Financial Education

Heckmondwike Grammar School provides a programme of high quality learning opportunities that empowers students to become financially healthy adults who make a positive contribution to society.

Vision

To provide a sustainable programme of high quality learning opportunities that empowers students to become financially healthy adults who make a positive contribution to society.

We are working with Young Money (part of Young Enterprise) to gain accreditation as a Centre of Excellence in Financial Education.

Improving financial literacy has long been a public policy objective in order to improve welfare through better decision-making and a reduction in the negative externalities that affect all economic participants when individuals make financial mistakes.

Financial Education is any activity that helps a person develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to manage money well, make informed financial decisions and achieve their goals.

As a highly successful grammar school, many of our students progress into careers that offer financial and professional opportunities beyond those experienced by their families. This upward mobility highlights the importance of providing high quality and meaningful financial education to prepare our young people for their futures.

Financial literacy education became statutory for the first time in 2014 and the 2025 curriculum review has placed a strong emphasis on strengthening financial literacy in schools. The Financial Education Planning Framework that we follow has been endorsed by the Money and Pensions Service and centres around four areas of intent.

Some aspects of the framework are knowledge based (e.g. key terms, vocab, awareness of laws and the existence of certain public bodies), some are skill based (e.g. comparing deals, evaluating the most appropriate borrowing or saving arrangement, accessing financial advice) and some aspects refer to an understanding of concepts (e.g. different attitudes to risk, the benefits of talking openly about money, responsibility for the emotional consequences of own financial decisions). There is also a strong emphasis on understanding that financial decisions depend upon circumstances which differ from person to person, for example because of different life choices or cultures, and will likely differ over the course of a person’s life.

Financial education is embedded in our Citizenship and Mathematics curricula. Our Business, Economics and Finance Pathway adds a further layer of provision across the school including to our Post-16 students.

Our school values of respect, responsibilities and excellence align closely with the framework objectives: Respect for differences in circumstances, choices and decisions; Understanding consumer responsibilities as well as responsible decision making; Excellence in terms of striving for excellent financial health for individuals, communities and the economy.