Financial Literacy (Null Curriculum)

📖 Intent

At Barford Primary School, financial literacy is a key part of our future-focused curriculum, preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. We aim for all children to develop a secure understanding of money—where it comes from, how it is used and how to manage it responsibly.

This is rooted in our Barford Values:
Respect, Kindness, Honesty, Ambition, Confidence, Curiosity and Resilience

Through this, pupils learn to:

• Respect the value of money and resources
• Show Kindness by understanding how money can support others
• Act with Honesty in financial decisions
• Develop Ambition when planning for the future
• Build Confidence in managing money
• Show Curiosity about the wider financial world
• Demonstrate Resilience when facing challenges
  

📚 Implementation

Financial literacy is not taught in isolation; it is interwoven across the curriculum and wider school life, particularly within mathematics and real-life contexts.

• Mathematics
  Pupils develop financial understanding through:
  • Recognising coins and notes (EYFS/KS1)
  • Calculating totals and change
  • Solving real-life money problems
  • Budgeting and comparing value (KS2)
    This develops confidence, fluency and problem-solving, linking directly to real-world application.
• EYFS & KS1
  Pupils are introduced to money through Milo’s Money, a dinosaur-themed programme, building an early understanding of saving, spending and making choices. This supports confidence, curiosity, kindness and respect.
  
  

• Key Stage 2
  Learning is structured around the Five Big Questions:

  1. Where does money come from?
  2. How does money make us feel?
  3. What can we use our money for?
  4. How does our money help other people?
  5. How can we look after our money?

  These promote honesty, ambition, curiosity and responsibility.
  
  

• Wider Curriculum Links
  Financial literacy is also developed through:
  • PSHE – understanding needs vs wants, decision-making and responsibility
  • Enterprise projects – planning, budgeting and evaluating outcomes
  • Class discussions – exploring fairness, choice and ethical decisions
• Enrichment and Real-Life Learning
  Pupils apply their knowledge through real-life contexts, including workshops with Barclays LifeSavers in Year 6, where they explore real financial scenarios. These experiences build resilience, confidence and ambition.
• Whole-School Ethos
  Staff explicitly link financial learning to our values, encouraging reflection, discussion and responsible decision-making in everyday situations.

🌟 Impact

Pupils at Barford Primary School:

• Develop a secure and transferable understanding of money through maths and real-life applications
• They can confidently solve money-related problems and apply their learning in different contexts.
• Make informed, responsible and ethical financial decisions
• Demonstrate respect, honesty and kindness in real-life situations
• Show confidence and ambition in planning and decision-making
• Apply curiosity to understand the wider financial world
• Show resilience when managing challenges

Pupils leave Barford as financially capable, confident and values-driven individuals, well-prepared for the next stage of education and life in modern Britain.