Independent Schools Guide 2023: How Haileybury is fostering a spirit of enterprise

Clever ideas, smart thinking, determination and teamwork – these are just some of the highlyprized skills shared by the 21st century’s greatest entrepreneurs.

From Bill Gates and Sheryl Sandberg to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, each of these creative and focused business people has confronted challenges, failed and found a way forward to achieve incredible success.

At Haileybury, that sense of adventure and innovation is encouraged through a hands-on entrepreneurship program across the Middle and Senior schools. It is led by Head of Entrepreneurship and Learning Partnerships Damien Meunier, and begins in the earliest years with a Prep to Year 4 Literature, Enterprise, Arts and Politics program.

As part of this program, students earn faux money during class as part of a rewards system for good work, effort, acts of kindness and demonstrating school values. That faux money is then spent at a market stall created by the children. Children set up a stall, advertise what they are selling, source the products and do the accounting, says Meunier.

In Years 5 to 7, students take part in the $20 Boss program. Last year, 400 students across Haileybury’s four Melbourne campuses were involved.

“Students come up with a business idea and pitch for $20 capital to start that business. They then trade for three days at lunchtime in the Middle School and the money they raise goes to charities,” explains Meunier.

Business ideas range from beaded jewellery, tie-dyed clothing and pamper boxes filled with body scrubs and moisturisers to customised Spotify screensavers that feature a person’s favourite songs.

“One group wanted to start a succulent plant business, which sounded great, but when they spoke to their potential customers – students in the Middle School – they discovered nobody was interested,” says Meunier.

“Instead, they created small fidget toys and were one of the highest grossing teams. But they learned the importance of doing their research and speaking to customers first.”

Year 7 students have learnt how to use entrepreneurship for a good cause and raised $10,000 towards building a library for a school in Nepal badly affected by flooding.

In Year 8, students devise a business idea or product to help solve a modern-day issue. This has sparked ideas including toothbrush kits and mobile hairdressers for the homeless, an app to help teenagers find casual jobs and a card game to help young people navigate challenging life situations.  The best ideas are presented at a pitch event and the winner is supported to turn their idea into a reality.

“Most recently, the winning team was four girls who created a card game called ‘Social and Safe’,” says Meunier.

“Each card features different scenarios that a young person might come across online and in society, and other cards have different answers that could be applied. It’s a little like Cards Against Humanity with a prompt and you respond with a card you think offers the best solution. It generates discussion about how to act safely in different situations and environments.”

At a pitch event for schools at the University of Melbourne, the team won the People’s Choice Award and the students are now working with Diane Furusho, Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing, to refine the cards. A set will be provided to every Haileybury classroom.

This year, the Year 9 Haileybury Incubator Project (HIP) has a theme of ‘HIP for Good’ and students will learn how to develop a social enterprise.

In Years 10 and 11, the Haileybury Enterprise Academy sees the school partner with HEX, which supports early-stage business founders with a start-up business idea, in a select-entry program for students who’ve displayed an affinity for entrepreneurial thinking.

“HEX usually works with school leavers and university graduates, but why wait until then?” says Meunier.

“The world is changing and the future of work is about enterprise skills – they are the way forward and we need to provide students with those skills.”

HAILEYBURY

Website: www.haileybury.com.au

Haileybury Keysborough
855 Springvale Road, Keysborough, VIC 3173
Phone: +61 3 9904 6000
Email: reception@haileybury.vic.edu.au

Haileybury Brighton
120 South Road, Brighton East, VIC 3187
Phone: +61 3 9904 6004
Email: reception.castlefield@haileybury.vic.edu.au

Haileybury City
383 King Street, West Melbourne, VIC 3003
Phone: 9904 6008
Email: reception.city@haileybury.vic.edu.au

Haileybury Berwick
138 High Street, Berwick, VIC 3806
Phone: +61 3 9904 6006
Email: reception.edrington@haileybury.vic.edu.au

Years: K-12
Denomination: No religious affiliation
Gender: Co-ed
Fees: $20,230 (ELC) – $35,920 (Year 12)
Boarding: No
Scholarships: Yes
ATAR (median for 2022): 93.5

This article appeared in Domain’s 2023 Independent Schools Guide.