Est. 2024 Discrete-event simulation in Python
Simulation, taught properly.
Spreadsheets average away the chaos; licensed software hides it behind a seat fee. Here you learn to build discrete-event models in Python with SimPy: models you own, models you understand, models you can defend.
import simpy
def customer(env, tills):
arrived = env.now
with tills.request() as till:
yield till
yield env.timeout(SCAN_TIME)
record(env.now - arrived)
# Saturday morning, rehearsed
# ten thousand times before
# a single till is bought.fig. 1 · queue length, one replication
- students taught
- 8,000+
- across 300+ reviews
- 4.6 / 5
- of decisions informed
- £100M+
- in professional practice
- 10+ yrs
01 The premise
Why simulate anything at all?
Because some experiments are too expensive to run in the real world. You cannot close a hospital ward to see what happens to waiting times; you cannot buy a second berth to discover whether the port ever needed one. The systems we care most about are precisely the ones we cannot afford to poke.
A discrete-event simulation is the rehearsal room. You build the system in code, arrivals and queues and breakdowns and all, then you run Tuesday ten thousand times before committing a penny. The model takes the risk so the business does not have to.
And why Python? Because the alternative is a licence fee the size of a salary and a black box you may not open. SimPy is free, open source and unreasonably capable; your models live in version control beside the rest of your work, and the skills compound while the invoices never arrive.
It is not about having better software; it is about asking better questions. That is the craft this school teaches.
02 The courses
Three courses; one route.
Each course stands alone, but together they form a path: learn the language, master the craft, then make the evidence persuasive.
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First, the language
10-Day Python Bootcamp
Python for engineers and scientists, taught in ten days of short, deliberate lessons. If you can already write a function and slice a list, you may skip straight ahead.
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Then, the craft Flagship
The Simulation Bootcamp
The flagship. Fourteen modules, sixty lessons and six real projects take you from your first SimPy process to leading simulation studies that stand up in the boardroom.
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Finally, the evidence
Data Science Mastery
A model is only as persuasive as its analysis. Learn pandas, statistics and machine learning with Dr Ron Erez and turn raw output into defensible conclusions.
03 The instructor
Learn from practice, not PowerPoint.
The school is run by Harry Munro, a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIMechE) who has spent more than a decade building simulations for organisations including Transport for London and Anglo American; models whose answers have informed decisions worth over £100 million.
The story starts, as these stories often do, with a quote for simulation software so outrageous that learning Python felt cheap by comparison. Everything in these courses was learned on real projects with real stakes, then distilled so that you can skip the expensive part.
04 In their words
What colleagues and students say
Harry consistently impressed me with his mastery of both the technical side of simulation modelling and coding as well as the nuanced aspects of simulation project management. He possesses a rare combination of modelling expertise and a keen understanding of how to translate complex business needs into effective simulation models. His leadership, focus on results and exceptional communication skills make him an ideal person to learn from.
Rory Greig Research Engineer at Google DeepMind Harry is simply a master of discrete event simulation and SimPy. I watched him build complex simulations from scratch, expertly separating the noise from what really matters. If you're thinking of learning from him; don't hesitate!
Natalie Murray Senior Modelling and Simulation Engineer The School of Simulation Course is a straightforward one-stop shop for working with SimPy. Worth the money when you consider the time I saved by not learning from my own mistakes!
Connor Valentine, PhD Managing Partner at Valentine Data Solutions 05 The library
Free books, freely given.
Not ready for a course? Take a book or watch the masterclass; the only price is an email address.
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The Free Masterclass
40-minute recording
Watch a factory simulation built from nothing, and see how a simulation study is actually run.
Get it free -
The SimPy Handbook
eBook + runnable code
The patterns behind almost every discrete-event model, with code you can run tonight.
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Vibe Modelling
eBook
Build digital twins with AI assistance; a six-step framework that asks for no code at all.
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The Ralph Loop
eBook + EPUB
A practitioner’s guide to autonomous AI coding, from fresh-context theory to troubleshooting.
Get it free -
Twenty-three chapters for people who build with AI but would not call themselves developers.
Get it free