It's game on at Stockton Riverside College where students could see a game created in the classroom rolled out across the College.

Asked to come up with an innovative teaching resource, the Education students not only had to think of a unique idea, but then pitch it in a "Dragons’ Den" style presentation headed up by Mayor of Stockton, Councillor Ian Dalgarno.

Undeterred by the pressure the students didn't fail to deliver, with one group coming up with a board game so impressive it could be used to help students with their functional skills.

“The standard of the presentations was amazing, far beyond what I expected,” said Councillor Dalgarno. “I came away thoroughly impressed by the students and wondering if I’ll see one of them on the real Dragons’ Den.”

The winning idea was a game testing players' budgeting skills as they navigate the board with a limited "salary", trying to avoid unexpected expenses and hoping for a windfall.

The brains behind the game were PGCE (in-service) students Tom Jones, Baozhu Deng and Carrie Wright.

"It wasn't easy to come up with an idea," said Tom, who teaches Maths at Stockton Riverside College.

When inspiration finally struck, he said, the idea really took off. Testing it on his own students at The Skills Academy in Billingham, he said: "Their reaction was really good, they enjoyed it."

Baozhu, who teaches Chinese at Ingleby Manor Free School, said when it came to pitching to the panel: "It was pretty nerve wracking. I don't feel nerves like that when I'm teaching."

But the 31-year-old from Stockton was delighted when their team was chosen as the winners and she described having the idea praised across the college as "overwhelming".

Councillor Dalgarno said: “The winning team stood out because of the simplicity of their game idea. However, every team’s ideas were so good that I believe they all could have been chosen.”

Gary Grounds Stockton Riverside College’s Course Leader for BA Education and Training said: “The idea of the Dragons’ Den is to make students think about creativity and innovation in education. By having the Mayor of Stockton present it gave an additional element of realism to the task.

“The students become very passionate about the resources they have designed and will often go on to use the resources in their own teaching practice once the task is complete.”