Blackwood Primary School has been praised by education watchdog Estyn for teaching kids about money and finances.
The school has been held up as an example of best practice in how to teach children to manage their finances.
Jocelyn Davies, Plaid Cymru’s South Wales East AM, said: “I’d like to extend my congratulations to staff and pupils at Blackwood Primary School for receiving such high praise from the national education watchdog.
“The fact that Blackwood Primary is being held up as a beacon of financial education is a testament to the hard work of staff and pupils and they have every reason to be very proud indeed.
“In these challenging economic times it is more important than ever that we equip our young people with the skills they need for responsible financial planning in adulthood and Blackwood Primary is leading the way in this field.”
The report praising Blackwood Primary’s approach found that other schools in Wales are lacking when it comes to financial lessons.
Ann Keane, Estyn’s chief inspector, said: “Although pupils are taught about finance in PSE lessons, the majority of schools do not plan well enough to give pupils the chance to apply their financial skills in different contexts across the curriculum. In schools where this is a well-established practice, a senior leader has the overall responsibility to co-ordinate relevant training and support for teachers so that they can plan, deliver and evaluate financial education across the curriculum.
“As a result, pupils in these schools have a good understanding of financial matters and can apply their learning to real-life situations, such as family finances, or current financial issues in the media.”
In a statement, the watchdog said: “Blackwood Primary School in Caerphilly has trained all its teachers and planned a programme of activities across the curriculum. As a result, pupils are gaining a good knowledge of financial matters, understand the importance of savings, and know about the different types of debt and credit. A few older learners also run a fruit and vegetable co-operative to practice their skills in a real context.”