Holme Grange Shortlisted in Talk Education Award for Entrepreneurship & Business

Holme Grange has been shortlisted for the 2026 Talk Education Awards in Entrepreneurship & Business, recognising its innovative approach to developing pupils’ confidence, creativity and real-world skills to prepare them for the future.

The awards celebrate schools developing innovative approaches to education, with the Entrepreneurship & Business category asking how schools are preparing today's pupils for jobs that do not currently exist and coaching and empowering the leaders of tomorrow.

Head, Pippa Adams, said:

'We are absolutely delighted that Holme Grange has been shortlisted for this award. It is wonderful recognition of the exceptional quality of teaching across our school and of the commitment, creativity and ambition of our staff, who are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make learning meaningful and relevant for our pupils.

Innovation is not about introducing something new simply for the sake of it; it is about ensuring that our curriculum evolves to meet the needs of the young people we are educating today as part of our vision to prepare pupils for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. To have that approach recognised by Talk Education is a tremendous achievement and one of which our whole school community can be very proud.'

At Holme Grange, being Future Ready is about far more than preparing pupils for their next academic step. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to be curious, think creatively, solve problems, communicate their ideas and have the confidence to turn those ideas into action.

Entrepreneurial thinking is embedded across school life. The school believes it is about far more than starting a business; it is about developing the confidence to innovate, the resilience to solve problems, the curiosity to ask questions and the courage to embrace new opportunities - qualities that will enable pupils to succeed in a rapidly changing world, including in careers that have yet to be imagined.

Practical opportunities bring these skills to life. Through KidsMBA Young Business Studies and Dragon's Den and Shark Tank-style enterprise challenges, pupils work collaboratively to develop ideas, solve problems and pitch their concepts with confidence. In Business Studies, Year 10 pupils take part in a Stocks & Shares Challenge, managing a virtual investment portfolio while analysing market trends, responding to global events and making strategic decisions. These experiences develop financial literacy, commercial awareness, resilience, critical thinking and informed decision-making in meaningful, real-world contexts.

Innovation is also encouraged through opportunities for pupils to identify and respond to real-world challenges. One Senior School pupil, for example, developed an idea for a food waste app to help reduce waste within the school. The concept was subsequently developed into a prototype by Holme Grange's catering provider - a powerful example of how an idea originating at school can have genuine real-world potential.



Head of Business Studies, Will Reed, added:

'Alongside striving for academic excellence, it is crucial that our pupils are immersed in the world of business beyond the curriculum and understand the impact of current business news. Their interest and curiosity really peak when discussions turn to current business stories and real-life examples.Our pupils also want to understand more about individual and family financial planning - from taxes and mortgages to pensions - and we have embedded more of this into their learning to continue building the financial literacy they will need for their future.

'I am delighted by the curiosity and enthusiasm with which our pupils have embraced the business challenges presented to them this year. From Year 10 pupils building and tracking simulated share portfolios, to younger Senior pupils pitching new products to a panel of judges, and marketing and selling products in school, they have embraced every opportunity to put their learning into practice.'

That combination of creativity, practical experience and the confidence to put ideas into action sits at the heart of Holme Grange's approach. The school is not simply preparing pupils for the careers of today; it wants to equip them with the skills and mindset to embrace change, seize opportunities and help shape what comes next.

We cannot predict the jobs our pupils will do in twenty years' time. What we can do is ensure they leave Holme Grange with the curiosity to explore them, the confidence to create them and the character to lead them.

September 2026