PUPILS from Cleddau Reach VC School in Llangwm have put Pembrokeshire on the map with their impressive enterprise skills.

The school recently scooped two top awards at the Welsh regional finals of the Enterprise Troopers Primary School Competition.

They won the overall ‘Fantastic Foundation Phase’ Winners Award, and seven-year-old Ella Barrow also won the individual Star Troopers award.

The Enterprise Troopers is an all-Wales competition for primary schools, which aims to develop the entrepreneurial skills of attitude, creativity, relationships and organisation through developing a business.

The regional finals were held at the University of Wales Trinity St David, with Cleddau Reach competing against schools from Cardigan, Swansea and Carmarthenshire.

“The pupils at Cleddau Reach have been real enterprise ambassadors, not just for this competition, but in their whole school ethos,” said Chloe James from Pembrokeshire County Council’s ‘Small Steps to Enterprise’ team.

“The school have been avid attendees of the Pembrokeshire Enterprise Fair since it began eight years ago, so it was no surprise that they did so well at the competition, which saw students creating a trade stand and talking to judges about their business,” added Wendy Harries, Youth Enterprise Officer.

After deciding to raise money to improve their outside area, each year group was given a £10 budget and tasked with developing a business plan and creating products to sell at the Christmas Fair 2014.

The pupils came up with some amazing products, from decorated clay pots with chocolates inside, to personalised door hangers and candles in a Christmas painted jar.

Headteacher Nick Groves said the project gave pupils a chance to use their numeracy and literacy skills throughout, with nursery pupils identifying coins and pupils in years 5 and 6 creating complex spreadsheets.

Groups from the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 were entered into the Competition, and both were invited to the finals.

The pupils agreed they had an amazing time at the finals, with most admitted being quite nervous when talking to the judges - except for Amber, seven, who said: “I wasn’t nervous at all! I couldn’t stop talking!”

Cllr Sue Perkins, Cabinet Member for Education and Safeguarding, praised the school for their success and for extending the theme to all classes. “Projects like these are vital in inspiring pupils to try something new, and developing confidence, teamwork, leadership, and a can-do attitude. Well done Cleddau Reach!”