Pupils have number crunched their way to the final of a prestigious accountancy competition with the help of industry mentors.
A team of five year 12 pupils from St Christopher’s CE High School, Accrington, competed in the final of the ICAEW’s 2018 BASE competition.
The competition, which is for students aged 16 to 17, provides a unique experience, allowing students to engage in business challenges, enabling them to develop key employability skills and understand the career of a chartered accountant.
The St Christopher’s CE High School team included Dominik Allen, 16, Nathan Lawrence, 16, Lauren Forbes, 17, Dylan Callaghan, 17, and Jamie Newborough, 17. The pupils were mentored by local Chartered Accountant and Audit Senior Kimberly Haworth of Cassons, which is part of the Baldwins Group.
Kimberly, who has worked at Cassons for five years, mentored the pupils through the regional rounds, which took place earlier in the year and involved more than 500 schools, and accompanied them in the final when she was assigned to a syndicate of schools, including St Christopher’s.
In the final 50 teams worked on the case study of a fictitious business and delivered a presentation to the board of judges.
“The exercises are very challenging,” explained Kimberly.
“The regional rounds used to be face-to-face, but they are now online which probably makes it very realistic to real life situations.
“The final was very challenging but the team performed brilliantly.
“They are fantastic pupils with excellent analytical skills and it was a day for us all to remember.”
Head of Economics, Business and Enrichment at St Christopher’s CE High School, Michael Coop Rushworth, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the team, they have done so well to reach the final round.
“It is tremendous that they have the opportunity of working with Kimberly, who makes sure that they are looking at the case study through the eyes of the accountant and also considering the data from the client’s perspective.”
BASE has supported over 18,000 students across the UK in testing and sharpening their existing skills, while providing the opportunity to network with future employers.
