Economics

Co-Curricular

For two successive years our pupils have been fortunate enough to win prizes in the Bank of England Innovation Competition, where they created innovative videos addressing topical economic issues. Two pupils secured summer placements working at the Bank of England and gained invaluable insights into the thinking underpinning macroeconomic decision-making.

Hampton economists have also won prestigious prizes in national essay competitions, such as the DasGupta environmental essay and the FCDO economics competition. Opportunities extend beyond essays, to practical policy-based initiatives, with one pupil reaching the final of the IEA monetary policy competition and two pupils awarded best contributor prizes at the Iea’s Future thought leaders conference. Several of these pupils have gone on to win places at Oxbridge, adeptly supported by two sets of challenging extension classes, which explore a wide range of topics. Our most articulate economists have also competed against the Psychology department, debating issues such as inequality.

The Economics department is rightly proud of the initiative shown by Sixth Form economists, who have established and run a variety of co-curricular clubs; including a finance club exploring derivatives etc, for pupils aspiring to work in the City of London, a club explaining the principles of Economics and Finance to lower school pupils, a website of topical articles linked to the A Level course and an Economics digest, edited by a group of Lower Sixth economists, who evaluated issues well beyond the specification. Take a look at the first edition here.

Trips

In recent years, the Economics department has offered pupils enriching international trips to Washington DC and New York, providing first-hand insight into global financial institutions and policy-making hubs. These experiences have complemented classroom learning by allowing pupils to engage directly with real-world economic systems. This year, we are visiting Dubai, a six day trip to a city that offers a unique case study in rapid economic development, diversification away from oil, and the strategic use of free zones and international trade—making it highly relevant to the A Level Economics curriculum.