Business Studies

This course is designed to develop an awareness of the diverse commercial opportunities and competitive challenges that face today’s business managers.

The key investigation areas are:

Marketing: learning about customers and competitors so that businesses can promote and price their products to achieve corporate objectives most profitably.
Accounting and investment appraisal: understanding the first principles of data collation and forecasting using spreadsheets and simple ratios.
People management: assessing the effectiveness of motivational theory upon the loyalty and productivity of staff.
Production: examining the appropriateness of production methods and techniques.

Assessment is via four modular examinations over a two-year period, with AS exams taken in the second January of the course. No coursework option is available. Candidates are encouraged to develop an independent style of learning with emphasis being placed upon investigative assignments. In the lower sixth, for example, you are likely to be conducting field research in Reigate, and to be given the chance to experience the challenges and rewards of running a small business via interactive simulation.

An interest in finance and the business world are clearly important pre-requisites for pursuing this course at Advanced Level. Keeping abreast of business and economic developments through newspapers, websites, radio programmes and other media is vital. We also normally recommend that candidates can illustrate strength at GCSE in analytical subjects such as Science and History and that they are comfortable with number work and the use of ratios.

The A Level course provides the fundamental elements for study at a higher level and the practical nature of the subject also provides invaluable first-stop training for the working environment beyond education. A significant number of candidates leave RGS to study business related or management courses at university.

Exam board
AQA

Mr N Newman
Head of Business Studies and Economics