Stock Market Challenge 2019
Queen's College London and Trinity Lewisham teamed up to deliver Stock Market Challenge to year 10 students. Stock Market Challenge uses a "real-time" screen simulation over five "days" to track share prices in 9 (fictional) companies, sterling/dollar exchange rates and "breaking news". The actual trading is all done on paper, in an old-style "open outcry" trading floor. It is noisy!
Aims
The aim of this activity is to give students an insight into financial markets and to start them thinking about A-level choices and careers. A secondary aim was to make the workplace interaction more realistic by mixing students from different backgrounds and also by introducing boys (as Queen's College is a girls' school).
Background
The partnership came about due to a personal friendship between the Teacher in charge of Economics at Queen's and the Head of Year 10 at Trinity Lewisham. "Nicola and I are long-standing musician friends and often play in concerts and operas together. We both changed career into teaching in 2011-12: she's a Maths specialist and I'm Economics. When the opportunity came up to work together on Stock Market Challenge I knew she would be able to identify students who would really benefit from participation. We hope to repeat this collaboration in future years." The project was funded by Queen's College Parents' Association.
Resources
The project took place in Queen's College's Somerville Hall, supported by 16 teaching staff from Queen's College and 1 teaching and 2 support staff from Trinity Lewisham, as well as Queen's IT, Facilities and Catering teams. It lasted from 10.20am to 4.05pm. The project cost £550 (£300 for a licence for Stock Market Challenge and £250 to buy and make resources such as role badges, share certificates etc).
Impact
Feedback from year 10 at Queen's included: "I've learned about the stock market, and now have a greater understanding of the risks involved." "Just to buy cheap and to sell at an expensive price." "Communication was the most important skill to make sure everyone understood and was on the right track." "Buy, Buy, Buy! Sell, Sell Sell!"
Nine Queen's year 12 Economics A level students ran the activity as Trading Floor Managers:
"Just knowing you were in charge and the manager in an authoritative role meant that you had control and were able to decline a fraud trade or slow a rushed trader." "We were a good team who divided jobs evenly." "My maths got much faster as the game progressed."
Pupil Involvement
49 students from year 10 at Queen's College (girls); 43 students from year 10 at Trinity Lewisham (girls and boys). Total 92 students. 9 year 12 A level students involved as Trading Floor Managers.
Frequency
We plan to repeat the project annually.