CAP Money in Schools

During the 2022-23 academic year we were commissioned by Suffolk County Council to undertake financial education in the schools of East Suffolk.  Our sponsor, Jo Belfield, Public Health & Communities Project Manager, Suffolk County Council., gave us this feedback:

The project has been a great success in meeting and exceeding its outcomes: the Debt Centre team were very well organised in offering the service to schools (leading to oversubscription), they undertook it with trained and experienced teachers, the materials and games that children engaged with were really appropriate and well-delivered. The feedback that we have received has been very positive. If we had the money, I would recommission the project for 2023/24 as the team are diligent, flexible, proactive and have repurposed their project evaluation in recent weeks without complaint but with positivity and a can-do approach that supports financial understanding and wellbeing in our East Suffolk Communities, right when the service is much needed. 

We are seeking financial support to repeat and expand our schools work in 2023-24 and we invite Churches and Christians to sponsor a school near you: for more details see the link below.

  • During the first half of 2023, the Suffolk Coastal Debt Centre was contracted by Suffolk County Council to conduct a one-off series of classes in Schools across East Suffolk using the CAP Money for Kids (Primary Schools, years 5/6) and Youth (Secondary Schools, year 11).

    The funding provided enabled us to take the programme into 20 school forms in 15 schools across our catchment area. We used trained teachers to do this and the response that we received was outstanding, including:

    Highly engaged pupils; really practical life skills; real-life relevant contexts to the current climate; application of mathematical skills; teachers have a wonderful manner, explaining things very clearly.

    That’s the tip of an iceberg of excellent feedback.

    Churches, local Schools and the Debt Centre operate in a triangle of relationship that could be improved for everyone’s benefit.

    • Churches desire better relationships with their local schools; faith-based or secular.

    • The Debt Centre seeks better relationships with the 100 or more churches within our area, which covers IP12, IP13, IP15-19 and NR34, and we also seek to work closely with Schools offering the superb teaching materials provided by Christians Against Poverty.

    • Schools appreciate free, specialised pedagogy in an increasingly important PSHE topic.

    We have sought funding to re-run an enlarged course over the whole of the next Academic year, initially from Suffolk County Council, who, while they really endorsed the work we did, had no funds for the project this financial year.

    Would you like to sponsor a class in your local School?

    For a Primary School the cost is £320 per class (two teachers for two sessions, plus their expenses). Some schools have multiple classes per year group. For a Secondary School the cost is £160 per class (two teachers for a single session).

    Churches can club together (through Churches Together or Anglican Deaneries).

    We would then give you one or more “Gift Vouchers”, made out in favour of the school, that you could present to the school: that way, they know you have funded it. We would work closely with you throughout, keeping you posted so you can follow up after the sessions have taken place.

    Even if this idea is not for you, we would love to work more closely with you in our other areas of activity helping people experiencing disadvantage and poverty. If you do not already receive our regular newsletters, that might be a good place to start!

    For Schools replies, please contact: Rev. Nic Stuchfield, Chair of SCDC (nic@skc.church).

    For newsletter replies, it’s: dougfletcher@capuk.org

CAP Money in Schools
CAP has designed two courses that fit the National Curriculum for Financial Capability, one for Year 5/6 pupils –CAP Money Kids- and one for Year 10/11 pupils and Youth Clubs –CAP Money Youth.

CAP Money Kids runs as two ninety minute sessions covering topics such as

  • How people earn money

  • What families spend their money on

  • How to create a budget

  • Why it’s important to save and give

  • The impact debt has on families

The course uses fun activities, games and group discussions to contribute towards pupils’ financial capability.

CAP Money Youth uses one hour-long session with topics

  • The impact that being in debt can have and the importance of learning how to control your finances

  • The importance of building a budget and sticking to it

  • Techniques to make a budget balance

This course starts with a quiz, then pupils view a video about a young mother who has struggled with debt. Young people create their own budget for a fictional character, Sam, who has just left school and is starting to manage his own money and achieve certain goals in life, such as having his own car. It includes the value of saving and ways to cut costs, cut back and cut out in order to spend less.

For more information contact Julia Rose on julia79rose@gmail.com.