However, as we have seen across the UK, inclusion on the curriculum alone is not enough to move the needle. Financial education has technically been part of the secondary curriculum in England since 2014, yet provision remains patchy and too many young people still leave school without the essentials of budgeting, saving, credit or understanding payslips. Our own research has shown us that 61% of pupils do not recall receiving financial education (Money Ready and Compare the Market, 2023), so the challenge now is integration and execution, making this a real, lived experience in every classroom, not just a line in a policy document.
Another recent study of 3,000 adults as part of our upcoming Cost of Not Knowing campaign (Censuswide, 2025) found that:
- 74% believe schools should provide more education on money management and personal finance, and
- 71% want the government to do more to ensure people receive financial education.
- 35% agree they learned financial skills too late to make the most of them.
This public mandate is clear: financial education must become a national priority once and for all.
Leon Ward, CEO of Money Ready, commented on the announcement, saying:
“We’re absolutely thrilled to see financial education front and centre in today’s curriculum review – a huge milestone for families and young people across England, aligning with strong practice already seen in other parts of the UK. It’s great to see Becky Francis (Chair of the Curriculum Review) and her team listening to the voices of children and young people, who are telling us loud and clear that they want to learn about money. Our experience shows that even the youngest children are eager to engage when we talk to them about money. This review sets out an important vision, but the real impact will come from delivery: children need practical, everyday skills, and teachers need the support to provide them. With 20 years’ experience designing, delivering, and evaluating financial education, and a tried-and-tested model already demonstrating positive outcomes in partnership with King’s College London, Money Ready is ready to support government and schools in the coming months as they plan for rollout ahead of 2028.”
We are also pleased to see other positives emerging from the review. As Leon adds:
“We are particularly encouraged by the review’s emphasis on oracy and critical thinking skills, like understanding fake news, as these go hand in hand with a modern, fit-for-purpose financial education curriculum. Just as fluency in language allows us to communicate clearly, financial fluency — the ability to understand, speak, and make decisions about money — is a language for life.”
As the new curriculum is developed, our focus will be on ensuring these plans translate into real learning in classrooms. Until — and beyond — 2028, we will keep delivering financial education to those who need it most, equipping young people and communities with the knowledge to manage money confidently in a complex world.
Finally, we encourage policymakers to ensure that financial education is embedded not only in teaching but also within future assessment frameworks. While the detail on this is not yet clear, we look forward to being part of the conversation as this develops – to help make sure progress can be tracked and learning prioritised over time. Assessment drives attention, and attention drives action.
Today’s announcement is a huge step forward, and the next step is to make it real. Let’s make financial education a cornerstone of learning, and a life skill every young person can count on.