News & Events

NI Financial Education Conference
Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast
23 March, 2010

On the 23 March CCEA, together with the Financial Service Authority (FSA), hosted NI’s first Financial Education conference, ‘Talk About Money’, at the Ramada Hotel, Belfast. Hosted by local actress and comedienne Nuala McKeever, and with keynote speakers from the world of Finance and Education, the ‘Talk About Money’ conference did just what it promised!

The purpose of the event was to raise the profile of money management amongst primary and secondary pupils. Almost 200 guests turned up, including primary and secondary teachers from across Northern Ireland (NI) and senior representatives from the local banks. Click on 'read more' for more details and pictures from the day.

Already CCEA’s Financial Capability team has worked with nearly 300 primary and post-primary schools across NI to lay the foundations for good financial management for the post-recession generation.  One of the most pro-active schools has been North Coast Integrated College who organised a special ‘Money Week’ in their school. Year 10 pupils from the school attended the conference to showcase the handmade jewellery they designed to sell during Money Week.

To view a video of North Coast’s ‘Money Week’ click here…

Richard Hanna, Director of Education Strategy, commented:

"At the heart of CCEA’s approach to Financial Education has been the importance of working in partnership with other organisations.  The FSA has been an important partner for CCEA for some time and their support has made this conference possible. It is very encouraging to see the diversity of representatives and the level of interest in developing financial awareness in children and young people".

Need ideas for a money event? A themed day? A money week? To help, we’ve added a new case study section. It features case studies from primary, post-primary and SEN schools that have run whole-school money events. Free, downloadable resources accompany those studies that offer activity ideas. Our selection of case studies will grow over time as more schools share their experiences of delivering FC. If your school has held a money event recently, why not get in touch and tell us about your experiences?

In 2009, ‘Moneyville’ was extended to include a new game, the Family Game, which helps 8–10 year olds learn about day-to-day family budgeting and decision-making about purchases. Children have to decide how to prioritise their spending and how to save so that the family can pay their bills each month, take holidays or have family days out. 

The Northern Ireland Financial Capability conference saw the launch of the new ‘Money Event’ resource.  Distributed to schools in April, it provides guidance on the organisational and management issues to consider when organising a money-themed event in your school. It also presents a range of cross-curricular activities and resource sheets suitable for the entire primary age range. 

An updated version of the Key Stage 3 resource ‘Adding up to a lifetime’ is now available. It has been adapted to match the requirements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. You can enjoy the same highly interactive and practical activities as before, but it now:

• has a fresh, new look;
• features additional challenging activities; and
• includes the new ‘Student Tube’– a You Tube style bank of money-related news and media clips for pupils to view and discuss.

Control Your Money is a new, online educational resource for Key Stages 3 and 4. It provides pupils with opportunities to learn about money management and personal finance issues while having fun. ’Control Your Money’ deals with both theory and practice, and young people can embark on eight different missions, that link to real-life scenarios.  The missions range in difficulty, providing something suitable for most abilities.