AN exciting enterprise project for gifted pupils in West Devon was launched at Lifton Primary School last week. Five primary schools are taking part in the Gifted and Talented Enterprise Project. It is being led by Lifton Primary and follows on from their similar, very successful Maths and ICT Project last year. The other participating schools are Lewtrenchard Primary, Boasley Cross Primary, Lydford Primary and St Giles on the Heath Primary. Tthe project aims to develop the children's leadership, communication and organisational skills. Each school attended with a team of pupils who it felt were talented in the skills required for successful teamwork and leadership. During the spring term, each team will develop a business proposal, before running their own business with an aim to make a profit. Guest speakers from two local businesses, Helen Spooncer, owner of Foxcombe Bakery, and Graeme Barriball, property developer, explained how their own businesses began, and offered tips during speeches which gave the children an insight into the management of a business, ensuring they understood the importance of careful planning and research. The project should last for 12 weeks and at the end the teams will present their business reports to a large audience from all the schools. They will use ICT presentations to illustrate their successes and the areas which they found more challenging. Caroline Parsons, learning and teaching leader at Lifton Primary and project organiser, said: 'We are really excited about this project and the children are certainly enthused. 'I'm really looking forward to seeing what product each team decides to develop and how they overcome difficulties throughout the project .' Children identified as being gifted and talented are recognised as being in the top five to ten percent of pupils in each year group of their school. The pupils identified will be achieving, or have the potential to achieve, significantly in advance of the average for their year group in their school. Such pupils can be identified as being 'all- rounders', being talented in creative subjects such as art and music, or with specific skills, such as leadership, that are above those of their peers. Ms Parsons said the project had received great interest from outside agencies, with support from Okehampton College and SWGATE (South West Gifted and Talented Education).
