Students have come up with their own ideas for Haggerston Pool in a project which helped them develop a business plan as well as letting their imagination run riot.

The group of six year 8 pupils, aged 12 and 13 have been working on an after school project called ‘Inspired Designs’.

Thy have got together with Inspire!, the business education partnership for Hackney and volunteers from auditors KPMG which is one of the school’s business sponsors.

Split into two teams, the students are costing their ideas, complete with revenue forecasts and coming up with a marketing and branding campaign, for a new use for the building in Kingsland Road which closed in 2000 over health and safety concerns.

Their ideas include a GP surgery, dentist, fitness spa, vintage clothing outlet and a youth centre and they are due to present They are due to present their ideas to a panel of KPMG judges in the next couple of weeks.

The scheme aims to teach young people business and social enterprise skills by using a landmark building in their local community that they could identify with.

Kevin Ilunga, aged 13, from the school in Homerton Row commented: “We have been learning new things. I didn’t know about Haggerston Pool before and I am learning what PR and marketing can do.”

Mert Gol, 12, added: “The project is interesting and we are being taught business skills like how to work together as a team and how to reach a decision as a group when we don’t all agree.”

Hackney council has a �5.1 million grant to redevelop the grade II listed pool which was designed by Alfred Cross and opened in 1904.

There are plans to reopen the complex as a pool and education centre, which would cost an estimated �21 million.