Head of Department - Miss S P Kaur, MBA, BSc.
The Economics and Business Department offers a range of courses in the sixth form, to fulfil a range of academic interests and career ambitions. A level Economics students undertake a rigorous study of the theories, concepts and principles of a subject that spans across left wing and right wing academic thought. Students are prepared for the public examination at the end of the two year course fully equipped with strong theoretical knowledge and how this plays out in current affairs and every day experiences. Macroeconomics concentrates on the behaviour of the economy as a whole whereas microeconomics focuses on individual consumers and firms. Students will develop strong analytical skills for the purpose of considering the implications of specific individual and government activities, much like mathematical logic. Students are required to support their findings with diagrammatic analysis as well as application to UK and global economic effects. Economics is an evolving subject and this is recognised and assessed by the examination boards. There is an examination and critical appreciation of significant issues such as the exit from Europe, the phenomenal growth of India and China, protectionist trade policies by Trump, the consequences of mergers, possibilities of re-nationalisation as well as the causes and consequences of poverty in Britain to name but a few of the topics considered.
Business is all around us. It is impossible to live our daily lives without businesses and billions of people rely on national and international businesses for work, food, communication, travel, and much more. The actions of businesses around the world affect us all. Students studying the A Level Business course will investigate this and the interrelated nature of business using business models, theories and techniques to support analysis of contemporary business issues and situations. Students will investigate the dynamic nature of business activities, assessing the competitive markets in which businesses operate and analysing the influences on functional decisions and plans including ethical and environmental issues. Other issues that students will explore include the factors that might determine whether a decision is successful, as a results of its marketing, human resource and financial objectives. The rise of AI is changing the way decisions are made about employment and marketing and therefore how they operate and compete whilst also considering the impact on stakeholders. A thorough examination is considered of the economic environment within which firms navigate whilst striving to achieve sales and profit objectives.
It is of paramount importance that Economics and Business students undertake regular reading of high quality reading material such as broadsheet newspapers or specific publications such as The Economist. This is independent study separate from teacher directed homework and therefore requires students to be disciplined and interested in the workings of the world we live in. This will serve students well in their pursuit of top grades at A Level. Students develop strong literacy and numeracy skills throughout the two year course of both Economics and Business which enables students to convey a critical appreciation of quantitative and qualitative data and therefore create accurate and valid report writing skills.
The BTEC Extended Diploma is a two year full-time course that enables learners to progress on to higher education courses before entering employment through applied
learning. It can also support learners who want to progress directly to employment in job roles in business or business management and Higher Apprenticeships in the business sector. Students studying the BTEC Extended Diploma will study 13 Units of which 7 are mandatory. 4 of these Units are externally assessed examined Units. Students produce portfolios of evidence and are assessed using a range of methods such as formal reports, presentations and role-plays. The Units studied cover a variety of topics such as exploring what business is, developing a marketing campaign, personal and business finance, managing an event, international business, principles of management, business decision making, recruitment and selection, investigating customer service, creative promotion, developing and pitching a new business idea, corporate social responsibility and having some experience of the world of work through work experience. In these portfolios of evidence students have to demonstrate the skills of knowledge and application; where they apply the knowledge learnt to a given business scenario. Students then analyse why and how a particular business situation is occurring. Lastly, students then evaluate the situation by making a judgement on the significance of the impact on the given business scenario. The BTEC Extended Diploma is a demanding course and students have to be able to manage their time effectively between preparing for examinations and producing the portfolios of evidence. However, students learn and develop essential transferable skills that can be used as a stepping stone to progress on to both higher education courses and job roles in a variety of business sectors.
For several years the Economics and Business Department has worked with a group of BTEC students to prepare them for the Hounslow Social Enterprise competition. Summer 2026; students came second in the Dragon Den competition with their faux flowers, made entirely from pipe cleaners. Judges provided well deserved feedback, as runner ups to the competition; Costing and budgeting, clear social mission and a product with strong sales potential being particular areas of strength. Prize money was presented to the schools inclusive Breakfast Club.
