Business & Economics
Business & Economics
Business
Business is a popular and exciting subject for students who are curious about the process of one day starting up their own business or working within a larger organisation. Business students often continue on to further studies at college and higher level through a variety of pathways. Business is a great complementary subject to a wide range of other course choices and is very practical in helping to prepare students for the world of work by developing their numeracy, literacy and life skills. At higher levels, Business or related degrees will continue to be some of the most employable qualifications available.
Key Stage 4
Year 10 covers ‘Theme 1: Investigating Small Business’ in which students learn about the steps involved in implementing a Business idea in order to create a successful new Business.
Year 11 covers ‘Theme 2: Building a Business’ in which students learn about how established firms develop successful corporate strategies to compete in a global marketplace.
Each theme is covered in one of two examinations taken at the end of the GCSE Course. Each examination paper is one hour and forty-five minutes long and consists of a combination of multiple choice, short answer and longer essay-style answer questions based on case studies.
The GCSE course makes frequent use of real-world business cases in lessons and assessments are modelled on examination-style questions to best prepare students for final examinations. Current Business-related events are often discussed and when possible guest speakers are invited in to share their relevant real-life Business experience.
Further information on the Business course can be found using the link below:
Extracurricular activities:
GCSE Business offers a variety of extra-curricular options for students every year. These change on a regular basis as new competitions and opportunities become available. Past extra-curricular activities have included:
The Student Investor Challenge
‘How the Market Works’ stock trading game
Business-related board games club
BASE Accounting competition
Key Stage 5
Details of the Key stage 5 curriculum in Business can be found on the Oakes college website by clicking here.
Economics
Economics is an academically rigorous subject for those students curious about how society functions from the viewpoint of analysing how resources are allocated. Since resources are finite, society must decide:
- What to produce?
- How to produce?
- For whom to produce?
Economics is not widely available at centres nationally at GCSE level and is therefore a great complementary subject to a wide range of other academically rigorous courses. Students with Economics often continue on to further studies at college and degree level. Well-qualified students with an Economics background are both highly employable and sought after for higher education because they are able to demonstrate a broad understanding of the world around us.
Key Stage 4
Year 10 covers ‘How Markets Work’ in which students learn about micro-economic concepts such as Supply and Demand theory, market structures and market failure.
Year 11 covers ‘How the Economy Works’ in which students learn about macro-economic concepts such as government objectives, economic policy tools and globalisation.
Each theme is covered in one of two examinations taken at the end of the GCSE Course. Each examination paper is one hour and forty-five minutes long and consists of a combination of multiple choice, short answer and longer essay-style answer questions based on case studies.
The course makes frequent use of real-world news cases in lessons and assessments are modelled on examination-style questions to best prepare students for final examinations. Current Economics-related events are often discussed and when possible guest speakers are invited in to share their relevant real-life Economics experience.
Further information on the Economics course can be found using the link below:
Extracurricular activities:
GCSE Economics offers a variety of extra-curricular options for students every year. These change on a regular basis as new competitions and opportunities become available. Past extra-curricular activities have included:
The Student Investor Challenge
‘How the Market Works’ stock trading game
Economics-related board games club
Royal Economic Society Young Economist of the Year competition
Key Stage 5
Details of the Key stage 5 curriculum in Economics can be found on the Oakes college website by clicking here.