Safe and sensible spending

The suite of LifeSkills Money Skills content has recently been updated. Responding to insights from teaching professionals and the benefits of building key topics over time we’ve made changes enabling clearer sequencing through the content. This will support your pupils to deepen their knowledge as they progress through education and beyond.

To see an overview of the updates and where key topics can be found please visit Money Skills resource updates. The wider suite of Money Skills content has been developed to engage your pupils with a mix of resource types including interactive tools and films, aligns to the Young Money Financial Education Planning Framework and has been awarded the Young Money Quality Mark.

This lesson is part of our financial literacy content for ages 7-11 designed to teach children about money, whilst developing core transferable skills such as problem solving, aiming high (proactivity) and listening and speaking (communication). We recommend that you start with Samir’s birthday budget challenge and then use the remaining lessons in the order of your preference or as standalone resources.

The Safe and sensible spending lesson helps pupils understand some of the ways they can keep money safe from scams which can be key to forming good money habits for the future. It also encourages them to consider and debate different value options when buying something.

Please note that for the first activity educators are required to use a computer or laptop, currently the activity isn’t supported by mobile or table devices.

Resources

• Safe and sensible spending: Lesson plan – for use with a group of pupils in the classroom.
• Safe and sensible spending: Presentation slides – to display to pupils and use alongside the lesson plan, with interactive fields to complete activities as a class.
• Safe and sensible spending: Worksheet – to be provided to pupils so they can complete the activity (the worksheet can be printed or completed digitally).

Lesson learning outcomes

By the end of the lesson pupils will be able to:

• Make simple choices based on value for money when purchasing.
• Recognise the need for planning for the future and saving money.
• Understand how to keep money safe.
• Become aware of scams and fraud and know some ways to protect themselves from it.

As a follow-up activity to help your class further understand the concept of saving up for something and earning money to buy it, explore this short film from BBC Teach around solving problems with money.

If you want to increase your own confidence to teach young people about money, Young Money provide free e-learning training to teachers across Primary and Secondary education. In addition, National Numeracy has a free website which helps you practise and refresh your everyday maths skills.