Building Financial Confidence: Money Wise Workshops at Carrant Brook Junior School
This past week, the Make Sense of Pence team had the pleasure of delivering three Money Wise workshops at Carrant Brook Junior School, just outside Tewkesbury. Over the course of the day, we met more than 90 enthusiastic Year 5 and Year 6 students, and once again, the conversations and insights they shared reinforced why early financial education is so important.
Standout Moments
One particularly memorable moment came from a young student, Annabelle, who gave an impressive explanation of why money was introduced. She described how money was created to standardise trade and make transactions fairer, moving away from traditional bartering systems. Not bad for a nine-year-old!
Meanwhile, two Year 6 classes impressed us by correctly identifying the word “transaction” when we asked for a big word linked to buying and selling. (A proud moment, particularly for their teachers, who rightly claimed some of the credit for their students’ vocabulary!)
Exploring Financial Relationships
Throughout the workshops, we continued to explore the idea that everyone already has a relationship with money, even if they don’t realise it yet. Interestingly, some students initially refused to believe this—despite being able to identify luxury brands like Rolex when shown an image! It’s clear that branding, value, and commerce are part of their understanding, even if they don’t yet connect it directly to money management.
This gap—where children know terms and concepts without fully grasping their meaning—keeps surfacing. It’s a reminder of why these workshops are vital: to either ‘fill in the gaps’ or gently correct misconceptions that children have absorbed.
Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and Hidden Lessons
Another highlight came during a discussion about credit cards and debit cards. Many students had a rough idea of the difference between the two—recognising that debit cards use your own money while credit cards involve borrowing from the bank. However, when it came to understanding interest rates and repaying credit cards, there was more confusion.
One student, when asked about the costs associated with credit cards, immediately mentioned credit ratings—a good term to know, but slightly off in this context. It showed that while the terminology might be familiar, the deeper understanding still needs nurturing.
STAFF FEEDBACK...
“Paul delivered a fantastic session which was both engaging and interactive for the children throughout. Discussion about money and putting it into context for them really supported their understanding of how they will need to consider spending and management of money in their future, as well as an insight into the appreciation for how money is spent on them.”
“Whilst we teach children about the amount each coin or note is worth in monetary terms in the classroom, we don’t always provide them with a really good understanding of the context of money in the wider world and how it is important to make decisions about how to spend it. Paul’s session absolutely captures this missing link. Children were able to share their own thoughts and experiences with money and Paul was great at responding to their questions and comments.”
Closing with a Smile
After the sessions wrapped up, we all headed outside for some well-deserved fresh air and a big group photo, complete with a guest appearance from Hootini the Owl—who is fast becoming a favourite at every school we visit!
Thank You
Huge thanks to the fantastic team at Carrant Brook Junior School for making us so welcome and engaging so openly with the workshops. Special thanks also to Babcock International, whose sponsorship allows us to offer these sessions at no cost to schools, ensuring as many children as possible get early, essential financial education.
We’re proud of the progress made so far and excited about the meaningful discussions still to come as we continue our journey.
Here’s to building brighter financial futures—one school at a time!
