SALISBURY pupils were joined by MP John Glen to show how they are benefitting from an award-winning financial education programme.

The local MP, who is also economic secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, saw Year 4 pupils tackle a range of financial subjects, including prioritising needs and wants, budgeting and the costs of living.

The lesson was part of the Kickstart Money project, which is funded by a coalition of 20 financial services firms and its lessons to 20,000 primary school children are delivered through the charity MyBnk.

Mr Glen said: “It was great to watch the students at Pembroke Park Primary school learn the importance of budgeting and saving. KickStart Money is a fantastic initiative that provides vital financial education at the age where attitudes towards money are first formed.

“These lessons will help improve the individual financial capability of the children of Salisbury and prepare young people to make smart financial decisions when they are older.’’

Research by the Money Advice Service has found that behavioural attitudes to money are formed by the age of seven. Only one third of parents talk to their children about money, and there is a significant lack of financial education provision in schools for children in the UK.

Jane Goodland, the corporate affairs director of Quilter plc, and KickStart Money lead, said: “Some people may think that being good with numbers automatically equates to being good with money. While basic numeracy skills are helpful for budgeting and saving, many of our financial habits are in fact motivated by our attitudes and behaviours learned at a young age, and not by our ability to do complex maths.

“KickStart Money aims to educate children about money when those behaviours are learnt for the first time, and through visits such as today’s we’re hoping politicians will see the benefit and be encouraged to add financial education to the curriculum in primary schools.”