South Shields pupils learn about ‘the future of money’
David Roberts from the Bank of England visited Laygate Community Primary School in South Shields. This visit was a part of a two day visit to the North East from David who also spoke to the Bank of England North East Agency team.
Learning about money
David Roberts is the Chair of the Court at the Bank of England. During the visit, David joined a class of year 6 pupils at Laygate Community Primary School to explore some of the characters who have featured on Bank of England banknotes, this included the opportunity to handle old banknotes featuring Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale. The pupils learned about security features and the process of selecting which famous faces appear on banknotes. They also had the opportunity to put forward their own ideas about who they thought should feature on future banknotes and suggestions included Michael Jackson, Thomas Edison and Pele.
Michelle Lauder, Head Teacher of Laygate Community Primary School said:
“It was a pleasure to have David and the team in school. David inspired our children by talking about his role and the activity he did with them thoroughly engaging them. They will never look at a bank note in the same way again. They were very keen to go off and design their own.”
David also joined a Citizens’ Panel event organised in partnership with the National Innovation Centre for Ageing. The session discussed the cost of living and how money is changing with the shift from cash to digital payments. And the theme of cash was something that the children at Laygate Primary School were also very keen to discuss.
Life skills
Director of Schools North East, Chris Zarraga said:
“It looks as though the pupils from Laygate Community Primary School have really benefited from this visit and have learnt about elements of national life which they may not have had the opportunity to otherwise. I look forward to seeing if the pupils’ predictions of who will feature on the notes become reality!”
The Bank has developed a range of free resources for primary and secondary schools to help young people develop the skills and confidence to manage money now and in the future. State primary schools can request a free banknote loan box for up to six weeks. Each box contains a selection of real banknotes and explores the famous faces that appear on them. They also contain notes for teachers and suggested classroom activities. To request a banknote loan box visit the Bank of England Museum.
To find out more about the Bank’s education programme click here.
If you would like to take part in future Bank of England events in the region, click here.
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