Core Skills Analysis
Mathematics
Imogen calculated the cost of hair‑cutting supplies and added a profit margin to set prices on her salon posters. She used addition and subtraction to total material expenses and multiplication to apply a percentage markup. By comparing different price options, she practiced reasoning with ratios and percentages. This work reinforced her understanding of money, budgeting, and basic financial arithmetic.
English Language Arts
Imogen wrote persuasive copy for each poster, describing the salon’s services and why customers should choose her business. She selected vivid adjectives and action verbs to capture attention, then edited her text for clarity and correct punctuation. The activity required her to organise ideas into a logical layout, reinforcing paragraph structure and audience awareness. Through this, she strengthened her spelling, grammar, and persuasive writing skills.
Art & Design
Imogen designed colourful posters, choosing appropriate fonts, images, and colour schemes to reflect a professional hair‑salon brand. She applied principles of balance, contrast, and hierarchy to guide the viewer’s eye across the page. Cutting, gluing and arranging printed elements gave her hands‑on experience with mixed media techniques. The project deepened her visual communication and fine‑motor skills.
Business & Enterprise (Citizenship)
Imogen explored the concept of entrepreneurship by planning a mock hair‑salon business. She identified target customers, selected services, and considered how to market her brand on the posters. Discussing ethical pricing and customer service helped her think about responsibility and community impact. This experience introduced basic enterprise skills such as market research, branding, and decision‑making.
Tips
Tips: 1) Have Imogen create a simple budget spreadsheet to track expenses, revenue, and profit over a month, then discuss how changing costs affect pricing. 2) Organise a role‑play “customer‑service day” where she practices greeting clients, explaining services, and handling mock transactions. 3) Take the posters outdoors for a mini‑market stall, letting her observe real‑world reactions and refine her marketing message. 4) Combine the posters with a short video advertisement that she scripts, records, and edits, linking visual design with digital storytelling.
Book Recommendations
- Kidpreneurs: Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas by Adam Toren and Matthew Toren: A lively guide that teaches children how to generate ideas, plan a simple business, and understand money basics—perfect for extending Imogen’s salon venture.
- The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies: A story about siblings who start competing lemonade stands, illustrating budgeting, marketing, and problem‑solving in a relatable way.
- I Can Be an Entrepreneur! (A Kid's Guide to Starting a Business) by Anna Green: An age‑appropriate handbook that walks kids through creating a business plan, branding, and customer service, tying directly to Imogen’s poster project.
Learning Standards
- Math – National Curriculum Key Stage 2: Number (including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and Money (NC 2 3, NC 2 4).
- English – Key Stage 2 Writing: Planning, drafting, editing for purpose and audience; Spelling, punctuation and grammar (NC 2 1, NC 2 2).
- Art & Design – Key Stage 2: Use of techniques, colour, composition and visual communication (NC 2 5).
- Citizenship/Enterprise – Key Stage 2: Understanding of enterprise, decision‑making and financial literacy (NC 2 6, Enterprise Education guidelines).
Try This Next
- Worksheet: Calculate total material costs, add a 20% profit margin, and record final salon prices.
- Quiz: Match marketing slogans to target audience emotions (e.g., "Feel fabulous!" vs. "Look sharp for school!").
- Drawing task: Sketch a new salon logo using colour theory principles learned in Art.
- Writing prompt: Draft a short ‘elevator pitch’ for a friend describing the salon in 30 seconds.