It is the session before lunchtime at University Technical College Heathrow, and a class of sixth-formers is learning about risk and reward.
The students are lively and engaged, debating whether mortgage holders really own their homes, the risks of trading bitcoin and the ethics of gambling. The lessons are not just academic: many of the 16 and 17-year-olds have part-time jobs, and some are already considering apprenticeship offers or student loans.
“We’re of an . . . age to learn about this — to learn how to save, invest and not spend recklessly,” said Myron Mascarenhas, who in the past has traded and even mined bitcoin. “We need the money — we’ve got to save up for what we desire.”
UTC students are not alone in wanting to learn about money matters. With the launch of its Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign last year, the Financial Times set a mission to democratise financial literacy with free, engaging content for young people across the UK.
