BENTON Park School has been awarded as a Centre of Excellence in financial education.

Staff at the Rawdon school have spent the past two years working with an education specialist from Young Enterprise to create and deliver a detailed programme of financial education for their children.

The school has now been recognised and awarded as a Centre of Excellence and provider of high quality financial education.

The Centre of Excellence programme has a proven track record in helping children and young people understand more about money and personal finance. The school is one of 91 centres across England and Wales who have been awarded or reaccredited with the Centre of Excellence status in financial education.

As a Centre of Excellence, Benton Park School will now be supported in sharing its new expertise with other schools in the local area. This is with the aim of benefitting the wider educational community and students in neighbouring schools.

Michael Mercieca, Young Enterprise Chief Executive, said: “Benton Park School has worked extremely hard to achieve its Centre of Excellence award and we are pleased that its students have already started to see the benefit. This programme will hopefully continue to have a positive impact on their futures. Our aim is to ensure that all children and young people enter adult life with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to manage money well – and the partnership with Santander is helping to make this goal a reality.”

Delia Martin, Headteacher at Benton Park School, said: “The financial champion here at Benton Park School has worked extremely hard, with Young Enterprise’s help, to embed financial education in our curriculum. I am delighted that our efforts have been rewarded with a Centre of Excellence award. High quality financial education is already bringing significant benefits to our students as they take their next steps in life.”