Ethical Enterprise

In the new year, Head of Business and Economics, Michael Liggins, hopes to provide the resources and environment for students to run with their own entrepreneurial ideas outside of the classroom. The proposed co-curricular hobby, ‘Social Enterprise’, seeks to reflect the School’s values and ethos, whilst acquainting club-goers with real local businesses.

Michael explained “The idea is that we help students initially to develop their enterprise skills. Once we are at a point of progress, we will give students the opportunity to form companies that will trade within the school with their business idea. When students are eventually set the challenge of forming their own business, they will each receive a small amount of start-up capital (£10).”

Competing with one another, only time will tell who can create the most successful business, measured by ethical dimensions, impact and profit. Adjudicating the process with an ethical audit of each company will be our partner, Ethical Reading; a local not-for-profit business that hopes to achieve that in its very name. The proceeds from each company will then be donated to a charity collectively chosen by students.

This is not the School’s first joint venture with Ethical Reading. The group has built a relationship with Leighton Park’s Sixth Formers over the past three years through their provision of insightful business-related presentations. Most recently, in pre-lockdown conditions, CEO of Big Issue Invest and Old Leightonian, Danyal Sattar, provided a fascinating reflection on ethical financing models.

In 2021, we aim to suitably recognise students who demonstrate commitment to being an ethical entrepreneur, challenging social and environmental issues such as equality and sustainability, by awarding our new Ethical Enterprise Scholarship.