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KS1 · Year 2 · Lesson plan

First pocket money — planning what to do with it

A classroom-ready 45 minutes lesson plan with starter, main, plenary, differentiation, SEND adaptations, EAL support and assessment criteria. Free to use, no login.

Key Stage
KS1
Year group
Year 2
Age range
6–7
Duration
45 minutes
Subject
Maths / PSHE
Cost
Free

Learning aim

Pupils can plan how to use a small amount of money across three choices: spending now, saving for later, and giving.

CURRICULUM National Curriculum links

RESOURCES What you'll need

LESSON Lesson structure (45 minutes)

0–5 min
HOOK
Show three empty jars labelled SPEND, SAVE, SHARE. Pour 50p of pretend coins into your hand. Ask: "If this was your pocket money — how would you split it between these three jars?" Take 3–4 suggestions without commenting on whether they're right.
5–15 min
TEACH
Introduce the three-pot idea. SPEND = small treats, things you want right now. SAVE = something bigger you want in a few weeks or months. SHARE = giving to a charity, family member, or friend who needs help. Most people split their pocket money across all three. Display a sample split: 30p spend, 15p save, 5p share.
15–30 min
GUIDED
Each pupil gets 50p in pretend coins. They decide how to divide it into the three jars. There's no "right" answer — but they must put at least 5p in each jar. They write their decision on the planner and explain their thinking in one sentence.
30–40 min
CHALLENGE
Display a scenario: "Your friend is having a birthday next month and you'd like to buy a present that costs £3. You get 50p pocket money a week. How many weeks until you have enough?" Pupils work it out (6 weeks). Discuss: "Does this mean we need to save more this week?"
40–45 min
PLENARY
Volunteers share their three-pot split and explain one reason for their choice. Final reflection: "There's no single right way to split pocket money. The clever part is having a plan."

DIFFERENTIATION Adapting for all learners

Support (working below ARE)

Use 30p total instead of 50p. Provide a pre-printed split (10p spend, 15p save, 5p share) for pupils to copy onto their planner, then adjust if they wish.

Stretch (working above ARE)

Pupils plan three weeks of pocket money in advance, choosing a specific saving goal and calculating how long it will take to reach.

SEND SEND adaptations

For pupils with dyscalculia: use only 30p across the three jars to keep numbers small. For pupils with autism: provide a visual planner with predefined options to choose from rather than open-ended decisions.

EAL EAL support

Pre-teach: "spend", "save", "share", "split", "plan", "weekly". Sentence stems: "I will spend ___p because ___" and "I will save ___p to ___".

ASSESSMENT Assessment criteria

Pupils can: (1) divide 50p across three jars with at least 5p in each; (2) explain in a sentence why they chose their split; (3) calculate how many weeks they'd need to save to reach a small goal.

HOME Homework pack

Three age-appropriate activities about pocket money. Total time: 15-20 minutes.

Pocket money tracker

What pupils do: For one week, draw a simple chart with 7 boxes (one for each day). Each day, draw a small picture of any money you received, saved or spent.

Expected output: A weekly chart with pictures and a sentence at the end saying which day was your favourite for money and why.

Marking guidance: 1 mark per accurate daily entry (7), 1 mark for the reflection sentence, 1 mark for a clear chart layout. 9 marks total.

Three jars rule

What pupils do: Draw three jars: one for SAVE, one for SPEND, one for GIVE. Beside each jar, write or draw something you might use that money for.

Expected output: A page with three jars and an example for each.

Marking guidance: 1 mark per jar with a relevant example. 3 marks total.

Pocket money fact-finding

What pupils do: Ask a parent: "When you were my age, did you get pocket money? What did you spend it on?" Write or draw what they said.

Expected output: A short note or picture showing the parent's answer.

Marking guidance: Open-ended. 2 marks for a clear answer recorded.

Extension (optional)

What pupils do: Imagine you got £5 of pocket money. Draw what you would do with it across the three jars.

Expected output: A drawing showing how the £5 is split between save, spend, give.

Marking guidance: 1 mark per jar with an amount, 1 mark if the three amounts add up to £5. 4 marks total.

Family discussion prompt (safeguarding-aware)

Ask a grown-up: "What is one thing you saved up to buy when you were young?" Listen to the story and try to remember it.

SAFEGUARDING Classroom safeguarding

Note for teachers: Some pupils don't get pocket money. Frame the activity as "imagine you got 50p pocket money" so no pupil is singled out. If a pupil mentions they don't get any, accept neutrally and move on.

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