Hereford Sixth Form College

Business A Level

A Level Business gives you a thorough understanding of the way in which all businesses, from a local firm to multinational organisations, are run. The external context in which businesses operate plays an important role in the study of business, so an interest in current affairs is beneficial.

This course helps you to develop a number of skills: how to assemble data and assess it; how to investigate facts and use deduction; how to present your point of view fluently and how to work as a team to achieve results.

What does the course involve?

In Business you will:

• Gain an understanding of the nature and working of business and industry.
• Develop communication, numeracy and IT skills.
• Learn how to set objectives and how to make business decisions with limited information and resources.

The A Level assesses quantitative skills making up a minimum of 10% of the overall marks. The skills tested include ratios, averages, fractions, percentages and calculations of profit and loss.

Year One

• What is business?
• Managers, leadership and decision making.
• Decision making to improve marketing performance.
• Decision making to improve operational performance.
• Decision making to improve financial performance.
• Decision making to improve human resource performance.

Year Two

• Analysing the strategic position of business.
• Choosing strategic direction.
• Strategic methods.
• Managing strategic change.

Resources

The department provides many of the resources, but you will be encouraged to buy some business publications at a cost of around £20 each year.

Trips

There are various optional trips and seminars which you might like to attend.

What can you do after the course?

Many successful students go on to business related higher education courses including accountancy, management science, leisure management and marketing.

Business courses incorporating a foreign language are very popular.

Other students have made use of their knowledge in a wide variety of employment situations.

There are many guest speakers, from local to larger scale businesses; and they give you insight into the management of a business.

Lewis talks about A Level Business at Hereford Sixth Form College