HIRING, firing and the importance of looking after your money all played a part in Holy Trinity’s Young Apprentice contest.

Budding entrepreneurs from Year Six were called upon to make as hefty a profit as possible in a hard-fought competition where pupils were divided into groups and treated as bona fide businesses.

They washed cars, ran chocolate fountains, grew plants from seed then sold them and ran home-made bread and cake stalls.

Everyone did well, but in keeping with Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice, one team was eventually given the boot – and awarded foot-shaped lollies for their pain.

There was a serious aim behind the fun. Every year, Holy Trinity pupils take part in Primary College at Weymouth College, where they spend three days enjoying different activities on the Cranford Avenue campus.

This year, with money tight, the college imposed a £10 fee for each visiting pupil, so staff at the Cross Road school decided to get the youngsters to pay their own way.

Assistant head and Year Six leader Emma Starling explained: “We randomly divided the children into teams of four and each child brought in £2.50 of their own money. They then had to decide what their team would do and what they would spend their money on.

“We didn’t give them any help, they did it all themselves, and they had to use the money for things like using the school card and photocopier and we also charged them for the use of water and electricity. It was just like running your own business – they had to do everything themselves.

“They did brilliantly. One or two came up to us with complaints that so-and-so wasn’t pulling their weight or whatever, but we left them to sort it all out themselves and they did.”

Before the Young Apprentice day, each group has to stand up in assembly and make a pitch for their company, saying why people should trade at their stall rather than at any of the others. They also designed advertising posters and put them up around the school.

Emma said: “The children were amazing and we will definitely be running Young Apprentice again next year. It was a month from start to finish and the children learned so much.

“In the end we made £600 profit in total, which is absolutely brilliant.”