately varied to allow different types (e.g. visual, auditory, kinaesthetic)
pupil/student for the preferred learning
centred, styles of different
activity based pupils/students
learning is at
the heart of its 8b) Examples of Enterprise education is enriched by the involvement of
enterprise external partners and contacts from the local community.
education Enterprise education In addition to the specific knowledge, skills and
portfolio, activities which involve experience they bring, they also provide valuable
extending across input from the local
the full range of opportunities for pupils/students to interact with, and
community
subject areas and communicate with other adults
supported by
external partners Enterprise education can make an important contribution
where to community cohesion
appropriate

Questions Descriptions

9 9a) Examples of Clear identification of the knowledge, understanding and

skills to be developed through enterprise education is
Pupil/student Identified set of key knowledge,
enterprise understanding and skills for
essential in order to plan how learning will be assessed,
learning is enterprise education which can and activities will be evaluated. The approach should take
regularly form a focus for assessment and account of Assessment for Learning (AfL)
evaluation
reviewed,
assessed and 9b) Examples of There should be contact time in which teachers/lecturers
recorded can observe pupils/students at work, and discuss progress
Education programmes which
include assessment of enterprise
with them. A range of assessment methods can be used
learning by staff
e.g. feedback from pupils/students, ‘before and after’
surveys of pupil/student perceptions and understanding,
presentations etc

9c) Examples of Pupils/students should be actively involved in the

assessment of their own work in enterprise education
Enterprise education programmes
which include assessment of
and in peer assessment of each other’s work. They
enterprise learning by the
should learn that their own assessments and opinions are
pupils/students? both important and valid in enterprise education.

9d) Examples of There should be specific mechanisms, systems or

Pupil/student records,
portfolios or progress files
which refer to enterprise
education learning
outcomes
documents for pupils/students to record their enterprise
education experience and learning. There should be
specific opportunities for pupils/students to review these
records, with each other and with staff as new records are
added, so that progress can be identified.

10 10a) Examples of Evaluation should consider all aspects of enterprise

education activity, including practical and logistical issues
All enterprise Enterprise education
education
activities evaluation
activities are
frameworks
evaluated as a
matter of course, 10b) Examples of
and results shared
with a wide Enterprise education
audience
evaluation reporting
documents
10c) Examples of
Enterprise education
evaluation evidence
providing a specific
contribution to the school’s
self evaluation process
10d) Examples of
How schools disseminate and
celebrate good practice in
enterprise education activities
with outside organisations
Malcolm Hoare . m.g.hoare@ warwick.ac.uk
Copyright: Centre for Education and Industry
University of Warwick
as well as teaching and learning. Evaluation may be
through use of common evaluation frameworks and
processes.
Evaluation should be used to inform the school/college
development plan. It should be the basis for decision
making about future enterprise education activities,
actions and priorities.
Enterprise education forms an important part of the
education provision within a school/college, both in its
own right and as part of work-related learning. It can be a
focus for attention in school/college inspection. Well
structured evaluation of enterprise education in the
school can make a valuable contribution to the Self-
evaluation framework (SEF).
Enterprise education creates opportunities to develop
work beyond the school/college boundaries, and engage
with partners in the local community. Part of the value of
enterprise education is found in the way activities are
reported, shared and celebrated with the local
community and beyond.