During the week before Half Term, our Lower Fourth students participated in a range of workshops and activities designed to improve their financial literacy and skills. Three of our budding journalists have reflected on their experiences below. We hope you enjoy reading!

Lucia F

This week the Year 8 students had an amazing opportunity to take part in Financial Literacy Week. 

On Wednesday afternoon, we officially kicked off the week by making the a trip to the Bank of England to gain insight into the vast realm of banking. We were handed a sheet to complete when we got there. It included a broad range of questions about anything from the building’s architecture to the weight of a gold bar and the volume of an iron chest. The display was highly interactive and captivating due to the abundance of activities available. I could go on forever listing all the fascinating information and things to do, but I thought I would share my favourites here: 

• The Bank of England is the second oldest central bank in the world as it was founded in 1694 to raise funds for the government during a time of war with France. 
• Under the floorboards, in a cellar there are guards protecting around 400,000 gold bars. 
• All notes say “The Bank of England” on them. 

We were a bit upset to have to return to school after our trip and head back. But we knew there would be a lot of fun the following day! 

Speakers from HSBC visited us on Thursday to discuss topics such as avoiding scams and shopping with awareness. My favourite conversation revolved with the various forms of fraud, prevention strategies, and sales tactics (like fake Black Friday deals!). The speakers were lovely and friendly. All in all, we had a great time and learned a lot!  

Friday was in my opinion the best day. In the morning we were introduced to guest speakers from a company called 8BillionIdeas. They are an amazing company who go to schools and teach them about sustainable living. We started off with a talk about how different places deal with the problem of climate change and pollution. For example in Saudi Arabia they plant trees on balconies (this is called vertical planting). This saves space and saves the environment! As the day continued so did the fun. We were told our task for today was to build a prototype of our idea of a sustainable world. We started by sketching our ideas out on paper, we then starting building our prototype which encountered lots and lots and lots of building! The team were very kind and supportive towards our crazy ideas. In the end we had to explain our final prototypes and present them to the class, which was great fun! Overall, I loved having this experience and it was a great way to end the term! 

Anniyah K

On Wednesday, we LIV went to the Bank of England. The trip was an insightful experience, with lots of fun. Upon entering the large building, we were asked to notice the sections, the number of windows and its careful construction. The museum provided a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of money and the very possible future of digital currency. I learned about the banknote production process and had the opportunity to see how difficult it was to control inflation.  The highlights were the mini activities throughout, where we had to solve puzzles. Overall, the trip was memorable, as I got to learn the history of banking in England with my friends. 

HSBC speakers came to us on Thursday, to talk about how to mindfully shop, avoid scammers and much more. We learned about Phishing, SMShing, Vishing and more forms of online fraud. Also, we learned that a discount on Black Friday is not necessarily the best sale! Our speaker was extremely friendly, asking about how we student shop and giving lots of real-life relatable scenarios. 

Friday was the most intriguing day, by far. Our year was asked to design a sustainable, eco-friendly and safe city or neighbourhood. We used cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and other materials with a colossal amount of paper. The mentors, Tom and Mackenzie were engaging and amicable. We had the course of the entire day. I got to work with people I don’t work with regularly, and it was interesting seeing others’ work and ideas. We produced a sketch drawing first, then created a mini prototype using all the recyclable materials we brought in. In the end, it was enjoyable to see all my classmates’ work and what we managed to achieve. 

The past three days were immensely entertaining, as it was a wonderful way to end half-term and exam week.  

Sienna M

Firstly, on Wednesday 22nd May, we went on an astounding trip to the Bank of England! The Bank of England is the central bank of the UK and was established in 1694; to this day one of the worlds’ eighth oldest bank! When we arrived, we were all given an activity sheet, in which we were asked to explore the museum, answering questions which involved our analytical skills and mathematic abilities. We learned all about the financial applications of the Bank of England and even got to hold gold bars! (my favourite part) This provided us with a broader perspective of England and how significant changes in money are. 

Secondly, the day after, we enjoyed many brilliant talks from HBSC who enlightened us with different views involving our choices when using money. At the start of the day, we were given a booklet which allowed us to analyse our time at the Bank of England. This involved our mathematic skills including calculating percentages and prime numbers. After we were welcomed by the one of the HBSC executives, which was very exciting! We were first educated on the types of fraud and how to protect your money with several quizzes on the way. We then learned how to be a savvy shopper and how to be careful with your money. This included being experienced on the different types of bank cards and when and where to use them. Finally, we looked at how to go digital and what sustainable choices we can use to be careful when choosing clothes and other items. I thought this opportunity was incredible and I would love to do it again. 

Lastly, On Friday 24th May, was one of my favourite events of the week. We were put in groups of 4 or 5, to build and design a prototype of a sustainable city landscape! This was not only incredibly fun, but also allowed us to use our thinking skills when working in a team. Over the week, we were asked to bring cardboard/cereal boxes, which we didn’t need and create something spectacular which would be showcased to many teachers. We were introduced to a company called 8billion ideas that empowers students to learn all about sustainability, different life skills and how to ensure that we are well-equipped to venture into the world of work in the future. They then directed us into a program called ‘city changers’ which expanded our perspective of architecture and new sustainable choices. 

Thank you very much for taking your time to read the opportunities that Year 8 are most grateful to have, and we are all very thankful to Miss Bere for organising such an exhilarating week. 

Well done again to our three journalists who covered the week so brilliantly!