Financial Education lessons delivered at Gosforth Academy
In July 2024, Dr. Emilio Carnevali, an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, held four sessions of his “Introduction to Economics and Finance” workshop at Gosforth Academy. The event took place as part of Gosforth Academy’s “Progression Week,” during which Sixth Form students engage in activities aimed at preparing them for higher education, employment or an apprenticeship.
Each session was attended by 25-30 students, meaning that approximately 100 students had the opportunity to participate. Dr. Carnevali’s lessons were well received by the students, who showed great interest in the topic. Many of them do not have economics classes as part of their curriculum, so this was their first exposure to the subject.
Dr. Carnevali related basic economic concepts both to his personal life story, as well as the recent parliamentary election campaign in the United Kingdom, helping students understand the significant real-life implications of economic systems and policy choices.
Ian Limbrick, Sixth Form Tutor at Gosforth Academy, said, “We believe our students greatly benefited from this event, not only in terms of their initial introduction to economic and financial concepts but also in their development as active and informed citizens.
“We are confident that similar experiences could greatly benefit other schools in the UK. Events
like this could become a valuable and structural characteristic of the English school system,
enhancing students’ readiness for life beyond school which is one of the aims of our
Progression Week. Gosforth Academy would be delighted to host similar events in the future
and encourage other schools to adopt such enriching educational activities. We would like to
thank Dr Carnevali for his time and effort during the event, which we firmly believe was very
worthwhile for our students.”
