This week I was pleased to accept an invitation to join our branch team on a visit to Hillside Primary School in Ipswich, to deliver a full day of financial education activities from our bespoke Money Metrics Primary programme. The Society has developed its own range of materials and activities for Year 2, which meets requirements of the National Curriculum, to help aid financial literacy through stories and games.
Hillside Primary School serves 600 pupils aged 3-11, serving the Maidenhall and Stoke areas of south-west Ipswich. I joined a class of 30 Year 2 students who were very excited to have some new faces in the classroom! During the morning, we discussed the concept of saving and spending, and the value of money. We then played games including the Money Tree, where we asked the children what they were saving up for – the answers were quite varied and included footballs, jewellery, computer games and pets.
After a break for lunch, the children returned for more activities. This time we hosted a series of mini-games with groups of pupils visiting us in turn. I was put in charge of the matching pairs table, where I had to deal the cards and help the children to match the coin values to the prices of fruit and vegetables.
Some arts and crafts followed, and then at the end of the day it was time to hand out certificates. The children certainly seemed to enjoy their day and were full of good spirits!
Alongside assisting with my very first primary school session, a personal highlight was being able to take a closer took at the school helicopter! Within the playground there is a decommissioned military helicopter, used for educational purposes. The helicopter has been fitted out inside with a flight simulator and a relaxed seating area and is a wonderful addition to the school.
I would like to extend my thanks to Charlotte Davis, Customer Experience Team Leader at our Ravenswood and Hadleigh branches for leading the session and also to Hillside Primary School and their students.
