Whitefriars Fraud Squad

'Caught in the act'. Pupils performing the play

As part of the curriculum Miss Hooper started a project called “The Fraud Squad”. A class visit was made to Barclaycard, who were very helpful in providing information that was useful in the project and also financing the travel costs involved with the trip. It was decided that they make a credit (tuck) card called a “Bean Card” in honour of Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) who appeared in the Barclaycard advertisement. He was invited to the school but, unfortunately, was out of the country but did find time to write a foreword to their book on the project. A tuck shop was set up at school and, with parents’ permission, children were allowed a tuck card that they could use, settling the bill at the end of the week. A lesson was planned on “How to make Credit Cards Safer” with the children making lots of sensible suggestions. The fingerprints team were invited into the school to talk to the children explaining how culprits are caught by leaving behind fingerprints. PC Hindmarch, the Rushden and District Liaison Officer, visited the school and agreed to become involved in the project. He explained to them the workings of a magistrates’ court although, because of their age, the children were not allowed to visit the court. It was decided that they would set up a crime in the tuck shop and act out a court drama. PC Hindmarch readily offered to write the script for the play. A representative of Barclays Bank visited the school and showed a film about the “History of Money and Banking.” For five weeks the children worked hard. It was a very intense project and the children learnt a lot from it. Miss Hooper compiled a book “The Fraud Squad Citizenship, a case study for Teachers” containing extensive notes on the project, a script of the play, photographs and comments by the children. This was published in association with Leicester University, Northamptonshire Training and Enterprise Council, Northamptonshire County Council Education and Libraries, Northamptonshire Police and Card Watch. At the end of the project parents were invited to the school for a special assembly where the play was acted out. Mr. Ben Catlin, who at the time was a governor of the school, had brought some things from the tuck shop and purposely hadn’t settle his bill for several weeks .He was presented with a large bill to show how interest builds up and how much more he would have to pay by not settling promptly.Several of the children travelled to London with Miss Hooper to give a presentation, at the National Citizen Conference in the Guildhall, explaining the work that the children had produced. This was well received and a great achievement for Miss Hooper and the class.

Choir at Palladium

Jerusalem Joy

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