Cashmere High School is dedicated to preparing its students with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets necessary to make a meaningful impact in their communities. Recognising financial literacy as a core life skill, the school’s leadership saw Banqer High as a powerful tool to achieve this vision. By fully integrating Banqer High into their Year 9 curriculum, Cashmere High has equipped students with practical financial skills, earning enthusiastic feedback from students, teachers, and parents alike.
Empowering year 9 students with practical financial skills
Financial literacy is a significant concern in New Zealand, with many lacking even the basic skills necessary for financial management. Recognising the vital role of financial literacy, Cashmere High School’s leadership, adopted Banqer High to prepare students for financial decisions they'll face beyond school—like budgeting, buying a home, and planning for retirement. After a successful trial, the staff eagerly rolled out Banqer High across the Year 9 curriculum, impressed by its practical content and alignment with student needs.
Banqer High was implemented in term two and continued through the end of the year, creating a consistent learning experience. Commerce teacher Matt Benassi highlights Banqer’s ease of use for educators:
You don’t need to be an expert in financial literacy to use Banqer. It’s set up and easy to use. It’s centralised, it’s bullet-pointed, it’s succinct. It really takes the pressure off with the prep.
Interactive learning builds confidence and financial capability
Since Banqer’s integration, teachers have noticed increased engagement from all types of learners, thanks to Banqer’s interactive design. Students have embraced the platform’s immersive, gamified expansions, which immerse them in real-life scenarios like property and stock market investments. From renting or buying houses with friends to exploring stock market ups and downs, Banqer’s hands-on approach makes complex topics more accessible.
Banqer High feels like a gaming platform. But what it's really doing is increasing the financial capabilities of the students.
Following their Banqer lessons, students report feeling more confident about handling future financial challenges.
A school-wide commitment to financial literacy
Cashmere High School's integration of Banqer High into their curriculum demonstrates the school’s dedication to fostering financially literate graduates. The program has become an essential part of helping students feel confident with financial decisions they’ll face in life. With its engaging, straightforward content, Banqer High offers students a hands-on way to understand and navigate financial topics, preparing them to manage their futures with greater independence.
Principal Joe Eccleton emphasized the program's value:
The feedback from our staff, students, and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. There's such a strong desire for this type of program in our school.
