Business

Business A Level is an exceptionally useful course as it has a practical and academic benefit. Business equips students to understand the factors affecting businesses and helps them gain a head start in future careers in a range of organisations.  We examine the internal structure of a range of businesses, looking at areas including marketing, finance, production and personnel.  We also examine external forces that affect businesses, such as recession, and the strategies they can adopt to achieve their business goals.

At Kimbolton, we have an interactive teaching style which applies the analytical tools to both small and prominent businesses.  Our weekly news sheets help us to examine both amusing and serious business events. We organise trips and encourage extra-curricular involvement in various competitions. We also have an enviable track record of success in creating real businesses via business competitions.

We are proud of our recent record of 'value-added' in public examinations.

Curriculum

Sixth Form – A Level optional subject

AQA Business 7132. 

It’s a fact: in your lifetime you are extremely likely to work in a company. Studying Business equips you to manage others, understand strategy and develop your career. Business will be very useful to you, regardless of your career path. It will prepare you to hold management positions in organisations by considering how our world is changing and what business strategies may work.

We use examples of real businesses plus role play and discuss topical issues. A weekly news-sheet looks at current issues and stories - from the sublimely powerful companies like Apple, to the niche ones, like sheep poo paper producers! Business contexts range from fashion to football, chocolate to cars, guitars to groceries, so you will examine current lifestyles and trends through the course. An exciting programme of visits to real businesses will allow you to see in operation the principles you have been learning.

Practically, you will learn how to: • Generate business ideas, set up and run your own business.

• Understand the psychology behind motivating and managing others.
• Construct a convincing business plan.
• Manage your career; devise and defend strategies to run your business.

There is also the opportunity to set up your own business and participate in Peter Jones’ Tycoon competition to develop the above skills, have fun working in a team and even earn a little income.

Academically you will consider issues such as:

• Do world forces such as Chinese competitiveness threaten UK jobs?
• Does the Internet threaten the survival of the high street? 
• How has Covid-19 impacted different businesses? 
• Can UK firms be a force for good, ethically and environmentally?

You will gain an insight to a myriad of careers while examining the world.

Kimbolton 7th Period Super Curriculum: We will dig deeper behind the personalities and events of current news stories and debate them. You will practise strategic decision-making and prepare for competitions such as the BASE national business and accounting competition. You will also hear from local businessmen and people who work in companies like Nestlé and Coca-Cola.

• View our Sixth Form Prospectus

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Many of our students choose to participate in the Peter Jones Young Tycoon scheme in which students run their own business. We have an excellent track record of success in entrepreneurial competitions.
   

Regular Trips, Visitors and Competitions

• We enter the BASE competition and have been to the National Finals three times, most recently winning the Adaptability Award in 2019.
• We run trips to businesses such as JCB, ABB and Jaguar LandRover.