A level
Our 6th Form Open Evening took place on 9 November 2022.
In previous years, when we ran our Open Evening as a virtual event, we produced video guides to each subject. These remain relevant and are available as a collected playlist on our YouTube Channel.
The introductory video to life in the 6th Form at Borlase, and a virtual tour of the school are also available to watch.
A Level Specification and Curriculum Overview
Course entry requirements
It is not necessary for students to have studied this subject previously at GCSE level. Entry requirement is a Grade 6 in Maths and a Grade 6 in English at GCSE.
A-level curriculum overview
The vast majority of Borlase pupils find future employment with a business and many students taking A level Business Studies go on to study it at university or, more recently, consider an accountancy apprenticeship. An understanding of the way different types of organisations make decisions is at the heart of business studies. Throughout the course students are taught how to analyse situations, evaluate alternative strategies and justify decisions. These are skills that not only make our students invaluable as future managers and entrepreneurs, but also equip them with critical thinking skills for life.
Candidates study Themes 1 to 6 in Year 12 and Themes 7 to 10 in Year 13.
Theme 1: What is business? - The nature and purpose of business, the different forms of business and the external environment in which it operates.
Theme 2: Managers, leadership and decision making – Management and leadership styles, decision making, the influences on decision making and the role and importance of stakeholders.
Theme 3: Decision making to improve marketing performance – setting marketing objectives, researching markets and understanding customers, segmentation, targeting and positioning and using the marketing mix.
Theme 4: Decision making to improve operational performance - setting operational objectives, analysing performance, improving efficiency and productivity, improving quality, managing inventory and supply chains.
Theme 5: Decision making to improve financial performance - setting financial objectives, analysing financial performance, sourcing finance and calculating and improving cashflow and profits.
Theme 6: Decision making to improve human resource performance - setting human resource (HR) objectives, analysing HR performance, improving organisational design/hierarchies, motivating and engaging workers and improving employer-employee relations.
Theme 7: Analysing the strategic position of a business – Missions, corporate objectives and strategy, analysing and assessing strengths and weaknesses, financial ratios analysis, overall performance, analysing and assessing opportunities and threats of the economic, political, social, legal, technological and competitive environment, investment appraisal.
Theme 8: Choosing strategic direction – Choosing markets and products, choosing how to compete.
Theme 9: Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies – Assessing a change in scale, innovation, internationalisation and a greater use of technology.
Theme 10: Managing strategic change – Managing change, managing organisational culture, managing strategic implementation, assessing problems with strategies and why strategies fail.
Paper 1 assesses Themes 1 to 10. It is a 2 hour written paper consisting of multiple choice questions, short answer questions and two essay questions from a choice of four. It is worth 33.3% of the A level exam and is sat in the June of year 13.
Paper 2 assesses Themes 1 to 10. It is a 2 hour written paper consisting of three data response questions. It is worth 33.3% of the A level exam and is sat in the June of year 13.
Paper 3 assesses Themes 1 to 10. It is a 2 hour written paper consisting of one case study where the questions require extended answers. It is worth 33.3% of the A level exam and is sat in the June of year 13.