Talk Money Week for schools
Talk Money Week is an excellent opportunity to encourage open conversation around money. Discover the ways your school can help children and young people improve their financial knowledge and skills during Talk Money Week and beyond.
What is Talk Money Week?
Talk Money Week is the annual campaign to get people across the UK talking about money.
It’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved with events and activities across the UK that help people start the conversation about money – from pocket money to pensions.
We encourage schools and colleges to get involved and deliver enriching learning about money. Developing an understanding of money at an early age is vital for future financial wellbeing, and Talk Money Week is a great opportunity to take those first steps.
Let's #TalkMoney
Did you know?
- The skills we need to manage our money begin to develop between the ages of three and seven.
- Less than half of children and young people aged 7 to 17 get a meaningful financial education at home or at school.
- More than one in five young people aged 14 to 17 feel anxious when thinking about money.
- Young people who recall learning about money at school are more likely to have good money habits and feel confident managing their money.
How to get involved
This page is packed with ready-to-use resources, activities and ideas to help you bring money conversations to life, during Talk Money Week and beyond.
Here are some ways to kick-start your school’s Talk Money Week:
- Deliver a money lesson or assembly using the activities in this pack.
- Invite one of the financial education workshop providers listed to host a memorable and inspiring session to your students.
- Share tips and resources with parents and carers to support money learning at home.
- Take part in the wider conversation – shout your activities out on social media and school newsletters.
View all of the resources, workshops and training to get started.
Shout about your Talk Money Week activities
Post on social media
Use #TalkMoney and #StartTheConversation to celebrate your activities and connect with parents and the local community.
Here are a few template posts to get you started:
- This #TalkMoney week, we're helping our students #StartTheConversation about money by [insert activity]. Young people who learn about money at school are developing skills for life.
- Classes in years [insert year groups] have had a fantastic time learning about [topic or activity] for Talk Money Week - building money skills that last a lifetime! #TalkMoney #StartTheConversation
Use our social media graphics
You can download pre-made graphics and transparent overlays to use on your social media channels, making it easier to promote your Talk Money Week activities.
Ready-to-use content for your school's website or newsletter
This Talk Money Week our students are learning essential money skills by [insert planned activities].
And there’s lots that you can do to support money conversations at home. Try talking about spending and saving while doing your weekly shop, or let your child practice decision-making with a small amount of money.
This year’s theme is ‘Start The Conversation’, and you can explore tips on how to Talk Money on the MoneyHelper websiteOpens in a new window.
Financial education guidance for schools
The Money and Pensions Service financial education guidance is supported by governments across the UK. It outlines practical steps schools can take to improve the financial education they provide and signposts to additional resources and support.
There is guidance for primary and secondary schools in each UK nation:
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland (also available in Gaelic)
- Wales (also available in Welsh)
Financial Education Planning Frameworks
Developed by Young Enterprise, these frameworks outline what children and young people might need to know about money at different ages. They can support curriculum and lesson planning and help you identify key learning outcomes, or even co-design learning with pupils based on their interests.
Access the frameworks on the Young Enterprise websiteOpens in a new window.
