Business and Economics

Curriculum Intent

Business - Enterprising minds of the future, through application of business theory and current business practices.  

Economics - Analysis and evaluation of economic concepts and ideas applicable in the real world.  

Curriculum Overview

A-Level Business covers a wide range of topics including markets, people within a business, finance performance, strategic decision making and globalisation. The course allows students to develop their thinking skills and consider how businesses operate on a local and global scale.

Real business examples are regularly brought into lessons. Well-known businesses such as GSK, Google and Ikea are studied and explored, linking the course theory to business examples. Class teachers are knowledgeable and retain up-to-date business knowledge.

Use of news articles, podcasts and interviews are shared in lessons to develop students' understanding. The curriculum is designed to allow enough time to teach each topic thoroughly. Students feel well-prepared for their final assessment and are confident with the concepts required.

KS4 Business

In Business it is our aim that all students should achieve their academic potential. The course lends itself to a dynamic environment, all teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The teaching and learning is designed to allow students to have inquisitive minds and explore the world of business. Real business examples and case studies are brought into lessons, this enables students to relate theory to business activity along with inspiring them about business operations and aims. Examples include fast food giants such as KFC, car manufacturers such as BMW and Tesla. Entrepreneurs including Elon Musk and Ben Francis, who founded Gymshark, which is now worth over a billion dollars are researched by students to develop their business understanding. Entrepreneurship and setting up new business ventures are large parts of the course.  BBC documentaries such as Inside the factory allow students to grasp the scale of business operations. The department is well resourced and well organised to provide support for all students. Students are challenged by high order questioning and deeper thinking skills. Assessment skills are taught and revisited throughout the course duration. Students are expected to produce analytical perspectives in their written answers. Posing arguments with supported justifications are also important.  Regular feedback is given to highlight good practice along with support to enhance progress. The level of challenge is high enough for the most able, scaffolding and support is available for those students who require it. Enrichment comes from the wider business world, guest speakers from industry support the curriculum. Students are also given the opportunity to work on research-based projects such as Business pitches in the style of Dragons Den.  

KS5 Business

The curriculum is designed to allow enough time to teach each topic thoroughly, students feel well prepared for their final assessment and are confident with the concepts required. Students are challenged by assessment outcomes and expectations in lessons. Students are encouraged to read around the subject and build on business theory to support their answers. Students must produce well balanced analytical arguments to secure top grades. Assessment structure and guidance is provided throughout the course. Support and scaffolding is there for students who need it. Retrieval exercises are brought into lessons to secure and revisit prior learning. There are many enrichment opportunities in the department, students in Year 12 can select Young Enterprise as their enrichment subject, giving them the opportunity to run their own business enterprise.  Guest speakers from the Bank of England and other business operations are invited to talk to the students. Careers advice and opportunities in the world of work are also embedded into the curriculum. Previous visits to JLR and JCB have provided students with the opportunity to see first-hand global business operations in the UK. All A level students are given the opportunity to enter the Be the Future competition run by Edexcel, in partnership with Deloitte. This competition requires students to explore social trends and come up with an idea to raise awareness.   

KS5 Economics

Economics is all about asking questions about the real world to determine how people, firms and organisations behave when resources (money, time, people, or raw materials) are scarce. The questions asked allows economists to develop theoretical models to explain the actions taken by individual consumers, chief executives of firms or the government. These models are used in strategic decision making both at the micro level, individual consumers, and firms, and at the micro level, managing the UK economy.  

Examples of questions asked by economists include:  

• Why do footballers get paid more in a week than a nurse earns in a year?  

• What causes prices to rise?  

• Where do my taxes go?  

• How can you change the behaviour of consumers to benefit society?  

• Why are some firms more profitable than others?  

• Why are interest rates used to reduce inflation?  

• Why is the pound getting stronger against the US dollar?  

• Why do certain economies grow faster than others?  

Economics begins by looking at the Micro side which includes the basic economic problem and the laws of demand and supply, market failure. The course then moves on to the macro side of economics, this looks at economic growth and aggregate demand and supply. Regardless of whether you plan to go on and study at university or to enter the world of work, economics is one of the most respected A levels. Through economics you will develop the important skills of analysing and evaluating.   There are many enrichment opportunities in the department, students in Year 12 can enter the LSE essay competition.  Guest speakers from the Bank of England and other business operations are invited to talk to the students. Within the teaching of economics, support and scaffolding is there for students who need it. Retrieval exercises are brought into lessons to secure and revisit prior learning. Careers advice and opportunities in the world of work are also embedded into the curriculum.  

Staff

• Mrs A Fairham (Head of Department)
• Mrs C Manton (Acting Head of Business and Economics)
•  Mr Farrow
• Mrs Bosworth

 

 

Business

Economics