Our Business Studies department is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Darlington Building Society.

This year, the building society will be working directly with King James to set up an in-school bank, run by a team of students who will be fully trained by Darlington Building Society staff.

We aim to encourage all students to open a bank account as this will help them to understand the importance of saving and budgeting, and teach them about the potential ups and downs of their financial futures. The new school bank is part of a broader scheme of initiatives that will be delivered across our academy this year to help promote effective money management skills.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to be involved in the running of a real bank and to develop valuable life skills in managing personal finances," said Mrs Lobb, one of our Business Studies teachers. "We aim to make sure that all of our students are fully financially aware by the time they leave us and able to plan for their future. We are sure it will be a huge success."