Nationwide Building Society has launched a first-of-its-kind financial education accreditation for teachers. 

The training scheme for primary school teachers aims to boost teachers' confidence when it comes to educating children about money, and to help more children develop financial skills for life. 

It has been developed by Nationwide in partnership with Visa and will launch in April, before being rolled out for secondary school teachers by the end of 2026. 

Nationwide is aiming for the free accreditation to support 10,000 teachers in the first year and 25,000 in the second. 

Financial education is not currently on the National Curriculum in schools, but 89 per cent of parents believe it’s now more important than ever to learn about personal finance - ranking it ahead of subjects like English literature, P.E, home economics and history.

Teachers will be able to access the accredited financial education training on Nationwide's Money Lessons webpage as well as a package of ready to use financial education lessons and activities.

The materials for Nationwide’s Money Lessons were created in partnership with psychologists and Special Educational Needs teaching specialists. 

To become accredited, teachers must complete a two-hour online course covering practical topics such as managing money, avoiding scams and recognising misleading online content, followed by a short competency test. 

Teachers will receive a certificate issued by CPD Certification Service.

Many schools want to deliver financial education to students but have said they face barriers such as limited time, low confidence and a lack of resources, according to research from the Money and Pensions Service.

The accreditation has been launched by Nationwide at a time when increasing numbers of school aged children are exposed to personal finance content on social media platforms such as TikTok and Meta-owned Instagram. 

One in four parents with children between the ages of five and 15 years old say their children now learn about money and personal finance through social media.

The quality of personal finance content on social media children are exposed to is a worry for parents and the finance industry alike, however.  

Financial Regulator the Financial Conduct Authority has raised concerns that young people are increasingly exposed to misleading financial promotions online, particularly through social media.

And 81 per cent of parents are concerned about the quality of personal finance content their children are seeing online.

Sarah Webster, headteacher at Christ The King RC Primary School in Burnley, says: 'This initiative is particularly important at a time when so much of what children encounter online is unregulated. 

'It not only strengthens classroom practice but also helps schools play a meaningful role in improving financial confidence and inclusion.'