PUPILS at Droitwich Spa High School have been preparing for life after studies.

A group of year 11 pupils on the school’s Route to Work course have been taking part in three money plan workshops designed to help them manage their affairs after school.

The three hour-long workshops were held by Louise Lewis, who has 15 years experience as a private banking manager with a large high street bank, but who left to establish her own company specifically to offer advice to younger people. Mrs Lewis said: “The idea of these workshops is to get students thinking in the ‘real world’ – how far money has to stretch, the importance of planning and managing money carefully to ensure bills are paid.

“In each session, students are given cases to look at that give details of a fictional person and details of their occupation, earnings and their personal and financial situation.

“The students then embark on translating that income into how much would be received at pay day, showing how tax and national insurance, pension contributions and the like impact upon what people actually have to live on.” Rebecca Piesse, who teaches the pupils on the Route to Work course, said: “This kind of information is so valuable for younger people as it teaches them life skills that are often simply not present in the regular curriculum.

“It is vital that as they approach the time when they come to leave school that they understand the difference between gross and net pay and how to budget and make sure that all their bills are covered before they start spending on the things their pocket money would cover.”