London Academy of Trading 

On the 23 January, five Year 12 girls studying Economics and Business travelled into London, to attend a workshop, hosted by the London Academy of Trading in Holborn. We were all excited about this opportunity to develop and expand our knowledge of financial markets trading and to put into practice some of the theory of our Economic and Business A Levels. We had the chance to look at fundamental and macroeconomic data, as well as charts and technical analysis. We also examined the topic of trading psychology and the effects this can have on trading performance and enjoyed the opportunity to trade in live financial markets on a demo account, with guidance from the trading mentors.

The workshop took place on the trading floors, beginning with a one-hour class to gain a brief understanding of what trading is like. To explain trading in a real life situation, the speaker used the example of Apple iPhones, of buying low and selling high, when there is high demand. They showed us how to use the trading website, emphasising what to look out for when analysing the graphs and charts of tradable goods such as of currencies, commodities, and how to use such platforms responsibly. We then were able to experience trading ourselves using £100k of demo money, by buying and selling in order to gain an incentive of profit.

We thought that this was the most enjoyable aspect of the course as it provided us with a real sense of what trading involved and the skills needed for this career. Overall the trip was an insightful and truly eye opening experience and we would thoroughly recommend it to future students.

Year 12