Morgan Academy pupils to run social enterprise cafe
Morgan's was officially opened in early November
Last updated 11th Dec 2024
A group of pupils at Dundee's Morgan Academy are taking on an alternative curriculum model as they run a community and retail space.
Morgan's, a social enterprise cafe, sits near the historic school in Stobswell.
Acting Depute Headteacher, Grant Edwards, hopes to increase pupils attainment and employment opportunities through the unique venture. He said: "Some of our young people struggle to engage with the traditional curriculum model, so that was one reason for it, to re-engage some of those young people.
"It's also to try and re-engage and connect our young people with the world of work. We have a lot of young people who get their qualifications and go out there and maybe struggle with employment.
"Struggle to gain employment or sustain employment and some of those young people just struggle with those skills around communication, leadership and team working, so, it's an alternative way to deliver and develop those skills alongside the standard curriculum. "
How does it fit into the curriculum?
Alongside aiming to improve pupils employability and attainment, those taking part in the Enterprise Me course will also receive qualifications for their efforts.
The Acting Depute Headteaher says: "Alongside the standard curriculum, the likes of your traditional Maths and English and whatever other subjects they want to be doing in school, they are doing national certificates in Enterprise and Employability, they're doing Barista Skills Award, they are doing REHIS, so that's your hygiene and health and safety training."
Include the whole school community
The cafe offers a selection of hot drinks and cakes, served by the pupils, alongside a selection of items produced in the school. Grant Edwards says the aim is to connect the entire school community with the cafe, saying: "Making things in Craft. Design and Technology that we are then selling here. Making things in Home Economics, the cakes that you see on offer are made in our Home Economics department and then on offer here.
"Making things in Art, so our Art department are doing some great work around art and design and photography, we've got our beautiful lawn and building, so doing photography and printing those out and they are all available to purchase as well."
How involved are the pupils?
Not only are pupils running the cafe, but, they have been fully involved in the process of setting up Morgan's. Where possible, pupils took part in the refurbishment process including sanding walls and painting and decorating.
A pupil design team also provided ideas for the layout and signage of the cafe.
They will also have an influence on where the money raised will be spent. Grant Edwards said: "It's all donations, we have a suggested donation, but equally, if somebody wants to come in from the community for a coffee and they can't make a donation at that time then that's no problem at all.
"Any money we do gain will be re-invested into the local community and the young people are going to have ownership of that. They have got some ideas for that already with some different projects and initiatives they want to do, focusing on the needs of the local community."
Pupils excited to take part
The pupils involved say they were desperate to be a part of it when they first heard of the idea. S4 pupil Joseph Whyte said: "When I first heard it {the idea} I was like, there is no way I am missing this, I had to get involved."
Fellow S4 pupil Ollie Burns echoed his thoughts saying: "At first I was like, ah this isn't Maths, this isn't English, this will be great. When I actually started getting properly involved and I started actually doing work for it, I noticed I got really focused into and I really enjoyed working with my class. "
They added: "These aren't people I'd usually just talk to so I've made a couple new friends."
Joseph is hoping his involvement will give him a boost when he leaves school, saying: "I'm wanting to get the qualifications out of it so that when I go out to find a job, they'll see those qualifications and I'll probably have a higher chance of being hired knowing I have actual skills from a cafe."
Niomi Grieve also thinks it will have benefits for pupils beyond their school years, saying: "It also helps us later on in life, especially if you want to go on and barista."
Ollie also believes it is having a positive impact on attendance, saying: "Because we have at least one period of this every day it does make going to school more exciting, it does make you actually want to go in because it's like aw I've got Maths but it's okay because I'll be working in the shop after.
"It's just overall very helpful, it does definitely encourage students to come in more."
Inspiring other schools
Acting Head Teacher Gregor McBain hopes the project could inspire other schools to explore a similar model. He said: "We have had conversations with quite a lot of schools, around Dundee and from outwith, about the kind of opportunities that it is providing.
" It is very early days, I would absolutely hope people can look at this and hopefully be inspired by what Morgan and the team have done here. I would be really delighted for anybody to get in touch with Morgan and have a bit of a review of how it has gone and how we set it up.
"I think, ultimately give us a year and we will be able to hopefully prove it with some attainment data, attendance data and participation data from the school as well."
The cafe is currently open at different times throughout the week and it's hoped opening times will expand once more pupils complete their training.