| Overview | The A-Level Economics & Business course promotes a strategic understanding of business through considering how a new business idea is developed, understanding how a business is managed, how its performance is analysed and how it could trade overseas. Students will develop an understanding of economic concepts and theories through a critical consideration of current economic issues, problems and institutions that affect everyday life. They will evaluate the effectiveness of government economic policy and develop a critical approach to economic models and methods of enquiry. |
| Examination board | The Sixth Form Economics & Business course at Queen Elizabeth’s follows the Edexcel specification. Full details of the specification and additional support materials can be accessed here. |
Unit 1 - Developing New Business Ideas Examination to be taken in January of Year 12 | This unit covers the characteristics of entrepreneurs and the activities that they and existing businesses undertake when developing, researching and testing new product or service ideas. Students will also consider the competition in the market; the economic climate; how the business might be financed and how much revenue and profit the idea might generate. |
Unit 2 - Business Economics Examination to be taken in June of Year 12 | This unit considers the market that the business may be operating in; how competition in the market and macroeconomic change is likely to affect it and how businesses can seek to minimise uncertainty through their actions. |
Unit 3 - International Business Examination to be taken in January of Year 13 | This unit introduces what businesses need to consider if they were to trade internationally, such as which countries to sell their product in, and why some companies sell their products worldwide. |
Unit 4 - The Wider Economic Environment & Business Examination to be taken in June of Year 13 | This unit considers why certain markets fail, how government decision making affects the economy and markets that companies operate in, and the income and welfare of private individuals. It aims to enable students to assess why government economic policy can succeed or fail and why regulation of some markets is necessary. |
| Course support & enrichment at QE | AS and A2 level teaching is undertaken by two specialist teachers each sharing a set. There is a programme of visits to relevant businesses and conferences to support the course and a European study trip in the summer term of Year 12. Students can opt to take part in various competitions on offer to them such as Shares4Schools, the Bank of England’s Target 2.0 and Middlesex University’s Business Challenge. |
| Progression from A-level Economics & Business | The course provides a foundation for the study of Business Management, Accountancy & Finance, Business Economics or pure Economics – theory-based or applied e.g. environmental, labour, public sector or monetary economics. Alternatively students may study economics with other subjects e.g. politics, philosophy or history. Students should note that many of these courses also require A-Level Maths. Graduates are likely to find employment in Business Management, Accountancy, Finance, Banking, Insurance or Management Consultancy or as Professional Economists. |
Recommended wider reading This is particularly relevant for those considering further study beyond A-level | - Naked Economics – Undressing the Dismal Science- Charles Wheelan, WW Norton & Co
- The Undercover Economist – Tim Harford, Little & Brown AS/A-Level Economics
- Essential Word Dictionary – John Hearn, Philip Allan Updates
- The business and economics pages of a quality newspaper such as The Daily Telegraph, The Times or The Sunday Times.
Useful websites: |