Board: AQA
Should I choose this subject?
Business Studies is an established A level course and its popularity continues to grow rapidly at Battle Abbey School. With an increasing number of students going on to study business degrees at university the course at the Abbey has seen a continued increase in the number of applicants year on year.

It is a profound and challenging subject that requires the student to be passionate about business and remain focused throughout the duration of the course.

The subject seeks to develop application, analytical and evaluative skills through both numerate and literate techniques. It also features elements from other disciplines such as Economics, Sociology, Law and Psychology.

Success in almost every profession today requires an understanding of how a commercial or business organisation operates. Choosing Business Studies gives the student a great foundation from which to embark on a wide variety of careers within the business sector and beyond.

The Business Studies course offers an excellent range of class room resources. The classroom activity is supplemented by the opportunity to take part in annual business trips, offering students the chance to experience a real business environment. Some of our annual business trips have included visits to New York, Hong Kong, and Poland.

Unit 2 is primarily focused on medium-sized organisations and debates around the key issues faced by business managers. This unit also covers management involvement and problem solving in a variety of business functions such as marketing, operations, people and human resource management, and examines the impact that these decisions can have on the success of a business. In general this unit focuses on finances, people in business, marketing and operations management.

The A2 course is taken the second year and comprises of Unit 3 and Unit 4. Both units have a large businesses focus, i.e businesses that are trading both nationally and internationally.

Unit 3 examines topics such as financial strategies and accounts, assessing businesses performance using financial data, understanding, analysing and selecting marketing strategies, developing and implementing marketing plans, operational strategies and human resource strategies and accounts.

Unit 4 focuses on assessing internal and external causes of change that can affect a business. The final stage of the A2 course is concerned with managing change and considers the ways in which businesses navigate change successfully including topics such as leadership, culture and strategic decisions.

 

The A2 assessment comprises two compulsory papers that can be taken each January and June. The examination’s duration is 1 hour 45 minutes.