Teach-Primary-Issue-19.4

This lesson gives pupils a purposeful way to apply maths to the real world, using budgeting to plan a whole-class school fair stall. It links directly to KS2 objectives on money, four operations, and problem-solving, while also building teamwork, reasoning, and financial awareness. Children will work within constraints and limitations, make informed decisions, and justify their choices. Whether they go for a tombola, lucky dip, or lemonade stand, this lesson helps pupils appreciate the value of money and understand how to manage a budget – core skills they’ll carry into adulthood. 1 | THE BUDGET MEETING First, you need to hold a budget meeting with your class and explain they are going to work in teams of four or five during the school fair. I’ve found that putting £20 in a gold envelope for each group gives a sense of occasion to the budget meeting. Hand-delivering these, and allowing children to open them at the end of the meeting, makes the theoretical budget become real. Explain the challenge to the children: to design and run a stall at the school fair – and make as much profit as possible. Model how to approach the task. You can do this using a bar model or part-whole diagram to show how a £20 budget might be split. For example, if they spend £6 on cups and £4.50 on prizes, how much is left for decorations or extras? Ask questions like: • What could you spend less on and still have a great stall? • What’s your essential spend? • What is a ‘nice to have?’ Make it clear that this isn’t just about being the cheapest, but about being smart. E.g. could plain cups be ordered but then designed and personalised by children? This might even add more selling appeal. START HERE MAIN LESSON l Apply addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division l Interpret and compare prices and financial options l Work within a fixed budget and justify decisions l Develop teamwork and communication skills through collaborative planning l Understand basic financial concepts like cost, income, and profit MATHS Begin by showing pupils a few simple stalls they might run at a school fair: a tuck shop, a lucky dip, or a craft table, for example. Split the class into groups, and tell them each group has £20 to spend on raw materials, and their goal is to design a stall that stays within budget and raises the most money. Show example prices for common items (e.g. 10 paper cups for £1.50, glitter glue £2.25, small prizes £3.00 for 10). Discuss key concepts: What does ‘budget’ mean? Why do businesses (and schools) need one? Emphasise that good budgeting involves planning, prioritising, and problem-solving. Come one, come all, and explore real-world maths by helping pupils plan a school fair, suggests John Bee ... KS2 LESSON PLAN mrbeeteach.com @mbeeteach Roll up, roll up! Can you beat the budget? WHAT THEY’LL LEARN 78 | www.teachwire.net