
KS3 Excel Lesson 5 – Real-World Spreadsheets: Costs, Shopping, Budgets & Practical Modelling (Dyslexia-Friendly | Life Skills | High Engagement)
Bring spreadsheets into the real world with this practical, highly relatable KS3 lesson focused on costs, budgeting and real-life decision making. Students learn how Excel is used outside the classroom — in shops, travel planning, pocket-money budgeting, and real household maths.
All materials are fully dyslexia-friendly, using accessible fonts, soft colour palettes, consistent spacing and clutter-free layouts to support every learner.
What students will learn (Lesson 5):
- Real-world use of spreadsheets — Why businesses, families and shops rely on Excel for costs, totals and comparisons.
- Building a cost model — Students create a working spreadsheet to calculate totals, quantities, running costs and savings.
- Using formulas in context — Applying =, +, -, * and /
to real scenarios such as shopping lists, budgeting challenges and cost comparisons. - Modelling different outcomes — Students change quantities or prices to see how their budget updates automatically.
- Understanding value for money — Calculate cheapest options, total spend, leftover money, and simple financial decisions.
Why this resource sells well on TES:
- ✔ Fully dyslexia-friendly – OpenDyslexic (or similar) font, pastel backgrounds, clear spacing, colour-coded steps and simplified worksheets for SEND learners.
- ✔ Real-life relevance – Students instantly understand the purpose of spreadsheets when linked to money, shopping and budgeting.
- ✔ Perfect for mixed-ability classes – Chunked instructions, worked examples, differentiated challenges and real-world problems.
- ✔ Highly engaging scenarios – Includes task options such as planning a birthday party, managing a weekly shop, or budgeting for a day out.
- ✔ Ready to teach – Teacher slides, step-by-step worksheet, and editable Excel template included.
By the end of this lesson, students can:
- Build a cost spreadsheet using real-life data
- Use formulas to calculate totals, reductions, quantities and comparisons
- Understand how spreadsheets model real situations quickly and accurately
- Apply spreadsheet skills to genuine everyday tasks
- Feel confident that Excel has a real purpose beyond the classroom
This lesson is the perfect transition from logic and functions to meaningful, real-world modelling — giving KS3 students financial skills and spreadsheet confidence they will use for life.
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