SCPA works with local schools to offer two CAP-designed 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.

SCPA has recently employed, on a part time paid basis, a Schools Money Course Coordinator to promote and deliver these courses in schools across the Suffolk coastal area(postcode areas IP12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and NR34). We are grateful for funding from the MSE Charity which has enabled this recruitment.

We currently have a team of volunteers who have been invited into several primary schools this year to run the CAP Money Kids course and we would like to be able to offer it to more. For further information email helen.peats@scpa.uk

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 and teaches young people to budget, through a scenario of a 17 year old. It could be run with groups in Youth Clubs or in schools.

Our Schools work to date:

We first started offering financial education in schools in 2022 when we were commissioned by Suffolk County Council to offer classes in the schools of East Suffolk. We were able to take the programme into 20 primary school classes in 15 schools across our catchment area. At that time, we received some excellent feedback from the Council, including:

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.

Response from class teachers was all very positive, 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.’

We have continued to offer the teaching over the years since and have now employed a Schools lead, Helen Peats, to manage this activity. We are grateful to the MSE Charity for their financial support of this role and our schools work.

If you would like our team to visit your local school, please contact Helen Peats for more information on helen.peats@scpa.uk