A schoolboy has been suspended for selling chocolate and crisps to pupils.
Tommie Rose, 12, set up a playground business after being inspired by TV shows Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice.
His family say he was making up to £60 a day selling chocolate, crisps, and drink at Oasis Academy in Salford. But the school has a strict healthy-eating policy and teachers say sales between students are banned.
Tommie, of James Henry Avenue, Ordsall, began selling the snacks at the start of this term. He was sent home for a day and given a warning by teachers, but the budding businessman has persisted in smuggling goods into the school – and has racked up 10 days of suspensions.
Parents Gary, 30, an office worker, and gym manager Tracy, also 30, say they have tried to stop their son from selling the sweets – but believe his punishment is too harsh.
Gary said: "We are supporting the school but I think he is only selling chocolate and the way they have dealt with it is far too harsh. We’ve told him not to do it and have checked his bag before he goes out. But we’ve only just found out he is stashing it with friends.
"At the end of the day, the school sets the rules and we are a bit worried by what’s going to happen with the money he’s brought in. But I think he’s just showing a bit of business sense and he shouldn’t be missing out on his education because of it."
The canteen at the school – formerly Hope High – does not stock fizzy drink or sweets, selling only healthy snacks and meals.
But a number of pupils have tried to flout the ban by bringing in snacks.
Tommie buys his stock from bulk discount stores, selling to classmates at a competitive mark-up.
He said: "I got the idea from watching Dragon’s Den and feeling I could do something like that. The school just sells water and dinners. I have been bringing in eighty chocolate bars, Lucozade and Doritos each day and have been selling out.
"The teachers are now coming out before we go through the gates and asking to see in our bags. I would rather be at school but I think the teachers have got it in for me now."
Tommie was last sent home on Thursday – and cannot return to classes until Wednesday.
Principal Patrick Ottley-O’Connor said pupils were encouraged to develop their business skills through activities such as growing vegetables for sale.
He said: "The safe environment where our students, learn and develop skills, including business and enterprise skills, are facilitated by the high standard of behaviour expected within the academy. The private selling of goods is not permitted and any persistent breach of the code of conduct is dealt with firmly, but supportively through parental engagement."
The school, run by Christian charity the Oasis Trust, is due to relocate next to the BBC’s new northern headquarters at MediaCityUK.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
"Principal Patrick Ottley-O’Connor said pupils were encouraged to develop their business skills through activities such as growing vegetables for sale."
Yeah right - supply and demand?
Good on this lad I say. Kids will ALWAYS eat the stuff that's bad for them if it's available, and if this boy has the spirit to make a few bob from the school's restrictive attitude then so be it.
You tell a teenager not to do something and they do the opposite. Banning chocolate etc only means they'll buy it at the corner shop on tthe way in. Should have thought the head would have used psychology to work this out.
Wonder what percentage profit the lad made.
As much as I admire his enterprise,he still has to abide by the rules set by the school,whether he or his parents agree with them or not.The school has the rules for a reason.
If the school doesn't allow these items to be sold then he shouldn't be selling them. He could sell them outside the school gates, but I expect he would need a licence. The school is right to suspend him - he should have learnt his lesson by now.
His mum is a gym manager....and she says 'it's only chocolate' I guess she'd be out of a job if people gave the stuff up.
Maybe they could sell it for him at the school gates and let their son go to his classes and get an education. I'm sure it must take more than a lunchtime to make that much money from selling chocolate bars.
Ok so it goes against the school rules, but this lad is going to go far. Can't see what is wrong with a bit of chocolate when you are school age to be honest. Far better chocolate than additive loaded sweets.
So we are now teaching our kids that it is wrong to become entrepreneurial, despite the fact the country is facing the worst financial crisis ever. Absolutely appalling, good on the lad for using his initiative.
I think suspension is a bit much,the lads shown a bit of skill there,making 70 quid a day,i think this health drive in schools has gone way to far,kids will get choclate,sweets or fizzy drinks from somewhere.
That’s right Oasis Academy, encourage him to leave school and go on the scratcher!
The guy has got a good sense of mind, not alot of kids are inspired to work nowadays!
I remember getting sent home from school for having a Mohican (around the time Beckham had his) Absolute dog....!! How is a haircut going to affect my education?
How is stopping Tommie selling chocolate going to stop all the other pupils from bringing in chocolate themselves?
Their kids, they eat rubbish!! FGS!
you can learn from this tommie ! the school will stop you from your enterprise at your young age and the banks will definitely stop you once you get older, this country is hell bent on becoming bankrupt through stupid rules and greedy bankers.
healthy eating at a school ? i can not say i have ever seen a school cook peeling fresh veg and the frozen food delivered by the suppliers in big trucks can hardly be described as healthy.
He deserves it, the little mercenary! Everyone should be boycotting Cadbury's products until they start paying UK tax instead of avoiding it by having a notional head office in Switzerland!
Whilst going against the school rules, it's hardly a terrible offence. He's not stealing, he's not bullying other pupils as far as I can tell - he's just providing them with a legal product that they want that they can buy outside of the premises. How about they channel the lad into a business course to develop his obvious talents, then in a few years time when he's successful they can use him as an example of how well you can apply yourself at a young age.
I say, Good on ya Tommie! He is the next Peter Jones in the making!
Well done r'kid!
Isn't this what Cartman on South Park got caught doing at fat camp?
i wonder the taxman will have a word
Tell him he can still do it, get reciepts and tell him the profit goes to charity..
No incentive, no point.
It doesn't matter what he's selling. The point is that the school bans pupils from buying and selling goods from one other - which is reasonable and sensible in a school environment - and he has flouted that law. He has to abide by the school rules like everyone else. If he would 'rather be at school' then all he has to do is stick to the school rules like anyone else.
I wonder what Norman Tebbit would say...?
So many things wrong with this situation - just about everybody looks like an idiot.
Parents - "We’ve told him not to do it and have checked his bag before he goes out. But we’ve only just found out he is stashing it with friends."
The country is stuffed because parents can’t control their kids - Get a grip and take some responsibility.
Teachers - You don't encourage entrepreneurs by telling them what to sell - its a farcical comment and only serves to prove why you are a teacher and not a wealthy business person - you're embarrassing yourself.
How about teaching him to operate legally? - You know keeping proper accounts, having insurance and paying taxes.
If he has the gumption to continue after understanding how quickly his 60 quid a day dwindles away THEN he can call himself an Entrepreneur.
Otherwise he is just a DelBoy.
its a shame...i did the same thing when i was at school....i sold toast at 20p a slice, i did though get permission off my head to do it, i made alot of money each break time n this was 25 yrs ago- good for him trying to earn some extra cash
This is how Lord Sugar began his empire!
He's been to the wholesalers to get those, using his parents' membership card perhaps. How else could he buy wholesale at his age? Has he got an infant brother with a chocolate button business at play group?
He broke the rules and is learning that this can bring certain consequences, loss of profit being probably the most compelling one.
I woory that so many are saying but it's only chocolate. He broke the school rules. End of story. This attitude is why we have so many problems. Adults excusing blatant rule breaking. It's a week suspension and well deserved.
If he doesn't abide by the rules his parents should be prosecuted
The lad has knowingly broken the rules and done so repeatedly, so I guess the punishment is right.
As for the head suggesting the sale of vegetables, I think they need to replace him with someone who has common sense. How many teenagers would stop buying chocolate and buy vegetables instead? Clearly they know very little about teenagers which is worrying!