On Wednesday 13th May, Year 7 took part in their first Careers Day, with the expert assistance of SGS alumni. One of these former pupils, Conrad Arnavutian, shares his experience of the day.

A Volunteering Day to Remember: Year 7 Meal Deal is the Real Deal

“No need to bring your coats, boys. Weather’s looking fine.”

Famous last words from Mr. Lahham, as the year 7 cohort proceeded to get hailed on after spending period four purchasing ingredients in the high street to build their sandwiches.

This was part of the Meal Deal Day on 13th May 2026, a full-day activity for the first-years to create their own Meal Deal; combining creativity, finance, persuasive language, presentation skills and, most importantly, teamwork.

Split into groups of roughly 10, teams competed to create their own version of the famous bargain lunch with a £5 budget (fiscally strict but probably sensible) and wow the judges, Dragons Den-style, at the end of the day.

I was part of that judging panel, and alongside other former volunteer alumni David Biskup (illustrator) and Han Fu Sun (accountant) – and previous SGS teacher Tom Berry (marketing & communications leader) – it was clear that this Year 7 has huge potential.

We were so impressed with everyone. For many of the boys, this would have been the first time presenting in front of all their peers. And the first time many would have been part of a truly business-focused, commerce task.

While the students were given the criteria they needed to hit in advance of pitching, it was encouraging to see them think outside the box. Some contextualised their meal deal prices in the midst of the cost of living crisis… others considered inclusive meals to accommodate for the dairy-free among us… and others used humour to win over the crowd (though it’s not quite clear if the mispronunciation of “Pret a Manager” was necessarily deliberate).

Ultimately, Group 4 – “Deffo Not Cheating” – won out. Despite a questionable team name, they demonstrated creativity, energy, superb visuals, excitement and a well-presented, carefully considered Meal Deal. The team went back with a prized certificate and bragging rights over their peers.

The volunteers also left with a box of Haribos and Lindt, so everyone’s a winner, really.

A huge thank you to the teachers and staff who contributed to making the day a success. And in particular to Mr. Lahham for organising everything and keeping the day running like clockwork.

By Conrad Arnavutian, SGS alumni, 2001 - 2008.

Currently Senior Vice President of communications agency MikeWorldwide