Economics All Around Us: Making Sense of Everyday Choices
 It’s a common misconception that economics is boring and too complex for the average person to understand. I remember speaking to my particularly talkative hairdresser about studying economics, to which she replied “I could never study that” and “It’s all just a bit confusing really”. And while I don’t deny that economics can be challenging, I also believe that economics IS for everyone and that it can be applied to our daily lives much more than you might think.
Take choosing what to do on a Saturday afternoon, for example. You might decide to meet friends for lunch, but that means giving up the chance to watch your favourite TV show. In economics, this is called opportunity cost, which means that when you choose one thing, you’re giving up the next best alternative. Economists use this idea to analyse decisions on a much larger scale. For instance, when a government decides to spend more on healthcare, it might have to cut funding for education. Or when a government chooses to invest in improving roads, it might have to delay funding for expanding public transport. However, the same principle of opportunity cost applies on a small scale in our everyday decisions, even if we don’t realise it.
Imagine walking into a store and seeing a jacket marked down from £100 to £50. Suddenly, it feels like an incredible deal, even if you wouldn’t have considered buying it at £50 to begin with. This is anchoring bias, a concept from behavioural economics, which looks at how we fixate on the first piece of information we see—like the original price—and lets it shape how we judge value. Economists study anchoring to understand how it affects consumer behaviour, helping businesses set prices that feel more attractive. And we, as consumers, experience its effects every day, often without even noticing it.
Take eating chocolate, for example. The first piece might taste amazing, but by the fifth or sixth, the enjoyment starts to wear off. In economics, this is known as the diminishing marginal utility—the more of something we have, the less satisfaction we get from each additional unit. Economists use this concept to understand why people often prefer variety and why demand for a product may decrease as consumption increases. It also explains why companies introduce new flavours or limited-edition products to keep consumers interested. However, we experience diminishing marginal utility all the time, whether it’s scrolling through social media or playing your favourite game.
I hope you can see that economics isn’t just about numbers and theory: it’s something we experience every day. Whether it’s choosing what to watch or how governments spend billions, economics is constantly shaping our world in ways we don’t always notice.
If you're interested in learning more about economics, feel free to reach out to me or any economics teacher for further information.
James Orchard, Year 13
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 History News
Year 9 Trip to Ypres
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 | 20 Nov 2024 On Friday 8th November, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Ypres in Belgium, following on from what we have been learning about in history - The First World War. The journey to Belgium was an adventure in itself. It was very early, but spirits were high. We started with an hour-long coach journe... |
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Sixth Form Open Evening
E Newsletter
 Thank you and well done to our Year 12 Student Ambassadors. They took the time to share their first experiences of Sixth Form life in our Open Evening edition of the e-newsletter.
You can read their reports here.
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Bon Om Touk
Find out more and take part in the lantern making competition advertised in form time. Click on the news report below.
Mrs Watson, MLF Department
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 | 20 Nov 2024 Bon Om Touk is celebrated annually between early October and mid-November in Cambodia. This year, Bon Om Touk is taking place from the 14th to 16th November.It marks the end of the Monsoon Season in Cambodia AND it celebrates the change in direction of the Tonlé Sap River. (It i... |
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Taiwan Trip 2024
Click on the link here to view the Taiwan Trip 2024 photo gallery.
NEXT Trip: register June 2026 Taiwan Trip will open soon…
Mrs Lu, MFL Chinese Teacher
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Kew Gardens Year 9 Trip 2024
 At the end of last term, our Year 9 students went to Kew Gardens to support their work on world biomes. They visited many of the pleasures of the gardens, such as The Treetop Walkway, The Palm House and The Princess of Wales conservatory. In addition, 2 students from each class were selected as winners as winners by their class teachers with their winning photo. Click on the photo gallery link here for the winning entries - we are sure you will agree that they are stunning!
Miss Ashman, Head of Geography
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 | 20 Nov 2024 Senior Netball Our first and second netball teams played Gravesend Grammar Sixth Form on Wednesday. With a mix of Years 10-13 gracing the court, the teams had to adapt to lots of new combinations. The first team had a hard fought game, but managed to pull away in the last quarter, wi... |
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Craft Club Donations
Craft Club runs each Tuesday during lower school lunch in H8. Pupils have the opportunity to do a variety of crafty activities, such as making clay bead jewellery and art projects. We would like to launch a charity initiative in which we make handmade hearts for the Children’s Hospital Pyjama charity. The charity provides pyjamas for children and young adults who are having an unexpected stay overnight in hospital. Within the pyjama pack, the charity also provides a pair of matching handmade hearts. During COVID, this gave children and their families a way to stay connected as one heart stayed with the child in hospital and one heart went home with a loved one. The hearts have remained a central part of the charity’s work, and so we would love to make some at Craft Club. These can be knitted, stitched or crocheted using the attached template.
We would really appreciate any unused fabric that has a child-friendly/appropriate pattern with enough material to make an identical pair of hearts. We will need roughly fabric pieces that are the equivalent to two A4 pages per pair of hearts. Please pop any donations to Reception and thank you in advance!
Mrs Boulden, Director of Studies, Year 9
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Year 11 Mock GCSEs
The January GCSE Mock timetable below has been issued to students this week.
Mrs Bono, Examinations Officer
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Year 11 Preparing for Revision
The Revision Booklet has recently been issued to Year 11 students. It can be viewed on the school website under the header Teaching and Learning/ KS4 or by clicking on the link here.
