Over the past few weeks, Marcia, our Community Training Lead has been busy delivering an engaging and eye opening financial education workshop titled, Work Out Your Money to year 7 students at Yateley School. With the aim of reaching all nine classes by the 21st of May, the workshop has already been met with enthusiasm, curiosity, and plenty of thought provoking questions from students.
The core mission of Work Out Your Money is to help students build a positive relationship with money from an early age. By the end of each session, students are equipped to:
- Evaluate how much money they receive and how they use it.
- Judge whether they can save more – or start saving at all.
- Calculate how much life’s big milestones might cost.
- Recognise how saving now can support their future dreams.
The workshop kicks off by asking students to consider their personal aspirations such as, buying a house or starting a dream job with an emphasis on when they’d like to achieve these aspirations. Each student places their goal on a timeline that spans from age 0 to 80. Remarkably, not a single aspiration went beyond the age of 35, showing just how ambitious and forward thinking these young minds are. One student’s goal to become a ‘freelancer’ stood out as especially impressive and insightful.
One student shares their career aspirations
From there, students explore the practical steps needed to achieve their goals. Gaining a good education, pursuing further study or training, securing a job, and understanding the importance of saving was all discussed in detail.
A major part of the workshop focuses on understanding the cost of living, as students are challenged to estimate real world expenses. These include:
- The cost of learning to drive (including lessons and test fees)
- The cost of attending university for three years (tuition, accommodation, living expenses)
- Buying a first home
- Raising a child from birth to age 18
To bring these ideas home, each student is sent away with a worksheet to plan how they could save £500 by the end of Year 11. The exercise encourages them to consider all sources of income from pocket money, gifts, chores, and future part time jobs.
At the end of each session, students share two key lessons they’ve learned. We’re thrilled to report that the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The workshops are not only informative, but they are clearly resonating with the students, helping them connect the dots between money, choices, and their long term goals.
With four more workshops scheduled for next week alone, momentum is building. If you’re interested in bringing Work Out Your Money to your class or community, we’d love to hear from you! These sessions are perfect for sparking financial awareness in young people and helping them prepare for the future with confidence.
To find out more, please get in touch.