Young Enterprise Scotland

All Primary pupils in Scotland now have the chance to set up and run their own virtual business through a new game run by learning partners Microsoft and Young Enterprise Scotland.

The Primary Game Online (www.theprimarygame.co.uk) tasks pupils with running their own virtual sports store, making decisions such as how much stock to order, how to display it, whether or not to hire (or fire!) staff and how to finance their store.  And to make it even more realistic, nine of Scotland’s top football clubs (including the Old Firm, Aberdeen and Hearts) have also got involved by encouraging students to run a sports shop branded for their favourite club. 

The flash-based online game is free at the point of access to all Primary Schools in Scotland.  Built in consultation with retail experts, it teaches children the workings of a real business such as generating cash, purchasing stock, balancing overheads and sales.  Real-time decision-making allows pupils to see the instant impact of their choices.

The Game also includes educational quizzes covering key subject knowledge matched to the Scottish curriculum and practical tasks to develop financial capability, numeracy, literacy and communication skills. 

The Game is a Primary edition of The Small Business Game, originally developed in New Zealand by The Small Business Company Ltd.  The Secondary edition of the game is run in over 300 Scottish secondary schools and is supported by Learning and Teaching Scotland and the SQA.

The Primary Game has been specifically matched to the Scottish Curriculum and there are over 100 curriculum linked teacher resource documents to help teachers use the game in class.  These include PowerPoint presentations, student worksheets, tasks and lesson plans and show where the Game can help address Determined to Succeed and A Curriculum for Excellence. 

The Teacher Reporting Console allows teachers to monitor pupils’ progress in the game and in the variety of quizzes that are generated randomly while the students are playing.

There are prizes for the best-performing pupils across Scotland but those hoping to get top scores will have to look after their bank balance as well as their health and the wider community.  And also have to cope with seasonal variations in product demand and the challenges of cleaning, security issues and insurance! 

The Game encourages communication between teachers and pupils and is flexible in delivery.  It can also be used as a basis for external activities such as designing a new product, market research (going out and to visit and evaluate real stores!), and role play.

To register your school or to find out more visit www.theprimarygame.co.uk or e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .