School's all-girl team tops national search for business brains

Ridgewood School in Doncaster has been named winners of the Real Business Challenge at BAFTA's headquarters in London having won a regional event at Leeds United's Elland Road ground in November last year.

Pupils were asked to develop ideas for designing, marketing and distributing a new soft drink to help celebrate the football world cup in South Africa last year.

The all-girl team from Doncaster believe their success was down to their in-depth research which led to them suggesting a drink with berries sourced from Africa.

Luke Shemilt, the acting head of business studies at Ridgewood School, said: "We are so proud of the team who have worked incredibly hard and thoroughly deserve their success.

"It just goes to show that hard work and preparation pays off – our students have learned so much and it has been a really rewarding experience for them."

The school was one of seven which took place in the national finals of a competition which has involved more than 20,000 pupils across the country.

Jane Walton, policy director at the Young People's Enterprise Forum in Leeds which supported the event, said: "Our region can be rightly proud of the pupils – and teachers – from Ridgewood School.

"They excelled in the Yorkshire and Humber event and replicated that performance in the national final, and they now find themselves winners of a highly respectable business competition.

"The Challenge reached thousands of pupils this year and Ridgewood School is the cream of the nation's crop.

"A bright future lies ahead of this smart group of young people."