For some time now the Economics department have been looking to provide students with the opportunity to explore a range of economists and their varied perspectives way beyond what is already a broad A level curriculum. As our students naturally have an inquisitiveness and ability to consider complex and sometimes controversial ideas in a mature and considered fashion, it is only right that a challenging and varied extra-curricular resources should be available for them to experience. That is why the department has been introducing our Year 12 classes to economists such as Dambisa Moyo (banner photo, above), Eleanor Ostrom and Amartya Sen, Ha-Joon Chang, Kate Raworth, Mohammed Yunis and Marianna Mazzucato. The feedback from the pupils has been very positive. Whilst they find the work of Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes and interesting platform from which to build their appreciation of economics, they also want to hear from a range of different voices who concerns go beyond discussions of markets and their fluctuations to what might be described as more 'modern issues' such as the environment, colonialism, social welfare and reducing global inequality.

Students can and do follow up in-class discussions with visiting our well-stocked library, a facility that is especially useful not just for enriching reading but also for their extended writing research projects they undertake towards the end of Year 12.

We feel this sets up our pupils for university: encouraging thought, debate and understanding that the subject—its methodology, assumptions and ability to intersect with other disciplines—is growing in richness and diversity all the time. So from Pickerty on inequality, Dufflo developing world policy design, to Yunis on micro-finance and Raworth on environment, there is a world of ideas to explore. Perhaps this is part of the reason why so many of our pupils go on to study economics and related disciplines at university.

Here are a selection of student comments:

'By being more inclusive in economics, it has made the subject a lot more interesting. By examining the works from economists of different origins and viewpoints we have a greater sense of what economics in the world means'.

'Diversity in economics is important as conventionally, we are often taught about European economists but there are many other economists who are of different backgrounds who have done significant work worthy of note. Diversity is essential to broaden our horizons'.

'Diversity in economics is important because it helps to inspire us as young economists. We can see how people of different backgrounds, experiences and ideas can be represented in such an important field'.