Cassons gives students a maths lesson at Moorhouse's brewery

A group of secondary school pupils had a maths lesson with a difference after they swapped their classroom for a brewery.

The Year 10 pupils from Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School in Oswaldtwistle took a tour of Moorhouse’s thanks to Cassons in Haslingden.

Cassons, who provide accountancy services for Moorhouse’s, have been working in partnership with Rhyddings to boost student employability as part of an initiative called Business Class.

As well as taking a tour of the Burnley brewery and learning about the fermenting and production processes, the pupils attended workshops hosted by Cassons staff which looked at how accountants and business advisers help businesses plan their day to day operations.

From working out the impact of changes in the price of ingredients to looking at the different roles accountants play in the workplace, the event helped the students develop a clearer understanding of how the maths they study at school works in the real world.

Stuart Thompson, commercial manager at Moorhouse’s Brewery said: “It was great to see the students enjoying learning about our business. Having them complete the calculations we use, whilst sat in the brewery really helped to bring the session to life.”

Peter Johnson, HR partner at Cassons, who headed up the event said: “Inviting the students to Moorhouse’s is all about bringing maths to life, with particular emphasis on how the subject can be applied in the business world.

“The activities the students have taken part in help to illustrate how maths helps companies operate on a daily basis.

Paul Mercer, maths teacher at Rhyddings said: “It’s often difficult for students to imagine how maths can be applied in the world beyond the classroom, so visiting a company like Moorhouse’s gives them a great opportunity to see how the subject works in real life situations.”

Cassons and Rhyddings were introduced through Business in the Community’s ‘Business Class’ programme. The initiative encourages businesses and schools to form long-term strategic partnerships that benefit both students and employers.

Clare Hutchinson, North West regional education manager of Business in the Community said: “We wanted to help young people to realise accountants also act as business advisers, helping companies like Moorhouse’s with their business planning.

“I think the students have come away with a much clearer understanding of how to apply the maths they learn in the classroom.” Damon Smith, a pupil at Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School said: “It’s been really interesting to see the different processes involved in brewing and learning how the business operates day to day has helped to make much more sense of how important maths can be.”