6th Form Prospectus

Economics What’s it all about? Economics is front-page news. You will learn how to use the ‘economist’s toolbox,’ a set of skills and techniques which will enable you to analyse and debate headline issues in an informed way. Economics will make you stand out as an independent, critical thinker. As citizens, future taxpayers and voters you need to understand the ‘big issues.’ To do so, knowledge of economics is invaluable, many would say essential. There are two main areas of study: Microeconomics : How does a market economy work? What happens when markets fail? What determines how much we earn? Why do stockbrokers earn more than doctors? Macroeconomics : How can a government best manage the economy to achieve high employment, low inflation and economic growth? How does globalisation affect us? Can we solve world poverty? Exam and Assessment Information: OCR - H460 Assessment is by three 2 hour exams at the end of the course. There is no coursework. Exams consist of a mix of multiple choice questions, data responses and longer, essay-style questions. “The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually slaves of some defunct economist.” John Maynard Keynes Our students say … “Economics is a challenging and interesting subject. It touches on everyday aspects of the current world and it is a useful subject for the future.” “Economics helps me to understand the challenges and problems we face in the word today while researching solutions to help alleviate them.” What next? Economics provides an opportunity to add breadth to any combination of A Levels. It fits equally well with humanities, arts, sciences and modern languages. Economics A Level provides an excellent basis for any economics/management-related degree, and is also relevant to a wide range of careers, including law, finance, business, media, engineering and accountancy. The skills and understanding you gain will prove valuable in virtually any career. To get started: Newcomers to the subject are welcome, it is not necessary to have studied Economics previously. Economics is an academic subject. Exam questions require you to analyse both written information and numerical data. Amix of short and longer essay-style answers are required. Quantitative skills, including ratios, averages, fractions and percentages, make up 20% at A Level. π Entry Requirements Five GCSEs at Grade 4 and above AND Grade 5 in GCSE Maths and one English 26