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BTEC Business and A level Economics are on offer at Key Stage 5.

‘Economics is not about goods and services; it is about human choice and action.’ Ludwig von Mises.

Amid the shifting sands of global events and the relentless pace of social change, our students will get to grips with the dynamic nature of the 21st century business and economics environment. They will confidently engage with the issues that drive economic decision making and business strategy. This will equip them to lead, understand, question and ultimately shape their future.

Our curriculum is designed to:

  1. Build but also question and critically debate knowledge of current business theories and economic models so that students feel confident in their understanding of the world around them and how they might ultimately shape both their own and its future.

  2. Develop the transferable skills of literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, enterprise, research, critical and strategic thinking, and debating.

  3. Respond to the needs of our students and provide challenge so that they develop flexibility, resilience and aspiration.

Key Stage 5

BTEC Business:

Extended Certificate:

Equivalent to 1 A level and covering 4 topics over the two years. These include:

  • Unit 1: Exploring Business - Coursework
  • Unit 2: Developing a marketing campaign – Case study Exam
  • Unit 3: Personal and Business finance – Written Exam
  • Unit 8: Recruitment and Selection processes – Coursework

Diploma:

Equivalent to 2 A levels and covering 8 topics over the two years. These include:

  • Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 8 as per the Extended Certificate
  • Unit 4: Managing an event - Coursework
  • Unit 5: International Business – Coursework
  • Unit 6: Principles of Management – Case study Exam
  • Unit 9: Team Building in business - Coursework

Unit 1: Exploring Business. Learners study the purposes of different businesses, their structure, the effect of the external environment, and how they need to be dynamic and innovative to survive.

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign: Learns build skills relating to, and an understanding of, how a marketing campaign is developed.

Unit 3: Personal and Business Finance. Learners explore the purpose and importance of personal and business finance. They will develop the skills and knowledge needed to understand, analyse and prepare financial information.

Unit 4: Managing an Event. Learners work as part of a small group to plan, coordinate and manage a business or social enterprise event and evaluate the skills gained.

Unit 5: International Business. Learners study how UK businesses develop strategies to trade globally. Learners will also consider the factors that influence the implementation of these strategies.

Unit 6: Principles of Management. This unit enables learners to understand how the role of management and leadership in the workplace contributes towards business success.

Unit 8: Recruitment and Selection Process. Learner explore how the recruitment process is carried out in a business. The unit gives learners the opportunity to participate in selection interviews and review their performance.

Unit 9: Team Building in Business. Learners study the dynamics of team building, examine the underpinning theory and participate in team activities.

Exam Board: Pearson

For further details please visit: BTEC Nationals | Business (2016) | Pearson qualifications

A Level Economics:

Students will study both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics looks at range of topics including the price mechanism; market failure and government intervention; the labour market; poverty and inequality; behavioural economics and more. Macroeconomics is the study of economic growth, inflation, unemployment and the balance of payments and the international economy.

In both sections:

An ability to write an extended essay is essential (more than half of the marks are given for 25 mark essays) as are strong mathematical skills, especially in interpreting data and drawing and interpreting diagrams.

There are three exam papers:

Paper 1 – Markets and market failure Paper 2 – National and international economy Paper 3 – (synoptic paper)
Economic principles and issues
2 hours
80 marks
Two 25 mark essays
2 hours
80 marks
Two 25 mark essays
2 hours
80 marks
30 marks of multiple choice questions
One 25 mark essay

Exam Board: AQA specifications 7136 A Level Economics

For further details please visit:  http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/economics/a-level