Education for Enterprise

These ideas have been developed as part of the BEST Project (Building Enterprising Students Today) to support the application of Education for Enterprise in classrooms. They are starting points for teachers in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the ideas to meet the needs of their students, school, and community. 

Ideas for short lessons

• Read or watch stories that show enterprising characters and discuss how they are enterprising. 
• Set up a group treasure hunt for students and discuss how they applied enterprising attributes.
• Ask students to design, make, and model a wedding outfit out of paper and other resources. Discuss how students applied enterprising attributes.
• Invite students to donate pre-loved toys or games to a class shop. Students can learn about financial capability as they earn income and purchase from the class shop.

Ideas for inquiry units

Students could: 

• investigate the facilities that their community currently offers, and identify possible community developments for the future.
• explore electricity as they design and construct a simple electronic game or toy to exhibit at a "toy expo".
• organise an arts expo auction and invite people in the community to attend.
• organise and hold a school disco to raise money for a designated purpose.
• undertake the challenge of redesigning their bedrooms.
• plan, prepare, and serve a meal to a group of visitors to the school.
• establish the necessary hygiene and waste requirements to accommodate the gathering of a large number of people in one place.
• investigate the rights and responsibilities of consumers and businesses in New Zealand.
• make and sell healthy lunches for one day.
• design and develop a garden to improve an area of the school.
• invent a new team game using PE equipment, and teach the whole school how to play it.
• plan and produce a promotional video about their school for community members, prospective parents, or new students.
• learn about local people who make important contributions to the community, and think of ways to acknowledge and thank them.
• investigate natural disasters and help people be better prepared to deal with them.
• design new systems to solve an everyday problem at school, such as an untidy classroom, lost property, or rubbish in the playground.

These ideas have been developed by classroom teachers to support the application of Education for Enterprise in secondary classrooms. The ideas designed to be used as stimulus for teachers to develop units of work to meet the needs of students in their own classes.

Ideas for inquiry units

Students could: 

• work with a local club or organisation to develop financial management plans.
• explore the economic decision-making processes used in undertaking major and minor purchases.
• learn about democracy, government, and political systems through creating their own political party.
• work with local businesses to design advertising or product packaging.
• investigate and design a food product for a recreational activity such as tramping.
• do energy audits of their own home, identifying potential areas of efficiency concerns.
• investigate the skills needed for flatting, including choice of flatmates, implications, and financial commitments.
• pitch a product or concept to a Dragon’s Den-type panel.
• identify a health issue in the community, and plan and implement an overall health promotion strategy.
• identify a local area in the community in need of redevelopment, and develop and implement plans to make changes.
• investigate local sports facilities, and design a perfect recreational facility for young people in their area.

Senior secondary teaching and learning guidelines are now available to support level 6, 7, and 8 curriculum teaching and learning of business studies. Level 1, 2, and 3 achievement standards for business studies have been registered on the National Qualifications Framework.

Assessment and achievement standards

Level 1, 2, and 3 achievement standards for business studies have been published on the NZQA website.

Assessment resources and exemplars for all level 1, 2 and 3 externally assessed standards have been published on the NZQA website.

The Business Studies Matrix is available in the 'related resources' box on the Business studies page on TKI.

Assessment resources for level 1, 2 and 3 internally assessed standards are available from the Business Studies page on TKI. The conditions of assessment for each level are found in the 'related resources' box of each level page.

Exemplars of student work will be developed for these achievement standards and will be published on the NZQA subject specific resources pages on the NZQA website when suitable student work becomes available.

These templates, tools, and resources have been developed to support principals and curriculum leaders in establishing a school-wide enterprising approach to teaching and learning. 

Education for Enterprise Regional Cluster Initiative (Word, 310 KB)

Education for Enterprise Regional Cluster Initiative (PDF, 99 KB)

Related downloads

Characteristics of an E4E teacher (RTF, 54 KB)

Characteristics of an E4E teacher (PDF, 30 KB)

Characteristics of an E4E school (RTF, 48 KB)

Characteristics of an E4E school (PDF, 27 KB)

Curriculum Scan (RTF, 35 KB)

Curriculum Scan (PDF, 17 KB)

Developing an E4E school (RTF, 39 KB)

Developing an E4E school (PDF, 25 KB)

Developing Effective E4E Learning Partnerships with the Community (RTF, 75 KB)

Developing Effective E4E Learning Partnerships with the Community (PDF, 43 KB)

Implementing E4E in the school curriculum (RTF, 32 KB)

Implementing E4E in the school curriculum (PDF, 14 KB)

Leading E4E Change in Your School (RTF, 217 KB)

Leading E4E Change in Your School (PDF, 171 KB)

NZC and E4E Key actions for change (RTF, 24 KB)

NZC and E4E Key actions for change (PDF, 18 KB)

Pedgogical Scan of school (RTF, 32 KB)

Pedgogical Scan of school (PDF, 13 KB)

SWOT Analysis (RTF, 24 KB)

SWOT Analysis (PDF, 11 KB)

Where are we now and where do we want to be with E4E? (RTF, 42 KB)

Where are we now and where do we want to be with E4E (PDF, 20 KB)

These websites and online resources have been selected to support school leaders and teachers in embedding Education for Enterprise into the school curriculum.

Future Problem Solving (FPS)
This programme and associated competition encourages an enterprising approach to future problem solving based on a six-step problem-solving process. This can also be applied to building community relationships using the Community Partnerships Scheme (CmPS).

Enterprise 4 Kids
Enterprise 4 Kids is an inquiry programme that integrates enterprise, social sciences and technology education. It’s an easy way to get started with enterprise at a classroom level.

Young Enterprise Trust on Facebook
Young Enterprise Trust is a charitable trust sponsored by several government agencies and the private sector, which provides programmes to build school students' economic literacy. This website gives details of four programmes for different age groups – Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), Financial Education programme (FED), Enterprise Student Programme (ESP), and Primary Enterprise Programme (PrEP).

Business New Zealand
Business New Zealand is New Zealand's largest advocacy group for enterprise. It works to promote sustainable growth through free enterprise.