Numeracy and Mathematics Guest Blogs
Gillian Darroch, Financial Education Programme Executive from Young Enterprise Scotland, outlines the wealth of support and resources available for practitioners supporting financial education for children and young people.
Financial Education
Gillian Darroch, Young Enterprise Scotland
Twitter: @YE_Scotland
Email: admin@yes.org.uk
February 2022
Launched in November 2020, Scotland’s Financial Schools was developed by our team at Young Enterprise Scotland with support from Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and Virgin Money. Our aim was to create and develop a programme which would support teachers from early years to senior phase to become fluent in delivering financial education across the curriculum. The programme was fully aligned with Curriculum for Excellence and contributes to Learning for Sustainability, Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), the Career Education Standards 3-18 and the Attainment Challenge.
At Scotland’s Financial Schools we recognise that financial capability is an essential skill for life, learning and work and supports children and young people build a sustainable future for themselves, their community and the wider world. It is therefore our mission to upskill practitioners and build their confidence by providing them with the training, skills and resources they need to create a sustainable approach to delivering high quality financial education in Scotland.
We are incredibly proud of what we have created and the work we have done to support financial education in schools. We are continuing to develop Scotland’s Financial Schools and are always looking for ways to expand our reach to practitioners across the country. Our aim is to be one of the leading programmes of professional learning for financial education in Scotland.
Please see below everything that we offer to support practitioners across Scotland:
Financial Education Portal: The financial education portal can be accessed via YE Scotland’s website and was developed to provide a space for resources, guidance and support for practitioners. The aim was to create a ‘one stop shop’ where practitioners could access everything they needed to support the delivery of financial education within their establishment. Financial Education | Young Enterprise Scotland (yes.org.uk)
Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) teacher training: The CLPL training sessions are offered to practitioners from early years through to senior phase. The content is designed to support practitioners and improve their confidence in embedding financial education in and across the curriculum. Current research suggests training teachers in delivering financial education vastly improves the learning experiences for children and young people and that is why Scotland’s Financial Schools is thrilled to be one of the only organisations in Scotland to offer this opportunity. Our sessions are advertised through local authority CPD platforms and through our social media.
E-Learning Modules: When developing Scotland’s Financial Schools, we recognised how busy practitioners are and that they will not always have the time to attend trainer led sessions. In response to this we developed self-directed E-learning modules which gave practitioners the flexibility to develop their confidence in financial education at a time and pace that suited them. Covering similar themes as the trainer led session, the activities in the E-learning modules were designed to be challenging yet enjoyable and allowed more time for practitioners to reflect on their practice. Enterprise For All
Resources: New financial education teaching resources were created to support teachers and reduce workload. These include a Pocket Guide to Financial Education, Grab and Go lesson plans, and a Whole School Reflection Tool. All of the resources are free to download and can be easily adapted to suit the practitioner’s context and the needs of the children and young people. Financial Education Resources | Young Enterprise Scotland (yes.org.uk)
Scottish Progression Pathway: From discussions with practitioners and information gathered through the Scottish Financial Education Forum it became clear that one of the concerns teachers had with delivering financial education was knowing what to teach at what level. In response to this Scotland’s Financial Schools developed a Scottish version of a progression pathway. The pathway runs from Early Level to Fourth Level covering the same four areas to ensure clear progression. These are: ‘How to manage money’, ‘Becoming a critical consumer’, ‘Managing risks and emotions associated with money’ and ‘Understanding the important role money plays in our lives’. Progression Pathway | Young Enterprise Scotland (yes.org.uk)
Coming Soon: Interdisciplinary Learning (IDL) projects are currently being developed to encourage enterprising and financial skills. An IDL approach allows children and young people to learn about financial education from different perspectives and implement skills they have learned into real life contexts. This can provide engaging and motivating opportunities leading to richer learning experiences.
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