Enterprise Education and Financial Wellbeing Centre of Excellence Award for Wallace High School 2025

Wallace High School is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Centre of Excellence Award for its outstanding contribution to enterprise education and financial wellbeing for the 2024–2025 academic year. This national recognition reflects the school’s commitment to equipping young people with the skills, confidence, and creativity needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Celebrating Innovation, Sustainability, and Student Success in 2024–2025

Through a programme of enterprise initiatives, Wallace High School has placed innovation and financial literacy at the heart of the curriculum. A cornerstone of this success is the school’s long-standing participation in Young Enterprise Northern Ireland’s Company Programme, in which Sixth Form students set up and run their own real businesses for a full year.

In 2024–2025, Wallace High School students launched three inspiring companies: Down to Earth, Story Savers NI, and Repurposed By Us. These student-led enterprises traded to the general public at St George’s Market in Belfast and Bloomfield Shopping Centre in Bangor, gaining invaluable first-hand experience of product design, marketing, customer service, and financial management.

Young Enterprise Programme

The Young Enterprise Programme in Northern Ireland is a dynamic initiative designed to equip young people aged 4–25 with essential entrepreneurial and employability skills. Delivered by Young Enterprise NI, the region’s leading enterprise education charity, the programme engages over 90,000 students annually through hands-on experiences, workshops, and mentorship from business professionals. It aims to foster creativity, commercial awareness, and confidence, preparing participants for the ever-evolving world of work. Activities range from developing business ideas and managing real-life enterprises to exploring financial literacy and teamwork.

The programme is closely aligned with the Northern Ireland curriculum and supports the development of key life skills that contribute to both personal growth and economic success. By encouraging innovation and resilience, Young Enterprise NI helps shape the next generation of business leaders and active citizens, ensuring they leave education ready to thrive in a competitive global economy.

Wallace Young Enterprise Teams 2024-2025

Each company embodied the school’s ethos of creativity, teamwork, and sustainability:

• Repurposed By Us transformed donated clothes and rags into stylish tote bags, winning Best Display and Runner-Up Company awards at the Young Enterprise Area Trade Fair.
• Down to Earth addressed the environmental threat of ghost fishing nets by reclaiming material from Lough Neagh and crafting unique bracelets.
• Story Savers NI inspired a love of reading through personalised bookmarks, combining literacy promotion with entrepreneurial flair.

Enterprise Education Programme

Beyond the Company Programme, Wallace High School continues to strengthen enterprise and financial wellbeing across all year groups through a diverse range of initiatives, including Step Up, Project Business, Personal Economics, Blast Off, and Learn to Earn. These programmes foster creativity, critical thinking, resilience, and real-world financial awareness—core skills that prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

You can read more about our award winning Enterprise Education Programme below:

Wallace Wins Centre of Excellence Award for Young Enterprise

Reflections

Head of Business Studies and Enterprise Education, Mrs S Knight-Geddes, said:

“We are immensely proud to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence for Enterprise Education and Financial Wellbeing. This award reflects the creativity, determination, and teamwork of our students, as well as the dedication of staff in embedding meaningful, practical opportunities into school life. Seeing our students launch real businesses, solve problems, and innovate sustainably is a privilege, and we are excited to continue building on this success.”

Wallace High School remains committed to nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring every student leaves equipped not just with academic qualifications, but with the confidence, business acumen, and financial literacy to excel in their future careers and contribute positively to society.

You can find out more about life at Wallace High School via http://www.instagram.com/wallacehighlisburn