Economics
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| The curriculum enables students to understand and engage with the increasingly complex business world in which we live and to empower them to become informed and confident consumers, employees and gain entrepreneurial skills. In Economics the aim is to develop students’ understanding of how the local, national and global economy works through analysing economic issues, problems and institutions that affect everyday life. In Business our aim is to inspire students with a life-long interest in business and current economic affairs and equip them with a greater understanding of the world around them and develop their employability complemented by extra-curricular opportunities to develop enterprise skills. |
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The Department
Curriculum Leader: Mr M Brown
A Level
Exam Board: Edexcel
Specification Number: Edexcel Advanced GCE in Economics A (9EC0)
Course Content:
Why are some people rich and others poor? Why do we worry about unemployment, inflation, the balance of payments, economic growth, the rate of interest and the value of sterling? Should the government interfere with the activities of businesses? What is globalisation? Why do millions of children in less economically developed countries die of malnutrition and preventable diseases? Why are the world’s rainforests disappearing at the rate of one acre per second? These questions are the focus of much national and international debate. To truly understand them a basic grounding in economics is essential. Economics is the study of the forces within human society that lead to the creation of material wealth and the problems of scarcity of resources. It explains how these forces work to benefit mankind and why sometimes why it is necessary to control them.
How is the course assessed?
The ethos of this course is investigation. Students are expected to show initiative and apply the ideas and theories discussed in class to economic and business events going on in everyday life. In class, students are expected to take part in activities such as researching, discussion, listening and note taking. In addition they will be asked to give presentations to the whole group, take part in simulations and interrogate computer databases.
Paper 1 9ECO/01 Markets and business behaviour. Paper 1 will assess microeconomics and questions will be drawn from Themes 1 and 3.
Paper 2 9ECO/02 The national and global economy. Paper 2 will assess macroeconomics and questions will be drawn from Themes 2 and 4.
Paper 3 9ECO/03 Microeconomics and macroeconomics will both be examined in this paper. Paper 3 will assess content from all 4 themes.
Expectations of Students:
It is most important to have a lively and enquiring mind, a keen interest in Business and Economic affairs and a desire to explore new ideas and communicate them effectively.
What websites are recommended?
- BBC – Business news
- Tutor2u
- Edexcel – past papers
- Gojimo
What equipment is needed?
Calculator, highlighter and course textbook.
Career Paths:
Students with A Level Economics have developed transferable skills, including analysing and evaluating Business and Economic information from different sources, developing written communication and presentation skills and learning how to solve problems. Such skills are in great demand and are recognised by employers, universities and colleges. This subject leads to university courses in areas such as Law, Business, Accounting, Geography, Management, Economics or Politics. Although the A Level does not require a high level of competence in Mathematics, some universities will require a student studying a degree in Economics to have taken an A Level in Maths.