Resources, workshops and training
Financial Education Quality Mark
Many of the resources in this toolkit have the Financial Education Quality Mark, which means they have been independently checked for educational value and financial accuracy. You can find more resources with the Quality Mark on the Young Enterprise Resource HubOpens in a new window
Age groups
Across all school phases
Barclays LifeSkills
- Over 150+ hours of free lessons and resources
- Ages 5 to 18
- Topics include counting money, budgeting, using money for shopping, credit and bank accounts, investments and avoiding scams
- Includes a range of materials suitable for care leavers
- Visit Barclays LifeSkillsOpens in a new window
Junior Tax Facts and Tax Facts from HMRC (W)
- Free teaching resources about what tax is and how it works
- Optional support from a Tax Facts ambassador, who can come into school and support delivering a lesson
- Ages 8 to 17
- Gentle introduction to the UK tax system
- View GOV.UK's Tax Facts resourcesOpens in a new window
Lloyds Bank Academy
- Free teaching resources including lesson plans, session presentations and resource sheets
- Ages 5 to 16+
- Topics include needs and wants, digital money, money and work, keeping money safe and budgeting
- View the financial skills page on Lloyds Bank AcademyOpens in a new window
NatWest Thrive
- Free to access bitesized and flexible learning resources to help improve the financial wellbeing and future confidence of young people
- Ages 5 to 18
- Topics include budgeting, saving, money safety, money basics, entrepreneurship, future you and more
- Also includes Royal Bank of Scotland Thrive and Ulster Bank Thrive
- Visit NatWest ThriveOpens in a new window
Online financial harms lessons and on-demand training from the PSHE Association
- Free-to-access support package of PSHE education lesson plans and on-demand training
- Produced as part of the Child Financial Harms programme, a Parent Zone-led and Nominet-funded initiative
- Ages 7 to 18
- Topics include scams, fraud, exploitation and extortion, cryptocurrency and being a critical consumer
- Includes resources for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- View the PSHE Association's page about online financial harmsOpens in a new window
- Find out about the PSHE Association’s other financial education resourcesOpens in a new window
Money Ready
- Fully funded programmes and resources
- Ages 7 to 37
- Expert-led interactive sessions which support lifelong financial confidence
- Topics include saving, investing, budgeting, borrowing, tax, fraud and independent living
- Visit Money ReadyOpens in a new window
Teacher training and Discover YE from Young Enterprise
- Free training and support service via Discover YE for teachers and other practitioners
- Discover YE is a free support service for educators to receive expert guidance on financial education resources, programmes, delivery and training.
- Ages 5 to 18
- Full range of financial education topics covered, including building financial education into the curriculum
- Includes support for educators working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
- View financial education support and training on Young EnterpriseOpens in a new window
- Contact the service at [email protected]
The Money Charity
- Free workshops, both in-person and online
- Ages 7 to 19
- Topics include saving, scams, investing, payslips, money at university and more
- View information about workshops for schools and colleges on The Money CharityOpens in a new window
Santander and Twinkl featuring Ant & Dec
- Free teaching resources
- Age 5 to 16
- Topics include budgeting, borrowing, debit and credit, savings, being a critical consumer and spending decisions
- View financial education resources on TwinklOpens in a new window
HSBC UK Smart Money
- Free teaching resources, interactive activities and lessons with support from a bank employee volunteer
- Ages 3 to 25
- Topics include understanding the value of money, making wise choices, fraud awareness, smart gaming and the world of work
- Content can be adapted to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
- View financial education resources on HSBC UKOpens in a new window
For primary schools
LifeSavers from the Just Finance Foundation
- Free values-based programme with teacher training, planning tools, teaching resources and saving clubs
- Ages 5 to 11
- Topics include money decisions, feelings about money, helping others and looking after money
- Includes targeted support for Pupil Referral Units and Behaviour Support Centres
- View the Schools Hub on Just Finance FoundationOpens in a new window
Money & Me from the Bank of England and the Beano (W)
- Free teaching resources
- Ages 5 to 11
- Topics include ways to pay, banking, money decisions, keeping money safe, debt, and the role of the Bank of England
- View Money and Me on the Bank of EnglandOpens in a new window
Money Heroes from Young Enterprise supported by HSBC UK (W)
- Free teaching resources and teacher training
- Ages 3 to 11
- Topics include the role of money in our lives, managing money, being a critical consumer, and managing risks and emotions associated with money
- Includes tailored content for those supporting children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities
- View resources for teachers on Money HeroesOpens in a new window
For secondary/post-primary schools
EconoME from the Bank of England (W)
