Business

The world in which we live is dominated by businesses big and small. A level Business is an exciting and interesting subject that can help you understand the world in which we live. Businesses are dynamic organisations that reflect the values of society and the people working in them. Studying A level Business will help you gain an insight into both. Business is a flexible subject that may be combined with a wide range of subjects both at A level and in Higher Education.

What is the difference between Economics & Business?

Economics is a social science that attempts to explain how the actions and decisions of firms, consumers and workers and governments affect the operation of the economy. It plays a huge role in our daily lives; it has links to international affairs and politics and is a subject that is often debated and discussed. It requires a fair deal of analysis and includes topics such as supply and demand, growth, inflation, globalisation and exchange rates.

Business is more concerned with the actions and decisions taken by firms and focuses on topics such as marketing, staff in the organisation, accounting and finance, management, strategy and production methods.

Curriculum

Business studies students will also have to cover some Economics, as it affects how businesses operate in their external environments.

Although Business is not free from theory, it is less theoretical than Economics. Out of the two subjects Economics is considered to be the more academic by employers and universities. Business requires less understanding than Economics, but it by no means an easy subject; instead it involves more learning and therefore has more work to cover, and a great deal of new terminology to grapple with. Therefore, you might say that Economics course has more depth, with the Business course having more breadth.

Business Extra!

Monday Lunchtimes:
Business & Economics
Drop-in 1.30pm

Examination Results

Subject Content & Syllabus

Edexcel is the specification of choice in Business, with students studying:

Paper 1: Marketing, people & global business
Paper 2: Business activities, decisions & strategies
Paper 3: Investigating business in a competitive environment

Theme 1: Marketing and people

Meeting customer needs
The market
Marketing mix and strategy
Managing people
Entrepreneurs and leaders

Theme 2: Managing business activities

Raising finance
Financial planning
Managing finance
Resource management
External influences

Theme 3: Business decisions and strategy

Business growth, objectives & strategy
Decision-making techniques
Influences on business decisions
Analysing competitiveness
Managing change

Theme 4: Global business

Globalisation
Global markets and business expansion
Global marketing
Global industries and companies (multi-national corporations)

Monitoring & Assessment

Paper 1: 2hrs 100 marks 35%	Two data response case studies broken down into a number of parts, each including one extended open response question
Paper 2: (2hrs) 100 marks 35%	Two data response case studies broken down into a number of parts, each including one extended open response question.
Paper 3: (2hrs) 100 marks 30%	A pre-release context is issued in June of Year 12. Section A: focus on the broad context Section B: focus on a strand within the context In each section there will be a case study broken down into a number of parts, each including one extended open response question.

The transferable skills underpinning these units include:

carrying out calculations
interpreting data
making and presenting arguments
making and justifying business decisions
identifying problems and proposing solutions
recognising that a problem exists
conducting research and challenging assumptions.

Business is a useful and interesting A level subject that will broaden the education of those students who might otherwise have pursued traditional academic courses. It will be of vocational relevance and give insight into the working of the real business world. The department uses IT in its teaching and has developed an Intranet as a useful learning resource. There will also be the opportunity to visit industrial sites and learn from visiting speakers.

There are no specific requirements at GCSE, though students should be aware of the fact that the course involves some numerical and statistical work.

Enrichment Opportunities

Careers

Nearly all jobs involve some type of business knowledge and, for those pursuing the subject at A level, the course will provide a searching and stimulating preparation for Higher Education and subsequent employment. Business Studies and Management courses are extremely popular degrees. The department can provide help for those students wishing to read Business at university.

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