Business Studies (A Level)  

•  Assessment
• Year 1 and 2
  100% exam
• Exam board
  Edexcel

*This course cannot be studied as part of a blended programme.

What Will You Learn?

Business introduces you to the theory behind successful business management. We ask you to consider what makes a business profitable, why business leadership affects the way companies adapt to change, and how organisations can meet society’s needs and wants. 

We introduce you to key aspects of the business environment like marketing, strategic decision making,
and the impact of the global economy. If you see yourself as a budding entrepreneur, perhaps you have an interest in business ethics or maybe creative people management, you will enjoy this course.

Modules

Year 1

• Theme 1 – Marketing and People: You will investigate how a business conducts market research to find out what customers want. You will analyse various ways that a business advertises and promotes itself to encourage people to buy its products and services. You will discover ways that a business recruits staff to ensure success and learn all the ways that a business motivates its staff to ensure maximum productivity.
• Theme 2 – Managing Business Activities: You will learn how to construct and interpret financial documents, such as cash flow forecasts and budgets. You will investigate different sources of finance to help a business meet its objectives. You will study production methods, stock control, quality and capacity utilisation. You will also investigate external factors that can affect a business and how it operates, such as interest rates and exchange rates.

Year 2

• Theme 3 – Business Decisions and Strategy: You will develop an understanding of techniques used by a business to help them to make decisions to aid them in meeting their objectives. You will investigate the benefits and problems of business growth, along with how a business can manage change.
• Theme 4 – Global Business: This theme looks at many of the topics already studied, but on a global scale. This includes how a business may need to adapt its marketing strategy when operating in other countries and how a business can achieve growth by expanding internationally. You will explore a number of multinational corporations, such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Google.

Special Features

• Educational trips to Alton Towers, Jaguar Land Rover, Coca-Cola and residential visits to London, as well as visits to local universities.
• Talks from guest speakers, including The Bank of England and Price Waterhouse Cooper.
• Bring your own product idea to life and enter local and national competitions by taking part in Young Enterprise.

Where Will This Lead?

Business Studies students go on to study a range of degree courses at university, including Accounting, International Business, Marketing, Banking and Law. Students have progressed onto degree apprenticeships with AJ Bell, PwC and Deloitte.