A Level Business Studies

What makes a successful business? How do you find a really good business idea? How ethical and environmentally friendly is big business? How are business people meeting the challenges of globalisation and competition? Why are there relatively few women in top management? What difference is modern technology making to working patterns? Can Apple maintain its phenomenal success? With business studies you can find the answers to these and many other questions.

Business studies helps you to gain an understanding of business activity from small enterprises to multi-national organisations. Our course covers a wide range of topics, such as human resource management, finance, production and marketing and integrates them in the context of the organisation’s external environment. We will ensure your understanding of business is built on real world examples by the use of practical case studies. There is a strong element of numerical work to develop your understanding of the quantitative methods which businesses use to research and measure future objectives and actual performance.

If you are interested in the world of business and you would like to understand, examine and practice the skills and attributes of successful entrepreneurs then this is a good subject for you to consider. Business studies A Level is well regarded as a means of preparing for a wide range of university courses and particularly for those which have a business studies or management content.

It is also a useful preparation if you are considering starting your own business or wish to follow a career in finance, accounting, marketing, management and other business related areas. Whatever your career plans, business studies will suit you if you are looking for a stimulating and challenging course that has a real relevance to everyday life.

You will develop both an understanding and the ability to apply your knowledge to different situations. Our course follows the AQA Business Syllabus and consists of four units of study;

Planning and Financing a Business

This unit looks at how an entrepreneur can successfully start a business. It includes areas such as raising finance, choosing a location and using a business plan.

Managing a Business

Here you will look at the ways an owner or manager can make their business successful by motivating staff, increasing efficiency of operations and establishing a marketing strategy to increase competitiveness. In year 2 we start to look at larger, more established companies.

Strategies for Success

You will investigate how firms can achieve their corporate objectives by successful financial, marketing, operational and workforce strategies.

The Business Environment and Managing Change

In this synoptic unit you will carry out independent research on a particular theme such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). You will learn about the wider business environment including the economy and technology and how a company must change to turn potential threats into opportunities.

Assessment

All units will be assessed by written papers.

The broad nature of A Level Business means that it is an excellent complement to most other A Level courses offered at the College. There are significant overlaps with other Social Sciences such as Economics, Geography, Sociology, Government and Politics but also with other subjects such as Psychology and Art. The importance of critical thinking skills is shared with English and the need for quantitative analysis makes A Level Mathematics a valuable combination.

Recent university destinations of students studying A level Business Studies are:

City, University of London to study Business Management

Kings College London to study Economics and Management

University of Bath to study Management

Loughborough University to study International Business

UCL to study Management Science