Business

The aim of A level Business (Edexcel) is to introduce students to the challenges and issues of starting a business and the role of the entrepreneur, including raising finance and developing a successful marketing plan. It focuses on how established businesses might improve their effectiveness by making tactical decisions at a functional level such as managing people. Students will consider a range of different strategies for larger businesses and how different stakeholders influence the decision-making process. Finally, it considers the effects that external factors can have on a business such as globalisation, global marketing, and global industries.

Students are introduced to business through building knowledge of core business concepts and applying them to business contexts to develop a broad understanding of how businesses work. Students are encouraged to use an enquiring, critical and thoughtful approach to the study of business, to understand that business behaviour can be studied from a range of perspectives and to challenge assumptions. 

In Year 12, students are introduced to business in Themes 1 and 2 through building knowledge of core business concepts and applying them to business contexts to develop a broad understanding of how businesses work. 

Theme 1 – Marketing and People

Theme 2 – Managing business activities

Breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, with application to a wider range of contexts and more complex business information, are developed in Themes 3 and 4 where they apply their knowledge and understanding to real-life business contexts, with updated content to reflect the issues impacting on modern businesses and real business case studies in all the assessments.

Theme 3 – Business decisions and strategy

Theme 4 – Global business

Students have the option to sit the AS exam which consists of 2 X 90-minute exams on Theme 1 and 2 at the end of Year 12, before continuing with the full A-level in Year 13 (Theme 3 and 4). At the end of Year 13, students will sit 3 X 2 hour exams which includes Theme 1-4. 

Students can progress from this qualification to:

• An apprenticeship in the business sector.
• Higher education courses such as business management, business administration, accountancy and finance, human resource management, marketing, retail management, tourism management and international business. 
• A wide range of careers ranging from banking, sales, product management and general management to working in public sector organisations or charities.

Students are taught a wide range of skills and topics over the two years including:

● Critical thinking – definitions of critical thinking are broad and usually involve general cognitive skills such as analysing, synthesising, and reasoning skills.

● Communication – active listening, oral communication, written communication, assertive communication, and non-verbal communication. 

● Relationship-building skills – teamwork, trust, intercultural sensitivity, service orientation, self-presentation, social influence, conflict resolution and negotiation.