- Free teaching resources
- Ages 11 to 16
- Focus on understanding the economy, money decisions and managing financial risk
- View EconoME on the Bank of EnglandOpens in a new window
Financial and economic education through citizenship from the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT)
- Free and member-access teaching resources
- Ages 11 to 16
- Topics include money, tax, public spending, local economies, fraud, consumer rights and global trade
- Includes free fraud education lessons developed with the UK Home Office and NCAOpens in a new window
- Discover ACT’s full range of lessons, CPD, and curriculum guidanceOpens in a new window for teaching financial education and the economy through citizenship
Your Money Maters from Young Enterprise (W)
- Free downloadable textbook and teaching resources, with editions for all UK nations
- Ages 14 to 16
- Topics include spending and saving, borrowing, debt, insurance, student finance and future planning
- View Your Money Matters on Young EnterpriseOpens in a new window
My Money Matters
- Free online interactive course from Young Enterprise, including both student and teacher-led
- Ages 13 to 18
- Topics include saving, borrowing and debt, life after school, risk and reward and financial scams
- Visit YE Learning ZoneOpens in a new window
Raise
- Free web app simulating long-term financial decisions plus Teacher Guides
- Ages 14 to 19
- Focus on saving and investing
- View Raise on Young EnterpriseOpens in a new window
The Money Anthology from the Bank of England
- Collection of short stories accompanied by teaching resources
- Ages 14 to 16
- Eight original works exploring the complexities of money and our relationship with it, developed with SI Leeds Literary Prize
- View The Money AnthologyOpens in a new window
Tailored resources for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Resources for Scotland
Education Scotland’s Money Professional Learning Resource
- Free professional learning resource for educators in Scotland
- Suitable for Early to Fourth Level (approximately ages 3 to 15)
- Topics include coins and notes, using money, money calculations, money in a digital world, risks and rewards and the impact of financial decisions
- View the Money Professional Learning ResourceOpens in a new window
Money Advice Scotland
- Free resources, webinars and workshops for schools in Scotland
- Ages 6 to 17
- Topics include budgeting, saving, household bills, borrowing, banking, moving away from home, and the world of work
- View sessions for educators on Money Advice ScotlandOpens in a new window
Young Enterprise ‘Scotland’s Financial Schools’
- Free teaching resources and guidance for schools in Scotland
- Ages 3 to 18
- Full range of financial education topics covered including budgeting, borrowing, earning money and making informed financial decisions
- Visit Scotland's Financial SchoolsOpens in a new window
Resources for Wales
Welsh Government’s Financial Education Toolkit (W)
- Hwb playlist with links to relevant parts of the Curriculum for Wales and signposts to teaching resources
- Ages 4 to 16+
- Range of financial education topics covered
- Access the Financial Education Toolkit on HwbOpens in a new window
Money Mapping from Young Enterprise and the Money and Pensions Service (W)
- Free teaching resource for schools in Wales
- Ages 9 to 14
- Topics include making choices, attitudes, value for money and risk
- View Money Mapping on Young EnterpriseOpens in a new window
Resources for Northern Ireland
CCEA’s Financial Capability Learning Resources
- Free teaching resources for schools in Northern Ireland
- From Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4
- Topics include exploring financial capability in a digital world, gambling and gaming awareness, and online scams
- Also includes links to external stakeholders and their resources
- View financial capability resources on CCEAOpens in a new window
Young Enterprise NI
- Free financial education resources, teacher training and online learning platform for schools in Northern Ireland
- Ages 5 to 16
- Topics include needs and wants, saving, earning, tax and budgeting
- View Young Money resources on Young EnterpriseOpens in a new window
Ideas for engaging parents and carers
Parents and carers can help their children develop money skills and habits. Encourage your school community to talk money at home and share resources that can help.
Primary school age
MoneyHelper’s Talk Learn Do (W)
- Support for parents of primary school aged children, giving them the skills and confidence to talk to their children about money.
- Topics include pocket money, saving and shopping trips.
- View Talk Learn Do on MoneyHelperOpens in a new window
Money Heroes (W)
- Activities, storybooks and games to help teach financial education to children aged 3 to 11 at home
- View resources for parents and carers on Money HeroesOpens in a new window
NatWest Thrive
- Activities, games and videos for parents and carers of 5 to 18 year olds from NatWest Group (including NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank)
- Visit NatWest ThriveOpens in a new window
Teenagers and beyond
Talking to teenagers about money (W)
- How to help teenagers talk about moneyOpens in a new window. Topics include budgeting, saving, earning money and payslips
- Supporting yourself financially - a guide for young adults aged 16 to 24Opens in a new window
- Student and graduate moneyOpens in a new window