Yesterday’s session (available below) was all about cracking one of the trickiest parts of A-level Economics: evaluation. If you’ve ever written an essay that feels strong on analysis but weak on that final, critical edge—this one was for you.

Evaluation essentials:

• Always question assumptions—remember, ceteris paribus almost never holds true in reality.
• Balance short-run vs. long-run impacts.
• Use “it depends on” factors to add nuance.
• Don’t just evaluate at the end—thread it throughout your essay.
• And of course, finish with a well-argued judgement that links back to the question.

We applied this toolkit to some hot policy debates:

💰 Corporation Tax – weighing up whether the UK was right to raise the top rate from 19% to 25%. On one hand, more revenue for vital public services. On the other, risks of discouraging investment and growth. Students were pushed to see both sides, before taking a reasoned stance.

🏠 House-Building Policies – tackling Labour’s ambitious target of 1.5m new homes. Could planning reform, state land release, and subsidies work in the short run? And what about addressing long-term labour shortages in construction? Again, the trick was applying theory while grounding arguments in today’s real economic context.

The big takeaway? Great evaluation is about showing you can think like an economist, not just recite like a textbook. Challenge, contextualise, and conclude with conviction.