As a Sixth Form Economics student here at Bridgewater School, you’ll look at the fundamental forces which affect our loves such as employment, prices, international trade and poverty. Economists are often in healthy debate with each other over these issues and it is this controversy which makes Economics so lively and interesting. It also allows you the opportunity to make your own judgments and form your own opinions. There are several definitions of economics, with each trying to encapsulate the essence of the subject. However, most textbooks seem to agree that economics concerns the allocation of society’s scarce resources amongst the many alternative uses to which they could be put.

We follow the Edexcel subject syllabus, with students able to study Economics at an AS or A Level.

AS level

There are two exams at the end of Year 12.

The course content comprises two modules:

• Unit 1 – Economic methodology and the economic problem, price determination in a competitive market, production, costs and revenue, competitive and concentrated markets and the market mechanism, market failure and government intervention in markets.
• Unit 2 – The measurement of macroeconomic performance, how the macroeconomy works, economic performance and macroeconomic policy.

A Level

There are three exams at the end of Year 13.

Students will study economic methodology and the economic problem, individual economic decision-making, price determination in a competitive market, production, costs and revenue, perfect competition, imperfectly competitive markets and monopoly, the labour market, distributions of income and wealth and the market mechanism.

In terms of the national and international economy that students will study, course content covers the measurement of macroeconomic performance, how the macroeconomy works, economic performance, financial markets and monetary policy, fiscal and supply-side policies and international economy.

Economics is a robust qualification allowing for further study of Economics, Accounting and Finance, Government with Economics, Banking and Management.