Economics
Economics
At The Angmering School, we teach Economics A-level to inspire our students to develop as informed, solution-based, critical economic thinkers who are able to adapt to an ever-changing, geo-political landscape - both globally and domestically. By linking past historical events and economic theories with emerging challenges, students develop highly transferable and impactful skills to understand how individuals, businesses, governments, AI models, and societies interact. Our school’s core values are embodied in our Economics curriculum:
Ambition underpins our high expectations for every learner via challenging exercises across a range of real-world economic concepts. Students are encouraged to actively link abstract theories to real-world impact, and begin to understand complex global systems. This can lead to high-impact careers in fields such as: public policy, finance, law, consulting, and the not-for-profit sector.
Respect is endorsed through nurturing recognition of opinions and life-experiences of others, recognising different viewpoints, and appreciating trade-offs and sacrifices in balancing society’s needs and wants with limited resources.
Courage is developed through problem-solving skills centred on real-world economic policies to address core societal issues such as: redistribution of wealth, equality of opportunity, national defence spending vs health and welfare support.
The very nature of the Economics curriculum is ambitious and inclusive for all learners regardless of starting point. We adapt our lessons and resources to support students with SEND and disadvantaged students through adaptive teaching, modelling, scaffolding and practical learning opportunities.
The course is centred upon separate, yet inter-related, themes of:
1. Microeconomics: Markets and Market Behaviour which introduces the foundational concepts of economics including: the problem of scarcity; how the free market works (demand, supply, and equilibrium); and market failure. Through a combination of theoretical and real-world examples, students then explore how businesses compete, grow, and operate in different market structures, alongside how the labour market functions.
2. Macroeconomics: The National and Global Economy which explores the UK's domestic economy, how it is measured, and government policies used to achieve its objectives, such as sustained growth, stable interest rates, redistribution of wealth, competitive trade, low and stable unemployment. This underpins students’ further analysis and exploration of the UK economy and how it fits within the wider global economy through international trade, globalisation, protectionism, trading blocs, and exchange rates. Policy measures of poverty and inequality, exploration of economic growth and development, and the role of both the Financial Sector and the State in the Macroeconomy help students expand their understanding of this fast-paced, real-world subject.
What course(s) is/are offered?
Pearson Edexcel, A-level Economics A
Link to specifications
Students say…
'It’s tough to start with as we’re learning so many new things, some of which we’ve heard of but didn’t really know what they were. Now I realise news stories and business are all influenced by economics.'
'Economics helped me realise I wanted to help others overcome inequality and unfairness. I had no idea I wanted to study law until then; now I’m a solicitor specialising in pro bono work.'
'It’s not about money, maths and finance, it’s about the choices we make as a society and how they influence us and help us change the future.'
'Be the change.'
What will my child study in year 12?
Theme 1 Microeconomics
1. Nature of Economics
2. How Markets Work
3. Market Failure
4. Government Intervention
Theme 2 Macroeconomics
1. Measures of Economic Performance
2. Aggregate Demand
3. Aggregate Supply
4. National Income
5. Economic Growth
6. Macroeconomic Objectives and Policies
What will my child study in year 13?
Theme 3 Microeconomics
1. Business Growth
2. Business Objectives
3. Revenues Costs & Profits
4. Market Structures
5. Labour Market
6. Government Intervention
Theme 4 Macroeconomics
1. International Economics
2. Poverty and Inequality
3. Emerging and Developing Economies
4. The Financial Sector
5. The Role of the State in the Macroeconomy
How is the course assessed?
Themes 1 & 3:
Microeconomics: Markets and Market Behaviour
Written examination: 2 hours (35% of qualification)
Themes 2 & 4:
Macroeconomics: The National and Global Economy
Written examination: 2 hours (35% of qualification)
Themes 1-4
Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
Written examination: 2 hours (30% of qualification)
What will the course allow me to progress to in the future?
Economics equips students with highly sought-after analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. It is considered a facilitating subject as it can be combined with an extensive range of other qualifications; it also opens doors to a range of career and education pathways. Former students have chosen routes into domains such as finance, law, business management, forensics, criminology, and even astrophysics. Many favour degree-apprenticeships with global employers, although more traditional routes including university and employment-based higher level training remain popular choices.
The Economics department is supported by three highly-experienced teachers each of whom has enjoyed senior roles in a range of finance, business and not-for-profit global companies. Students benefit from real-world, industry experience which connects classroom learning to real-world issues, careers, and global financial challenges.
Our team is passionate about the role of economics in helping young people explore and understand business and the wider world. By focusing beyond the exam specification, students are encouraged to engage in wider, solution-based, critical economic thinking, so that they are able to adapt to an ever-changing geo-political landscape both globally and domestically.
Economic concepts underpin our ever-changing world; students are encouraged to explore the subject beyond the economic theories and learn in context. This means lessons are delivered through a variety of methods underpinned by a read/watch/listen approach to broaden real-world application and analysis. Context and concepts are challenging academically and, in some cases, both emotionally and morally; students are supported to explore these aspects in a careful, accepting and respectful forum.
Some learning is fast-paced and news-led, seizing the opportunity to learn and apply in immediate context, whilst longer-term learning is supported through revisiting key economic concepts, tracking and recall of key economic data, industries and countries. Low-stakes quizzing and knowledge retrieval activities help hone key economic concepts and skills.
As students embark on their Economics Learning journey with differences in the range of prior news, business, real-world context and life experiences, key Economic concepts are introduced through a combination of flipped learning set as homework tasks.
These tasks embrace the read/watch/listen approach to introduce new topics and concepts with some student-led research and reporting. The aim is for weekly tasks to create a pathway to developing a deeper understanding and critical thinking within each lesson through a combination of exam-style questions and exploration of additional texts and theories.
As the real-world, contextual application of Economics is fast-paced and fluid by nature, the tasks can be impacted by live events. As a result, underpinning this independent learning is an expectation that students will have a pressing interest in a range of emerging news topics. Deeper exploration and understanding beyond headlines and social media content is essential, because engaging with current affairs shows that a student can apply abstract theories to real-world data and evaluate current policies
In the summer term, students embark on an in-depth research presentation project exploring the economic data of a country of their choice. Presented to their peers and teachers, a range of formats beyond the conventional slide-deck is permissible, including video, podcast, extended elevator pitch etc.
A range of Economic essay competitions and challenges are available throughout the academic year including Young Economist of the Year, Future Economist of the Year, the Economics World Cup, Institute of Economic Affairs Budget Challenge and essays, FCDO’s Next Generation Economics and The Financial Times’ inaugural stock-picking competition.
Students also participate in a variety of outreach events from providers such as London School of Economics, Warwick University, the Bank of England, Discover Economics, Deloitte, Royal Economic Society. Many of these opportunities are then linked to the dynamic evolution of economics-related employment opportunities both domestically and with global reach.
Outreach includes impactful, alumni-led events, in-person and on-line, helping connect learning opportunities, mentoring and networking with insight, guidance and opportunities with the wider community. Since the study of Economics inherently broadens cultural capital, we seek to expand these connections into industries including the arts, design, media, heritage, scientific, food and hospitality, manufacturing, technology, energy and utilities.
