Business & Economics

In Year 10, students will learn about the choices we make when we spend our money or allocate our time. Students will study how this affects firms and how firms seek to achieve their objectives. They will get an understanding of a key topic of our times, market failure, and what governments can do to help correct these failures. In Year 11 students will study how economies function and what policies can be used to help them grow sustainably. Additionally, they will also learn about globalisation and international trade.

The GCSE Business course provides students with a strong foundation in key business principles, including entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, and human resources. Through real-world case studies and problem-solving exercises, students will gain practical skills that are directly applicable to both higher education and careers in business.

Key questions explored:

• What makes a successful entrepreneur?
• How do businesses make marketing decisions?
• What strategies help businesses remain competitive?

This course encourages students to develop the practical skills and applied knowledge they’ll need in the business and enterprise sector. Students put their learning into practice and develop valuable transferable skills, which are beneficial if they’re considering starting up their own enterprise/business.

The course will cover: 

• Applying real-life business techniques to understand your customers and develop a product
• How businesses attract and keep their customers
• Researching and designing your own business proposal – complete with facts and figures
• How to research potential customers, present data and act on feedback
• Preparing a business proposal and pitching your idea
• How to develop a brand identity and promote your product.

The course is very much an “applied subject” meaning it gives students a chance to learn how businesses are structured, what entrepreneurship is, what makes a good leader, as well as introducing them to different types of businesses and the strategies they put in place for success.

Aims of the Course 

• to develop students’ understanding of organisations and the markets they serve and the processes of adding value and decision-making in a dynamic external environment 
• to make students aware of the economic, environmental, ethical, legal, governmental, social and technological issues associated with business activity. 
• To enable students to gain the sort of analytical skills that will enable them to work successfully in management roles, or to pursue higher qualifications. 

The course is structured around 4 key themes: 

• Marketing and people
• Managing business
• Business decisions and strategy
• Global business

Economics is broadly divided into two main areas – microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students study both aspects together both in Year 12 and Year 13, with different teachers. 

Aims of the Course 

Many students study Economics with a view to continuing to university level or starting careers in government, financial and corporate roles. The course is very effective at introducing students to issues that will have a significant impact on their lives. There is a very strong emphasis on the development of critical thinking skills. 

The course is structured over 2 key themes: 

• Individuals, Firms, Markets and Market Failure 
• Macroeconomics 

BTEC Business covers many similar areas as the Business A Level but with assessment spread across the two years of Sixth Form, with a mixture of internal coursework, external exam and controlled assessment units. The course provides access to a wide range of possible career and higher education opportunities through practical-based learning about different types of businesses, their objectives, how they operate, how they are organised, how they market themselves and aspects of finance. Students develop skills that they can use in either planning their own business start-up or for working within a small, medium, or large organisation. The emphasis is on practical knowledge and skills. 

Aims of the Course 

• to develop students’ understanding of organisations and the markets they serve (Unit 1) 
• to make students aware of personal financial decisions and the importance of finance to business success (Unit 3) 
• to allow students to appreciate what is required to develop a marketing campaign for a small or medium sized business (Unit 2) 
• to study aspects of our Criminal Justice system though the Law unit (Unit 23)