Xavier students bring business Ideas to life

Xavier College students are being given the opportunity to turn ideas into action through an exciting new Year 9 elective subject, Starting a Business.

Delivered in partnership with Future Anything, the subject introduces students to a business-based curriculum designed to help them explore their interests, identify their strengths and develop the practical skills needed to bring an idea to life. Future Anything Education empowers young people to turn their passions into ideas that make a positive impact.

At Xavier, 100 students in Year 9 will take part in the Starting a Business elective this year.  Xavier has a strong academic tradition in Commerce and Enterprise. Xavier students continue to achieve outstanding results in senior Commerce subjects, with 29 per cent of Business Management students achieving study scores of 40 or above in 2025, alongside a perfect study score in Accounting. Across Business Management, Accounting, Legal Studies and Economics, median scores also increased from the previous year.

Starting a Business extends this success into the junior years of the Senior School by introducing students to commerce terminology, entrepreneurial thinking and real-world application before they reach VCE. Students learn what sits behind a successful business, from planning and budgeting to customer feedback, marketing and resilience.

Mr Peter Cadman, Head of Pedagogy in Commerce and Enterprise, said the subject reflects Xavier’s commitment to deep and practical learning.

“Starting a Business gives students the chance to move beyond theory and experience the realities of enterprise,” Mr Cadman said. “They learn that good ideas require planning, persistence, reflection and feedback. These are skills that will serve them well not only in Commerce, but in life.”

The subject aligns strongly with the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, which emphasises context, experience, reflection, action and evaluation. Students are encouraged to think carefully about their decisions, take responsibility for their progress, learn from setbacks and continue improving their business concept. In business, failure can be part of the process, and the program helps students build the resilience to reflect, adapt and try again.

A highlight of the program was the recent Starting a Business Showcase, where students worked in groups to create a business and present it in a convention-style setting. Guests were given tokens to award to the businesses they considered most successful, encouraging students to pitch their ideas, engage with “customers” and respond to real-time feedback.

Among the participants were Year 9 boarders Ollie Seal from Yarrawonga, Victoria, and Antonio Licastro from Hanwood, New South Wales, who partnered together to create Skinny Pizza, a business making and selling pizza.

“We wanted to do something different and use our pizza-making expertise,” the students said. “The showcase caught quite a bit of traction and we believe it went quite well. The subject shows us the planning and behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a business.”

For Ollie and Antonio, the Boarding House added another layer of support. Living on campus gave them more opportunities to collaborate, test ideas, seek feedback and build confidence.

“The Boarding House helped us by supporting our journey and giving us more customers and feedback,” they said. “What we like best about boarding at Xavier is the connections and the new scenery.”
This sense of connection is central to the Xavier boarding experience. With strong academic support, a culture of collaboration and the Ignatian spirit of being “men for others”, boarders are encouraged to make the most of the opportunities around them.

Through Starting a Business, Xavier students are not only learning how businesses are built. They are learning how to think creatively, work collaboratively, respond to challenges and discover what they are capable of achieving.