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Prep School’s bank is open for business!

16 Sep 2019
Banking at Barney is open every Thursday lunchtime at Prep School

As part HSBC UK’s School Bank Community Programme, we are delighted to announce that Prep School is the ‘only HSBC branch in town’!

Our ‘Preppies’ will be operating the pop-up bank after being trained by a team from HSBC Darlington.

Children will learn how banks work, budgeting, credit, the various ways to pay, keeping finances safe and the difference between need and want. They will also be able to develop savings habits by making regular deposits when the school bank is open for business – every Thursday lunchtime.

Barnard Castle School senior students, aged 11-18, staff and parents can also take part in a range of HSBC financial wellbeing and fraud awareness workshops, including financial planning from post-secondary school to retirement, how to spot a fraud and the risks of inadvertently becoming a money-mule for criminals.

Commenting on the initiative, Barnard Castle Preparatory School Headmistress, Laura Turner, said: “An appreciation of the value of money is a vital life skill which is never too early to learn.

“The children who are trained to operate the bank are taking their responsibilities very seriously and the project has sparked huge interest in the banking sector which could one day lead to a career.”

HSBC primary school lead Lindsey Hare added: “This is the first school in the North-East to open a bank and we are so excited.

“In an increasingly digital world, money is becoming invisible to children making it harder for them to grasp the concept of cash. We will be working with pupils, teachers and parents to build knowledge and familiarity of the world of money.”