Empowering Teachers: Nationwide's Accreditation Program for Financial Education
Nationwide Building Society is introducing an accreditation program for primary school teachers to enhance their confidence in teaching financial education and assist children in developing money management skills. Developed in collaboration with Visa, the accreditation will be available to primary school teachers starting in April and to secondary school teachers by the end of 2026. Teachers can access the accredited financial education training on Nationwide’s “money lessons” webpage, which includes a range of pre-prepared lessons and activities to facilitate consistent delivery of financial education.
To obtain accreditation, teachers must complete a two-hour online course covering practical topics such as money management, scam prevention, and identification of misleading online content. Following the course, teachers will need to pass a short competency test. A survey conducted among 2,000 parents with children aged between five to 15 years old revealed that a quarter of children now learn about money through social media. Additionally, over 70% of parents admitted to struggling with personal finance understanding during their own upbringing, which had negative implications later in life.
Nationwide’s money lessons materials have been developed with input from psychologists and special educational needs (SEN) teaching specialists to ensure they are effective and engaging. The society will monitor the number of accreditations by tracking completion data, including the number of teachers, schools, and accredited modules. Teachers who successfully complete the accreditation will receive a certificate. The initiative is offered free of charge to schools, with the goal of supporting 10,000 teachers in the first year and 25,000 teachers in the second year.
Amanda Beech, director of retail services at Nationwide, emphasized the importance of the new accreditation in providing teachers with user-friendly tools to help students make informed financial decisions. By using trusted materials and resources, teachers can positively influence children’s financial habits, benefiting them both now and in the future. The accreditation program aims to empower teachers to deliver impactful financial education and equip students with essential money management skills.