A team of bright young business brains from Newcastle-upon-Tyne Church High School in Jesmond has beaten off competition from seven other local schools to win the Northern heat of the national BASE competition. Stockton Sixth Form College’s pupils were the runners-up.
The heat of the BASE (Business, Accounting and Skills Education) competition took place on Wednesday 25 January 2012 at the University of Northumbria.
BASE links schools, students and employers together in a bid to not only increase awareness of a career in chartered accountancy and finance but to develop key employability skills in the future workforce.
Assuming the role of chartered accountants, the students had just one and a half hours to analyse, discuss and decide on the next business steps of a fictional organisation before presenting their ideas to a panel of business professionals.
Church High’s winning team was made up of Year 12 students Jessica Fulgenzi, Grace Jackson, Claudia Thompson, Jade Webb-Hartford and Josie Lau.
Josie Lau said: “I found the event very challenging but good fun also. It gave me a great opportunity to put the theory I have learned in the classroom into a real business scenario and I am looking forward to attending the national finals in June.”
Head of Business Studies, Cheryl Gibb, said: “The girls worked as a team throughout the event and their hard work and effort truly paid off. The team looked at the objectives of the task and presented professional and logical suggestions for business improvements. I was very proud of their work throughout the day.
“We are grateful to ICAEW for the opportunity to participate in such a well organised, challenging, yet very enjoyable event. The success of our girls was down to good teamwork and I know they are all very excited about the national final.”
Church High School’s winning business brains: L to R: Back Row – Jessica Fulgenzi, Grace Jackson, Claudia Thompson; Front Row – Jade Webb-Hartford and Josie Lau