Business A-level
Qualification Level: A Level
Qualification Duration: 2 Years
Exam Board: Edexcel
Why Study Business?
Do you enjoy:
• exploring and evaluating alternative ways to solve problems?
• working with numbers to solve problems?
• keeping up to date with business news across the world?
Whether you hope to start your own business one day or are interested in learning more about how businesses work and the challenges they face, this course will help you to develop valuable transferable skills and commercial awareness that will prepare you for studying at university or moving into the world of work. Business is a modern qualification that maintains an academic approach to business, developing analytical and evaluative skills. Students will learn how businesses are started and managed, including the development of enterprise skills.
Emmbrook Business:
We have a thriving and growing department with steady results over the last 10 years. The department is housed largely in IT classrooms and has its own set of class iPads and Kindle Fires that allow research tasks to be conducted more fluidly. We have run trips to London and China to bring the subject alive and organise guest speakers from the Bank of England to really engage the students in the real world application of the subject.
Year one content:
Theme 1: Marketing and people
Students will develop an understanding of the how and why businesses try to understand their customers. They will explore different markets and different marketing strategies. This course then leads into people management and leadership with a focus on entrepreneurs and leaders.
Theme 2: Managing business activity
This unit covers key activities involved in running a business or organisation. The course develops understanding of sources of finance, financial planning and financial management. This course develops understanding of resource management and how external economic factors can impact the success of a business.
Year two content:
Theme 3: Business decisions and strategy
This theme looks at various topics involved with decision making for business including decision making techniques, influences on business decisions and change management. The theme also incorporates business objectives and strategy, business growth and assessing competitiveness.
Theme 4: Global business
As businesses are not limited to our shores, this unit develops understanding of the main benefits and issues of international trade and global corporations. Globalisation is analysed as well as the expansion of firms into global markets. An in depth look of various multinational companies is undertaken to understand how they operate and how they can benefit and implement global marketing.
Assessment
Paper 1: data response and essay questions on marketing, people and global businesses Paper 2: data response and essay questions on business activities, decisions and strategy Paper 3: a research task before the exam. The data response and essay questions are linked to the context you will research.
Career and further study:
Business provides an excellent foundation into a range of university courses, such as business, management, finance, accountancy, law, events, marketing and international business. Any joint honours including business e.g. Business and language. Business qualifications are very well received by employers.
In addition, it provides a very wide range of careers opportunities across commercial, public sector and charitable organisations including: • Consulting • Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations (PR) • Banking and Insurance • Retail Buying • Retail Management • Sales • Logistics/Distribution • Human Resources • Accountancy.