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KS4 · Year 11 · Lesson plan

Budgeting for sixth form or college — planning the next two years

A classroom-ready 60 minutes lesson plan with starter, main, plenary, differentiation, SEND adaptations, EAL support and assessment criteria. Free to use, no login.

Key Stage
KS4
Year group
Year 11
Age range
15–16
Duration
60 minutes
Subject
Maths / PSHE / Citizenship
Cost
Free

Learning aim

Pupils can build a 12-month budget covering realistic post-16 income (allowance, part-time job, bursary) and expenses (transport, food, materials, social), and identify common cash-flow risks.

CURRICULUM National Curriculum links

RESOURCES What you'll need

LESSON Lesson structure (60 minutes)

Opening
HOOK
"You've just started sixth form or college. Each month: bus fares, lunches, school trips, books, social life. Plus you might have a part-time job at £8/hour for 8 hours a week. Will you have any money LEFT at the end of each month?" Take answers. Most pupils don't know. The answer matters.
Direct teach
TEACH
Build the budget template live on the board, with four sections: Income (allowance, part-time job, 16-19 Bursary if eligible, gifts, birthdays); Fixed expenses (bus/train pass, phone bill, lunch money, school materials); Variable expenses (social spending, clothes, hobbies); Savings target (10-20% of income). Show example: £80 allowance + £200 part-time job = £280 income. Fixed: £30 bus + £80 lunches + £30 phone = £140. Variable budget: £100. Savings: £40 (15% of £280). Balance: zero — a balanced budget.
Pupils apply
GUIDED
Pupils build their own personal 12-month budget on the worksheet. Their income includes whatever they realistically have or expect. Their expenses include realistic estimates. Encourage them to be honest. Walk the room — many pupils will realise they're either over-budget OR have more left than they thought. Both are useful insights.
Stretch / depth
CHALLENGE
"Three months into sixth form, your phone breaks and needs replacing for £150. What do you do?" Discuss the four real options: (1) save up over 4-5 months (cheap but no phone meanwhile); (2) borrow from family (sometimes available); (3) buy on credit (usually expensive); (4) buy a cheaper second-hand phone (often the best option). Build the case for an emergency fund — even £20/month saved gives you £240/year as a buffer for exactly these situations.
Close
PLENARY
Each pupil identifies their TOP expense and their TOP opportunity to save. Share three. Final question: "What's one expense you could reduce TODAY by 10%?" Allow pupils to think and share.

DIFFERENTIATION Adapting for all learners

Support (working below ARE)

Provide a pre-filled template with example numbers. Pupils adjust based on their reality. Focus on understanding the four budget categories rather than producing a complete budget.

Stretch (working above ARE)

Build a 2-year budget covering both years of sixth form, factoring in occasional one-off costs (school trip £200, prom £150, UCAS application fees, driving lessons £50/hour × 30 hours, etc.). Calculate which months will be tight.

SEND SEND adaptations

For pupils with dyscalculia: provide a calculator and pre-filled categories with examples. For pupils with autism: use clear structured categories with visual icons. For pupils with anxiety about money: emphasise the budget is a TOOL, not a judgement.

EAL EAL support

Vocabulary: "income", "expenses", "fixed", "variable", "budget", "bursary", "savings", "emergency fund". Sentence frame: "My income is ___. My fixed expenses are ___. My savings target is ___."

ASSESSMENT Assessment criteria

Pupils can: (1) name three likely fixed expenses for sixth form/college; (2) build a balanced 1-month budget with at least 10% savings; (3) identify one cash-flow risk; (4) suggest one way to handle a £100 surprise expense.

HOME Homework pack

Four practical activities for budgeting as a 16-18 year old. ~30 minutes.

Real budget plan

What pupils do: Build a monthly budget for a fictional sixth-former living at home with £80/month from a part-time job and £40/month pocket money. Allocate to: transport, food/coffee, clothes, savings, phone, social, other.

Expected output: A monthly budget showing all 7 categories totaling £120.

Marking guidance: 1 mark per category with realistic allocation, 1 mark for accurate total. 8 marks.

50/30/20 application

What pupils do: Apply the 50/30/20 rule (50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings) to a £120/month income. What does each share buy?

Expected output: A 3-share split with example items.

Marking guidance: 2 marks per accurate share with examples. 6 marks total.

Emergency fund

What pupils do: How big should an "emergency fund" be for a 16-year-old earning £80/month? Why? How long would it take to build at 10% of monthly income saved?

Expected output: A 3-question short-answer response with calculation.

Marking guidance: 2 marks per accurate answer. 6 marks total. (e.g. ~£100-200, takes ~10-25 months at £8/month.)

Extension (optional)

What pupils do: Plan how a sixth-former earning £150/month could save £500 in a year while still spending normally. Use specific weekly or monthly amounts.

Expected output: A 12-month savings plan.

Marking guidance: Up to 8 marks for a realistic plan that adds up to £500+.

Family discussion prompt (safeguarding-aware)

Ask a parent: "What's one budgeting mistake you made at 16-18 that you'd warn me about now?"

SAFEGUARDING Classroom safeguarding

Note for teachers: Some pupils have very limited income; others may have significant support from family. Frame the lesson neutrally — the same principles apply at any income level. Highlight the 16-19 Bursary Fund (England) — schools and colleges have £1,200/year discretionary funds for pupils from low-income families. Discreetly point pupils who may benefit toward the school's pastoral lead.

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