Thank you
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 Please click on the link here to access all our Safeguarding Updates
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Cyclists
 It's great that so many of our students cycle to and from school. Could parents and carers please remind all students to wear helmets when doing so, and ensure that they are equipped with lights now that the clocks have changed.
Kind regards,
Mr S Auckland
Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead
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News items you may have missed!
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Snow White & the Seven Dorks
20 days to go!
Is this your run-of-the-mill pantomime? 'Oh no, it isn't!'
What if the kingdom was struggling with the cost of living crisis, and the King had to marry the Evil Queen to save it?
What if Snow White was the hero who had to rescue him?
And what if this hilarious twist to the classic tale took place in a secondary school, where instead of her usual seven companions, Snow White teams up with seven social outcasts?
Join us for this fun-filled, modern reimagining of a pantomime classic that’s full of surprises, laughter, and heart! With two casts and over 120 students bringing the story to life, it’s a must-see production for all ages.
All the lighting, sound, and projection design is done by our talented students, showcasing their creativity and hard work behind the scenes.
For a taste of what's to come, click on the link here and here to watch our YouTube trailers. Or follow us on Instagram here!
Don't miss the magic of Snow White and The Seven Dorks!
Click on the link here to purchase your tickets or scan the QR code above.
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Music Department Christmas Performances
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School Photographs
BEXLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Upper & Lower School
Tempest Photography are pleased to report your whole school group photograph is available to view and order via the following weblink:
https://htmp.st/BE1021-59BEXLEYGRAMM
Your order will be sent direct to an address of your choice.
For assistance, please call 01736 752411
Option 3 - Place an order (P&P applies)
Option 5 - Customer Services
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 Year 9 Independent Learning Project
What is the ILP?
 Over the next two half terms, our Year 9 students will be undertaking a very exciting project called the ‘Independent Learning Project’ or ‘ILP’. Students will produce a project based on a question or topic that interests them. Students have freedom to choose what topic they would like to research (it does not have to be an academic subject) and they can decide how they would like to present it. In the past, pupils have written essays, made films, plays and models. Past topics have included the history of Vogue magazine, the moon landings and fast fashion.
 
The ILP is intended to prepare them for the Extended Essay which they will write in Year 12 as it is a compulsory element of the IB Diploma. In addition, this project will give them vital skills such as time management, research and communication skills and allow them to explore a topic they are passionate about.
When will students complete the ILP?
There will be dedicated time for pupils to work on the ILP during Friday academic sessions. However, they will be required to complete some work at home. As this is an independent project, students have a lot of autonomy in deciding what tasks they would like to do and when, however, there are some deadlines to be mindful of (see below). They should utilise the planning pages in the ILP booklet and the assignments on their Google Classroom to help them manage their time effectively.
What support will they have?
Tutors will deliver 3 sessions during academic monitoring to help pupils decide on the question they would like to answer, how to adequately research and how the ILP will be marked. They will also meet individually with each pupil to give feedback on their question. Each ILP title will be approved by the form tutor before students start researching.
Students also have printed copies of the ILP handbook and online access to all the PowerPoints and ILP assembly via their form Google Classroom.
Next steps
Their next step should be to read through the ILP booklet and familiarise themselves with the requirements. They should also start thinking about what topics they care about and would like to spend time researching.
We are really excited to see what topics the pupils select to write about and cannot wait to see the variety of submissions. This is a fantastic chance for pupils to showcase to us what they really care about.
Dates to remember:
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Important Update from the Attendance Office
Punctuality
Dear Parent/Carer,
The Attendance Office would like to clarify that being late for school due to traffic in the surrounding area is not classed as an 'exceptional circumstance'. The Attendance Officers will closely monitor local issues and if there is an exceptional incident, resulting in a high volume of students being late for school, we will make reasonable adjustments on these occasions.
Students are advised to be in school at 8:15am every day to ensure they have sufficient time to go to their lockers/bathroom etc.
Students attending clubs before school must still ensure they register at 8:30am. Arrival after 8:30am is considered to be late.
Should your child be late for a genuinely exceptional reason, please email the Attendance Officers and explain these circumstances.
Years 7-11 jeffery_j@bexleygs.co.uk
Years 12-13 jeffery_s@bexleygs.co.uk
The Attendance Office
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Free School Meals
Are you eligible?
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Greenwich
If your child attends a school in another borough, you will need to apply to the relevant council or school directly. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Tower Hamlets
Children whose parents live in the borough but who attend schools outside the borough. Parents should apply to the authority where the school is located. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Medway
Does not specify the location of the school and just has a link to applications.
https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200164/school_information/354/free_school_meals.
You may need to go via Bexley after this process.
Bromley
If your child attends a non-Bromley school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
Dartford
If your child attends a non-Dartford school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. APPLY TO BEXLEY.
When these applications are completed, a notification should be sent to the school for us to update records accordingly, but it may be worth the parents sending in the email confirmation to us too.
Bexley Application Link
https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/free-school-meals/how-apply-free-school-meals/free-school-meals-form
Don't delay, apply today!
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Lost Property
We kindly remind parents/carers to please write your child's name wherever possible on their items so that the Reception Team can return property to the correct student.
Please click on the link here to report lost property or email us directly via reception@bexleygs.co.uk.
Reception Team
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