Financial capability project

@ local primary school

Introduction

A team of volunteers from Barclays ran the Barclays Money Skills programme supporting children to think about what they can do with money through fun, practical and engaging activities.

How it worked

Ten Barclays volunteers were split over two year 5 classrooms of 30 children (9/10 years old) and the volunteers sat in small groups of 6 children with the adults helping them to complete the activities.

Included various activities facilitated by volunteers:

Discussion around what you can do with money
Calculating correct change
Making a poster of something you want to buy for £100 concluding with all children receiving a goodie bag as their prize

Highlights: Building confidence, interacting with children, sharing skills, applying skills to new context, leading the classes

Skills & knowledge enhanced
° Sharing financial awareness
° Leadership & supervising
° Understanding students & community
° Problem solving & teamwork
° Awareness of local community
° Building rapport with new groups

Highlight: Practical understanding of money in the real world also career awareness

Skills & knowledge enhanced
° Learning about money, banks and jobs
° Taking part in discussion & debate
° Listening & following directions
° Working with adults on activities
° Coming up with creative but also realistic ideas

Impact:

“Children learn about money in maths but find this a difficult concept to relate to as they generally have little experience with money. I was hoping that the children would have an increased awareness of the importance of money which they did. They are still very young to know the value of money but making them think about what they could do with £100 helped. They were very inquisitive and impressed at meeting and learning more about the jobs available within a bank.” Quote from Maths Teacher Edel Boyle

I’ve learned that you will have to get a job when you’re older to pay for things as you won't get pocket money forever!

Student (7yrs old), primary school

Case Study photos

Young students with Barclays Volunteers

Quotes

Volunteers: “We hoped to help increase the children’s money awareness, this was definitely met! On my professional development it gave me an insight to what teachers do in classrooms and it is something I very much enjoyed. “

Primary School Teacher: “On the children’s feedback it had words such as "terrific" "excellent" "fantastic" - I think that sums up the day!”