Economics
Head of Economics: Mr J.S.Williams
Economics studies some of the most important and interesting problems facing us as consumers, workers or employers, citizens of Europe, and citizens of the world. Although it has something in common with subjects such as History, Politics, Geography and Business Studies, its methods are unique, and once students acquire the Economics 'mind-set' they will be able to explain and analyse the world in a way which is intriguing, thought provoking and useful. Economics is highly thought of by university admissions tutors, and, if students decide to make it the basis of their degree course, they can expect employers to take the same view; Economics graduates are among the highest paid of all.
The AS level consists of two modules, Markets in Action, and The National and International Economy. In these we lay the foundations of micro- and macroeconomics that we will need for the second year. A2 offers us a choice between The Economics of Work and Leisure, which includes the study of several leisure industries such as TV broadcasting and Spectator Sports, and alternatively Transport Economics. In recent years, we have chosen the former. The second A2 module is a continuation of the National Economy module, revisiting and deepening its ideas. This is studied in the context of globalisation, focusing on the rise of China and India, and the implications for the European Union and the rest of the developed world.
Each year, between 14 and 25 students take Economics at AS. Many go on to read the subject at University departments such as Oxford, the LSE and UCL. To be good at the subject students need (at least) three things: they need to be interested in what is reported at the front end of a decent newspaper; they need to be comfortable with numbers and diagrams (at least a grade B in GCSE Maths is desirable); and they need to be reasonably articulate and fluent in speaking and writing English. If English is not your main language, an IELTS equivalent score of 6.5 is desirable.
“ We even talk about economics down the pub ”
