Global Money Week

Pennies, Pounds, and Plenty of Fun: KS1’s Global Money Week!

What a brilliant, bustling, and business-minded week we have had in KS1 for Global Money Week!

Our young learners have been diving into the world of finance, and we are so proud of the fantastic money skills they’ve developed.

Here is a look at what we’ve been up to:

• Goal Setting & Saving Jars: The children had a wonderful time getting creative and making their very own savings jars. We had great discussions about setting savings goals and brainstorming ways actually to earn that money. We’ve been thrilled to receive such positive feedback from parents, noting that the children are suddenly very keen to do chores around the house to earn some extra coins. Long may the tidying continue!
• A Global Currency Tour: A massive THANK YOU to the parents who kindly sent in currency from different countries. Having the real coins and notes was incredibly helpful! We had a great time doing coin rubbings, looking at the different designs, and comparing their values to our own money.
• Needs vs. Wants: We had some very thoughtful (and sometimes funny!) discussions about the difference between things we need to survive and things we simply want. The children showed great maturity in sorting these out!
• The Grand Finale: The Tuck Shop! Without a doubt, the absolute highlight of the week was our KS1 Tuck Shop. The children got to put their new maths and budgeting skills to the ultimate test, figuring out exactly what they could afford to buy with their money.

It has been a highly successful week of hands-on learning, and we hope the children continue to use these brilliant budgeting skills at home!

Mary Maina

Head of Primary Maths

KS2’s Global Money Week

Global Money Week; an opportunity to speak to students about the importance of money from a practical view point. Budgeting, saving, comparing and spending.Year 3 created a money box, which they decorated, focusing on the importance of saving (introducing the concept of discipline) and looked at how different countries use different currencies. Year 4 started with coin rubbing; a fun activity showing the students that a lot of time, care and effort goes into ensuring each coin is easily identifiable and that the effigy of the person is accurate. They went on to discover exchange rates and found the concept fascinating. Meanwhile, in years 5 and 6, our focus was on budgeting and comparing prices. We wanted to plan our own end of term party. We had a budget for the combined year groups and then started planning the items we needed for a successful party as well as the items we wanted for a party. This led to us learning about compromise and its importance when working to create an event which others will participate in. Our final activity was to source the items and compare prices, all the while making sure that there will be enough food and drink (as well as cutlery and plates) for everyone at the party. This was a great activity involving maths, listening, speaking and lots of revising!

We also had a tuckshop for the Primary School on the last day of Global Money Week. The students brought in 200Ksh and were only allowed to spend up to that amount on the items we had in the tuckshop. We had a range of products from sharpeners to doughnuts and toffee to waterguns! Each year group was allocated a time slot to come in and buy their items - which they knew in advance. This way we were able to ensure that each year group had access to similar products.

Mr Izuogu

BTEC Business students lead Global Money Week activities

Global Money Week was all about understanding the psychology of money, financial decision-making, and basic money management skills.

The aim of the event was to help students understand both the psychology behind money decisions and the practical skills needed to manage money effectively, through engaging and competitive activities.

On Monday, we were privileged to welcome three guest speakers. They talked to our students about gambling, money psychology and money management. Having speakers from different fields sharing their personal stories and experiences as well as professionals presenting products and services available to support financial decision making gave students the opportunity to explore different aspects of money and finance.

On Wednesday, students experienced a more hands-on approach with the activities planned and led by the BTEC students and one of our Y10 Business students, who covered an absence.

In their houses, students debated real-life situations with twists, for example: students were given an amount of money to spend on a hoodie they really wanted because everyone had it or resist peer-pressure, buy a cheaper one and save some money; after they made their initial decision a twist was thrown at the teams, the hoodie was now on sale, what did the students think of the first decision they made?

In a different room, students were asked to mime key words or real-life money related situations. Each house was well organised and ensured that all the students had a go.

Finally, house teams were subdivided into smaller groups and given a monthly budget of 70000/-. Their task was to explain how they would spend the money and how much they would, hopefully, save. During that task, “surprise” cards were handed out and students had to review their budget based on those new expenses; for example a hospital bill, a broken phone to replace.

Students were highly engaged and worked very well together. It was noticed that their global general knowledge of finance and everyday financial expectations, constraints and realities was quite strong. These types of activities allowed them to learn from each other, refine their knowledge and discover other realities than their own.

Thank you to Miss Omondi and the BTEC students for organising this event.

Mme Mwangi