Engaging Financial Lessons and Unit Standards at Inglewood High

Inglewood High School is a small co-educational Year 9 to 13 college situated in the rural heartland of Taranaki, New Zealand. The school is dedicated to offering a comprehensive education that prepares students for the practical aspects of life. As part of this mission, it offers a Financial Capability course designed to equip students with essential financial literacy skills, whilst ensuring senior students achieve their required NZQA credits. Banqer has played an integral part in this popular course since its launch four years ago. Angela Hayes, Teacher in Charge of Financial Literacy, discusses Banqer’s role in the success of the programme.

The Inception of the Financial Capability Programme

The Financial Capability programme is an option offered across Years 10 to 13. In Years 10 and 11, the course is run over two terms, and in Years 12 and 13, over one term. Angela has led the programme since its establishment: “Although an English teacher, I have a background in banking and feel passionately about the importance of financial education. Four years ago, we reviewed our Year 12 provision, and I saw an opportunity to pilot a Financial Literacy course.”

At that time, although the Ministry of Education was promoting financial education in schools, support was limited,  There were some free resources around, but I was keen to introduce a practical element.

Effortless Alignment to the Curriculum and National Standards

The pilot was a success and the course was opened up to Years 10, 11 and 13. Angela and her team appreciated how straightforward Banqer was to use, and how Banqer aligned to the curriculum and New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA)’s financial standards,

It also mapped to the high school’s Employment Pathway’s course: “These students use Banqer to learn about writing a CV, taxation, renting property and so on. Banqer provides an engaging way of teaching so many of the important life skills that we want our students to understand before they leave school.”

Part of the appeal of the Financial Capability Programme and Banqer is that the course is not just a pass or fail but is a means to achieve excellence and endorsements at senior levels. “This means we also attract some of the more academic students, and can prepare them for the financial realities of further study.”

To see an example of how Inglewood High School have mapped Banqer to their programme of learning, click here.

The Impact of Banqer within the Programme

For Angela, Banqer is what makes the financial lessons hit home and she provides a couple of examples particularly pertinent to students growing up in Taranaki:

“My Year 12s meanwhile are thinking about further study, which in this remote part of New Zealand often involves living away from home and paying for accommodation and travel. In Banqer, a few students struggled to gain traction after being saddled with their student loans. That instigated lots of conversation about the importance of having a solid career plan if you are heading away to uni, especially now the free tuition fees have shifted to the final, rather than first, year of study.”

“For me, Banqer makes the intangible, tangible. It provides the students with insight into the real world, checking in every day to get paid, paying your rent, managing the unexpected, and planning for your future. It adds another layer to my classes, making them engaging, interactive and meaningful, as well as providing the level of detailed information required for academic rigour. There are excellent worksheets, lesson plans and guides to support the programme, meaning you can go as deep as you like, all the way up to the requirements of Year 13.”

An excerpt from Inglewood High School’s Programme of Learning