Economic Wellbeing (Secondary)

Key Stage 3 students should have the opportunity to learn:

1. About different values and attitudes relating to finance, including debt; that families and individuals need to actively manage their finances.

2. How to manage emotions in relation to money.

3. How to assess and manage risk in relation to financial decisions that young people might make.

4. How to manage influences on spending, including advertising, peers, climate and ethical business practices; what makes something ‘good value for money’ and how this can be different for different people.

Key Stage 4 students should have the opportunity to learn:

5. How personal values and attitudes can affect financial decisions.

6. About social and moral dilemmas relating to spending.

7. To recognise and manage a range of influences on their financial decisions.

8. The skills to evaluate the reliability of sources of financial advice for young people.

9. How to budget effectively for different circumstances; the benefits of saving.

10. The opportunities, risks and challenges involved in different financial decisions, including pensions, contracts, loans and insurance.

11. Factors to consider before taking on debt and ways of managing debt.

Objectives taken from 2026 Programme of Study for PSHE Education

• Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC) Free lesson plans and resources for KS3-5. Year 7-9: how to read a bank statement; cryptocurrency; online safety. Year 10-11: apprenticeships; long-term investing; insurance. Year 12 and 13: mortgages; pensions; ISAs.
• econoME | Bank of England Four free lessons for KS3 and KS4 pupils on: what influences decisions, making informed decisions, why decisions matter and managing financial risk.