Oasis Academy Lister Park business students beat 5,000 teams in stock market challenge to the semi-final

A team of Year 12 and 13 students – from Oasis Academy Lister Park situated in the heart of Bradford have battled their way into the Student Investor Challenge semi-finals, beating over 9000 teams from schools around the UK and abroad.

Investing money in shares in the future is something I would consider.

The Student Investor Challenge, run by The London Institute of Banking & Finance, challenges teams of schoolchildren to invest virtual money on the London Stock Exchange and trade stocks and shares to make a profit.

‘Year 13 Heroes’, consisting of Amaad Abbas, Haroon Ahmed, Haseeb Ul-Haq and Samir Sarfraz successfully invested virtual money and came 159th after the first round of trading. The top 500 teams then progressed to the semi-finals. They’ll now go on to battle the remaining 499 teams to try and reach the final in London.

1st prize is an all-expenses-paid trip to New York, including a trip to the New York Stock Exchange, hosted by Asset TV.

Sian Dover, Associate Principal at Oasis Academy Lister Park, commented on the student’s success, saying; “We pride ourselves on creating opportunities for our students beyond the daily curriculum. Having a team of students involved in the Student Investor competition has been an exciting and rewarding experience. We are so proud of their achievements and continue to be grateful to all our staff who value these wider educational opportunities for our fantastic young people. Well done to everyone involved.”

The Student Investor Challenge is an online investment simulation for students aged 14-19 years old. It aims to improve financial capability and encourage engagement with the finance sector. It gives students a positive and practical experience of what it’s like to invest in the real-life stock market, gain team-work skills and strengthen their maths knowledge.

Last week was the final week of the semi-finals which last for 4 weeks, has seen the team in the top 50, and they were in 2nd place as of Friday morning.

Catherine Winter, Managing Director of Financial Capability at The London Institute of Banking & Finance said; “This competition is a powerful way of engaging young people with how the finance sector works and relating it to everyday life.”

“The movement of stocks and shares, currency fluctuations and central bank activities can feel quite remote and difficult to get to grips with. By bringing it to life through a trading game, young people have proved they can grasp how economies work and the basics of investment. So, congratulations to the semi-finalists for making the top 500, it’s a great achievement!”

Haseeb Ul-Haq, Year 13 Business Student at Oasis Academy Lister Park, said; “Student investor has given me an understanding of different companies around the world and financially how they are performing. I have learnt a lot, but it was difficult trying to predict the prices but investing money in shares in the future is something I would consider.”

Marcus Isherwood, Curriculum Leader for Business at Oasis Academy Lister Park, added; “We are really proud of the students for reaching the Semi-finals of the Student Investor competition. They have been near the top of the table throughout the final week, reaching second place at one point and have competed with some of the best schools in the country – they have learnt so much and have worked extremely hard out of lesson.”