Economics and Business hones independent study and decision-making skills, while helping pupils make sense of our fast-moving world.

Studying Economics and Business helps pupils to make sense of a complex and dynamic world, and to become more effective decision makers. It equips them well for their next steps into higher education or working life. We pride ourselves on achieving excellent academic results, while developing the skills that universities and employers value.

Economics and Business are two very different subjects. Business is firmly rooted in the everyday world of marketing, finance, people and production. Pupils study the whole gamut of businesses – from one-man entrepreneurial start-up disruptors like Tesla through to global influencers like Alibaba and established multi-nationals like Unilever – investigating what makes them succeed or fail.

Economics is more abstract; it explains why the world is the way it is. Economic theories, concepts and ideas can be used to explain the workings of society, economies and the wider world, both on an individual and national level.  

Both subjects aim to get pupils thinking critically about the world they inhabit, and to make well-informed decisions and judgements. 

We are always keen to promote a real-world understanding of how businesses function. Our pupils have travelled as far afield as China to experience the workings of business and economics on a global scale. Pupils can extend their experience by joining our Economics Society, Business in Sport Society or the Entrepreneurial Society, which has funded two pupil start-up businesses. The department maintains strong links with wider educational providers and commercial operations, such as the John Locke Institute, Munich Business School and companies such as Amplify Trading. 

Many of our pupils progress to university to study a variety of subjects – in fact, Economics and Business are such flexible areas of study, they can be used to open up a whole host of career options. Each year, two or three pupils go on to study some form of Economics at Oxford, Cambridge or LSE.