King's Bruton

Economics & Business Studies

In This Section

Whatever you do in life, you will benefit from a grounding in business and economics education. Ultimately, we will all work for, run or engage with businesses daily.

Economics is about choice and the impact of our choices on each other. It relates to every aspect of our lives, from the decisions we make as individuals or families, to the structures created by governments and firms. An economic way of thinking can help us make better choices.

At King’s we offer a variety of courses that offer an insight in to the world of business, enterprise and economics including A Level and BTEC qualifications. All courses offer the opportunity to visit well known businesses and economic institutions and the school also welcomes guest speakers from the world of industry on a regular basis. Courses are delivered by two very experienced members of staff who are passionate about developing pupils’ interests in the often-diverse fields of Business and Economics. Both have had successful business careers and in addition have many years of teaching experience.

It is a fact that Business & Economics graduates are in high demand worldwide and survey after survey quote the same pupils as amongst the highest paid graduates after five years of employment. However, it is not all about salary and it should also be noted that there are many business and economic topics studied that focus on the ethics of business and government decision making such as sustainability and equality.

Popular areas of employment for business and management pupils and graduates include business management, retail, human resources, civil service, IT, hospitality, finance, marketing, PR and sales. Careers in consulting are another option. Economics pupils and graduates will find that they have many options when it comes to choosing a career. Many pursue positions in sectors where their degree is directly relevant, such as Finance, Banking, Management Consultancy and the Public Sector. Some positions may require further training, such as Accountancy, but Economics graduates have a good base from which to approach these studies.

For Business, pupils study the AQA Business syllabus and in Economics, pupils study Edexcel Economics A.


I still have fond memories of my time at King's and the life-long friendships I made there. I remain in close contact with several old boys from my year, and we get together for a drink or dinner regularly. - George Robson (Old House 90/95)


A Level Business Studies

Pupils enrolled on this course will study business in a variety of contexts (e.g. large/small, UK focused/ global, service/manufacturing) and consider:

  • The importance of the context of business in relation to decision making
  • The interrelated nature of business activities and how they affect competitiveness
  • The competitive environment and the markets in which businesses operate
  • The influences on functional decisions and plans including ethical and environmental issues
  • The factors that might determine whether a decision is successful e.g. the quality of data and the degree of uncertainty
  • How technology is changing the way decisions are made and how businesses operate and compete
  • The impact on stakeholders of functional decisions and their response to such decisions
  • Use of non-quantitative and quantitative data in decision making (including the interpretation of index numbers and calculations such as ratios and percentages).

A Level Business Specification

A Level Economics

The Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Economics is structured into four themes and consists of three externally examined papers, sat at the end of year two. Pupils build knowledge and understanding of core economic models and concepts in Themes 1 and 2, and then build on this and apply their knowledge to more complex concepts and models in Themes 3 and 4. Pupils will need to apply their knowledge and understanding to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts in the assessments and demonstrate an awareness of current economic events and policies. There is much economic modelling which necessitates sound GCSE maths skills. Pupils should also have a keen interest in current affairs and will be expected to keep on top of domestic and international business and economics news.

The four main themes of study are listed below, please download the specification for more detail on the topics studied within each theme.

  • Theme 1: Introduction to markets and market failure
  • Theme 2: The UK economy, performance and policies
  • Theme 3: Business behaviour and the labour market
  • Theme 4: A global perspective

Economics A Level Specification

BTEC Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (Pearson)

Our BTEC qualification offers a one or two year programme and a more practical course that focuses on small business and entrepreneurs. Pupils should note that there is one external examination in each year of study and one piece of coursework which is internally assessed in each year.

The course involves four areas of study:

Year One

  • Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
  • Developing a Marketing Campaign (exam)

Year Two

  • Personal and Business Finance (exam)
  • Social Enterprises

One Year Programme Specification

Two Year Programme Specification

Contact Economics & Business Studies Department Staff

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