Life skills // Area
Money & Finance
Age coverage
Ages 5 to 11
Starts at age 5 // 7 topics
Starting at age 5
- What Money Is
What money is and why we use it; that money is exchanged for goods and services; brief history from barter to coins to digital payments
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Coins & Notes
Recognising common coins and notes, knowing their values, and understanding that different combinations can make the same amount
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Buying Things
How buying and selling works: prices, paying for items, receiving change; the basic transaction process in shops and markets
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Needs & Wants
The difference between things we need (food, shelter, clothing) and things we want (toys, treats); that we sometimes have to choose because money is limited
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Looking After Money
Keeping money safe; not losing coins or notes; understanding that money has real value and should be treated carefully; basic money responsibility
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Saving Money
Why people save money; piggy banks and saving jars; setting a savings goal; the idea that not spending now means having more later
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Jobs People Do
Different kinds of work people do; that people earn money by working; how jobs help the community; linking personal interests to possible jobs
Ages 5 to 7Concept
Starts at age 7 // 7 topics
Starting at age 7
- Budgeting Pocket Money
What a budget is; planning how to spend a fixed amount of pocket money or allowance; making trade-offs between different things you want to buy
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Making Change
Calculating change from a purchase; working confidently with pounds and pence together; solving practical money problems involving addition and subtraction
Ages 7 to 9Method - Advertising & Spending
How advertising tries to influence what we buy; being a critical consumer; understanding 'value for money'; the difference between emotional and rational…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Banks & Saving
What banks do and why people use them; bank accounts as safe places for money; that savings in a bank can earn interest; children's savings accounts
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Fair Trade & Ethics
Where products come from and who makes them; that people around the world produce what we buy; fair pay for workers; making ethical choices as consumers
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Ways to Pay
Different ways to pay: cash, debit cards, contactless, online payments, mobile payments; that digital payments still use real money; keeping payment details…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Earning Money
Ways that children and adults earn money; the connection between work, skills and pay; that harder or more skilled work often pays more
Ages 7 to 9Concept
Starts at age 9 // 6 topics
Starting at age 9
- Scams & Online Safety
Recognising financial scams and tricks; phishing emails and fake websites; protecting personal and financial information online; 'if it seems too good to be…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Global Trade
Why countries trade with each other; imports and exports; how goods travel around the world; that different countries use different currencies
Ages 9 to 11Concept - How the Economy Works
What an economy is; producers and consumers; supply and demand; why prices change; the basics of how markets work
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Financial Planning
Setting longer-term financial goals; planning and prioritising spending; how saving regularly adds up over time; the value of thinking ahead with money
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Borrowing & Debt
What borrowing money means; that loans must be repaid with interest; what credit is; why too much debt can be risky; responsible borrowing
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Taxes & Public Services
What taxes are and why people pay them; how taxes fund schools, hospitals, roads, and emergency services; that governments decide how to spend tax money
Ages 9 to 11Concept