How much pocket money should I give my child at secondary school?

Does big school mean big bucks? How should you give it to your child? And how should they spend it? We’ve got some answers…

A lot of things change when children move up to secondary school. Not only will many be walking to and from the school with their friends, they’ll also be socialising with less assistance from their parents, taking up new activities, and making new friends. Their wants and needs will change, which will probably affect the amount of pocket money they’ll require (or ask for!). In this article we’ll walk you through how much cash to give early teens. If you’re looking for a more general back to school guide, check out our parents’ guide to going back to school

How much pocket money do secondary school kids get?

Here’s the national average amount of weekly pocket given to secondary school children using Rooster Money. Here’s our most recent results from our Pocket Money Index. Of course, this is only a guide; you know your kids and your budget. You should feel free to give as much or as little as you’d like.

Average weekly pocket money

11 year olds (age on entering Year 7, the first year of secondary school)

£6.34

12 year olds (age on leaving Year 7 and entering Year 8)

£8.25

13 year olds (age on leaving Year 8 and entering Year 9)

£9.76

14 year olds (age on leaving Year 9 and entering Year 10)

£11.64

What kind of things do secondary school kids buy?

According to our most recent pocket money survey, Roblox, Fortnite and Playstation were the most popular places to drop cash.

Both Roblox and Fortnite have their own in-game currency; you can buy 1000 of Fortnite’s V-Bucks for £6.49 and 400 of Roblox’s currency, Robux, for £4.49. However, that doesn’t really reflect how much things cost in the games; often a nice, new ‘skin’ or outfit for a character in Fortnite can cost as much as 2000 V-Bucks. So don’t be surprised if your child blows all their weekly income on digital ‘drip’ for their avatar.

When should I give pocket money?

Saturday is the most popular day for giving out pocket money for Rooster Money users. This is probably a good day for secondary school kids too, as the excitement of money landing in their account won’t interfere with school-night homework.

How much should I give as a treat or a reward?

Rooster Money has found that the average reward for a good school report is £14.94. There were extra earners too; for example, kids got an average of £19.77 of holiday money. Again, the final amount is up to you.

What about saving?

Parents might be pleased to hear that, with Rooster Money, kids can set up pots for saving generally, or customise pots to save for bigger things. On average our users saved 39% of their pocket money. The most popular thing to save for was a new phone.

Can anyone else help out?

Oh, yes, we know that aunts and uncles are quite generous. They give, on average, £19.90, while grandparents were slightly less generous, giving £15.22.

How can secondary school kids spend their pocket money?

With much more online spending, as well as an increase of contactless payments, secondary school kids might find it easier to get their pocket money transferred onto a prepaid debit card, rather than receive cash. And that’s where the Rooster Card comes in! It’s our prepaid debit card. Children from the age of six upwards can use the card in shops, restaurants, cafes, as well as online and abroad. Parents can track spending in the app and via notifications, accounts can’t go overdrawn, and there are special restrictions on the card, meaning it can’t be used in 18+ shops or sites.

With more info to hand, we hope you now have a better idea of how much money to give your child.

For more first-day-of-term tips, take a look at our Back to School section; read all about how kids can travel independently on public transport with a Rooster Card; discover extra earners, chores and side hustles for secondary school children; try our great back-to-school organisational hacks; learn all about lunch money; and find out more and order a Rooster Card here.

Give the Rooster Card a go – you can sign up for a free month here.

-It gives kids the independence they want, and the reassurance you need.
-It's contactless, and is great for public transport and shopping.
-Flexible parental controls let you choose if they can use online or not.
-Instant alerts let you know what's been spent and when.
-You can set chores in the app, as regular jobs or one-offs.

Here’s how much pocket money you should give your child at secondary school