Competitions Update
Right, I've been keeping half an eye on my econ competition spreadsheet (still a bit of a hot mess, but it's ticking over) and I reckon it's a good moment for a round-up. Here's everything that's open for entries as I write this, plus a handful landing around the start of September that are worth diarising now before you forget (I say this as someone who has forgotten more deadlines than I'd like to admit). A quick plug for the Econ Teacher Calendar, which I typically update
Sheffield Business School: Financial Trading Competition 2026/27
Sheffield Hallam runs one-day trading sessions in its Bloomberg Suite for Year 12 and 13 students, working directly on Bloomberg Terminals and the CME Platform rather than a simplified classroom simulation. Students get a short grounding in market terminology before designing and executing trades in a competitive setting, which pairs well with the AQA financial sector unit or as a hook before teaching interest rates and speculation. Dates run monthly from September 2026 throu
Sequels, kids and monsters: the formula for a blockbuster film
Hermione Taylor uses last year's highest grossing films to unpick why sequels, franchises and children's films dominate the box office while streaming eats into cinema audiences. The economics is light but the hooks are strong: streaming and cinema as substitutes, convenience and cost as determinants of demand, and children's weak grasp of delayed gratification as a nudge towards the 'watch it now' cinema trip. Useful as a lesson starter or a discussion piece early in a deman