Money Wise Moments at Newport Junior School
Exploring finance, influence, and community spirit with 100 brilliant young minds.
Our recent visit to Newport Junior School was a standout moment in the Money Wise journey. Over the course of the day, we delivered three back-to-back workshops to nearly 100 Year 5 pupils—making this one of the largest single-year group schools we’ve worked with so far. With three intakes of Year 5 students, the sheer range of personalities, perspectives, and financial perceptions on display offered us a rich and fascinating learning experience of our own.
Before the workshops even began, one detail immediately stood out—something that had nothing to do with money, but everything to do with the spirit of the school. Upon arriving, I was welcomed into the staff room and spotted a wonderful wall display focused on staff well-being. There were sticky notes of encouragement, recommendations for shows and books, a space for worry-box messages, and a shout-out section to appreciate fellow team members. It was a clear reflection of the positive, supportive culture fostered at Newport Junior. That sense of community energy set the tone perfectly for the day.
What Did the Workshops Reveal?
Each session covered the core themes we explore in every Money Wise workshop:
🔍 What is money?
💸 How do we get it?
💳 How do we spend it?
🛍️ What do we buy—and why?
Some groups confidently stuck to the basics—earning money through work, receiving pocket money, or doing chores. Others had a much wider (and sometimes surprising) understanding of financial routes. When we spoke of spending a few struggled to recall the word “transaction,” even though they clearly understood the concept when explained. This shows the gap between language recognition and contextual understanding—something we see time and time again.
When we asked how transactions happen, the group jumped straight to digital methods like phone payments and apple pay. Cash got a mention but certainly wasn’t top of mind. In one workshop, the students couldn’t think beyond their tech-first experiences—a clear sign of the times.
The Power of Influence
As always, one of the most engaging discussions came from our “needs vs. wants” debate. Children are so excited to talk about what they want—from Air Up water bottles to gaming consoles—and their enthusiasm often outweighs any rational financial decision-making.
The brand power of items like water bottles was particularly strong here. When presented with a choice between a branded item or the same money in cash, many still chose the branded product. Brand recognition continues to influence even the youngest consumers.
We also ran our usual value perception game—comparing the cost of everyday and luxury items—and something unusual happened: one of the groups moved almost entirely as a pack. No one was prepared to step away from the consensus, even when it led to incorrect decisions. It was a perfect example of peer influence in action and a good reminder that decision-making isn’t always individual.
The Big Questions
In our final workshop, we explored the cost of real-world items: a house, a car, a weekly shop, and a chocolate bar. The children had a general awareness that a house was expensive but couldn’t articulate exactly what that meant. One group suggested £3500 for a house—while others hovered around the £200,000–£1 million range… not surprising, how would a child know the price of a house Interestingly, nobody estimated a weekly shop to be more than £100, which suggests a limited understanding of household costs.
But this is why we run these sessions—to provide space for these questions, discussions, and “a-ha” moments.
Sponsored by Babcock – Thank You!
These sessions were made possible thanks to the generous support of Babcock, who sponsored all three workshops. Their belief in financial education and social value means that large schools like Newport Junior can access our Money Wise programme without having to stretch already tight budgets. We’re immensely grateful to Babcock for their continued support as we roll out these workshops across the UK.
