BUSINESS STUDIES
Board: WJEC Head of Department: Mr D R Evans
Introduction
The Business Studies course will enable candidates to develop a critical understanding of how organisations operate. They will consider all the internal workings of businesses including the management of functions such as Marketing, Human Resources and Finance. The course will cover the study of organisational structure, culture and objectives, through to an understanding of the micro and macro-economy and how they affect businesses - supply and demand, market structures, inflation, economic growth, interest rates and international trade and globalisation.
In addition to a thorough body of knowledge, it will allow them to be analytical, rigorous and critical, and will also allow them to experience practical decision-making and problem-solving. It is also advisable that candidates are comfortable with using numbers, due to the finance and accounting, and also are comfortable with use of English given the amount of terminology used. Therefore we suggest GCSE requirements for prospective students B grade or above in English and Mathematics.
Course Content
The content of the course has been divided into five sections as follows:
Objectives and the Business Environment Marketing Accounting and Finance People in Organisations Operations Management
Pupils will study all these units at AS Level and, if they choose, will revisit them in more depth for A’ Level, in the Year 13.
Assessment
There will be three examinations sat in June, which will test knowledge of all modules named above. There is no assessed coursework at AS Level, but preparatory work will of course be given throughout the course, as well as past paper practice in the run up to final examinations.
BS1 Objectives and the Business Environment (1 hour) BS2 Marketing and Accounting Finance (1 hour) BS3 People in Organisations and Operations Management (1 hour)
ECONOMICS
Board: WJEC Head of Department: Mr D R Evans
Economics is the longest established and perhaps most familiar of the social sciences. It is sometimes described as "the science of wealth" and a glance at the syllabus reveals that much of its subject matter is central to an understanding of modern society. Hardly a day goes by without reference on television or in the newspapers to: inflation, interest rates, the price of oil, the housing market, supermarket mergers, the exchange rate, or whether the UK should adopt the Euro.
Pupils are encouraged to keep in touch with current affairs and develop good observational skills. Much of the teaching will be through the normal sixth form tutorial group in which there is plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate.
Assessment will be through essays, data response and short answer questions where the candidate will learn to analyse economic theory and evaluate contemporary economic problems. Studying economics in the sixth form is likely to benefit pupils by:
Broadening their education, as they will almost certainly never have studied the subject before Giving them an appreciation of political and economic issues Cultivating an objective, systematic and logical way of thinking
The power to express logical ideas in numbers and words is important, but the subject may be made more or less mathematical depending on the individuals in the group. More importantly is enthusiasm and the willingness to take an interest in current affairs. It is a constantly changing subject as government and policies change. Therefore we suggest GCSE requirements for prospective students B grade or above in English and Mathematics.
AS Modules:
EC1 Markets and Society - Scarcity and Choice, Supply and Demand, Market Failure EC2 Macroeconomic Theory - Income Determination, Circular Flow, AD/AS Analysis EC3 Macroeconomic Policy - Monetary, Fiscal, Supply Side Polices, Intro to International Trade
A2 Modules:
EC4 Competitive Behaviour - Theory of the Firm - Costs and Revenue, Monopoly, Oligopoly EC5 Macroeconomic Issues - Causes and Cures -Unemployment, Inflation, Growth EC6 Trade and Development - Developing Economies, International Trade, Balance of Payments