Business and Economics

The Department is currently taking part in a pilot for the new Edexcel GCSE Business and Economics examination, which is due to start nationwide in 2008.

We are all connected with businesses.  For most pupils, the main connection is as customers who are generally aware of advertising, interested in the features of products on offer and have never really thought about the efforts that firms make to persuade them to buy the products.  GCSE Business and Economics will enable pupils to appreciate aspects of the commercial world from the points of view of businesses and the government.  They will learn about the ways in which firms react to the economic environment and they will be encouraged to discuss current affairs and issues.

GCSE Business and Economics adopts an enquiring approach to the two subjects. The first year focuses on small businesses and is taken up with exploring the key issues and skills involved in enterprise. Pupils will learn about how a business starts up and the ingredients for a successful business as well as some of the marketing, financial, and human issues in running a small business.

The teaching will be based on up-to-date, real life firms, with an emphasis on an active questioning approach.  The first year syllabus is divided into the following sections:

• Spotting a business opportunity
• Showing enterprise
• Putting a business idea into practice
• Making the business start-up effective
• Understanding the Economic context

Pupils sit an on-screen Business examination at the end of the first year, which makes up 50% of the total GCSE assessment.

In the second year, the focus turns to Economics, starting with the building blocks of economic theory - opportunity cost and demand and supply. It then considers issues such as:

• What is the role of business in the economy?
• What makes a firm successful?
• What does unemployment cost?
• How do booms and recessions affect firms?
• What is the impact of the European Union on businesses?
• Is it better to be a large or a small firm?
• What would make people better off?
• Should the government interfere in the business world?
• How does international trade help the economy?

The assessment of candidates in the second year is continuous.  At appropriate points during the course, students will be directed to focus on current issues, which will lead into exercises culminating in 1,000 word assignments.  Two of these assignments will be submitted to the examination board. One of the submitted pieces will relate to a local issue and the other to a national or international issue.  At the end of the Fifth Form year there is an opportunity to retake the on-screen examination.

This GCSE may be of interest to pupils who wish to gain greater understanding of their current status as a consumer, their future role as an employee and (who knows?) their potential as an entrepreneur. 

The course would also be an appropriate preparation for going on to study Economics or Business Studies in the Sixth Form.  The GCSE would not be a requirement for acceptance on either of the A-level courses, but a pupil who had taken it would benefit from having a good grounding in both subjects.

Mrs C.V. Wakefield

R.S.

Personal & Social Education

English

History

Geography

Economics

Mathematics

The Sciences - an overview

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Latin

Classics

French

German

Spanish

Art and Design

Design and
Technology

Music

Drama

Information
Technology

PE

Careers

Back to the Introduction