School Essay Competition
The School Essay Competition, organised in partnership with the Financial Times, invites students to answer a topical geographical question.
We run this competition in partnership with the Financial Times as part of its education programme to support geography teachers and their pupils. The competition is open to schools in the UK and overseas. Submissions are judged without seeing the entrants’ details.
Refer to the full terms and conditions for further details.
If your question is not answered in the terms and conditions, you can contact us at competitions@rgs.org
2026 competition
The 2026 School Essay Competition, organised in partnership with the Financial Times, invites students to answer the following question:
What factors drive migration, how are patterns shifting and what are the consequences?
Please include changes resulting from climatic factors and post-2020 geopolitics in your answer.
You can submit your essay at any time before the deadline. Seach FT.com for the latest news to help with your essay. You can also use other sources.
Examples at the time of the competition launch include the following, but you should use these links alongside additional sources you have found yourself.
- 5 maps that will change the way you see the world
- Europe braces for Middle East migration surge
- Has Europe learnt to manage migration?
- Linking aid and migration policies a ‘sea change’, says IOM head
- OECD reports sharp fall in work-related migration to rich countries
- What happens if the UK and US reach net zero (migration)?
- FT.com keyword search ‘migration’
What the judges are looking for
- A clear essay or ArcGIS StoryMap that is well-evidenced and reaches a clear conclusion
- Submissions that do not exceed 1,000 words (excluding the title and references) – submissions over 1,000 words will not be considered. The word count must be provided in the document.
- Referenced sources of information and data, including the FT
- Submissions which are the entrant’s own work and relevant to the question and guidance
You must check that you meet the geography study requirements outlined in the terms and conditions before you enter.
Submit your entry
Entries must be received by Monday 9 November 2026 at 5.00pm GMT.
No late entries will be accepted.
We will not be able to help with submission upload questions or issues on the deadline date.
Accessing FT
To get free FT access, check if your school has signed up and if so enter your school email and create an individual account. Ask your teacher about signing up if your school is not currently registered.
