"True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence.  People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made."  Franklin D. Roosevelt.  32nd US president, (1933-45)  

Economics and Business Studies are popular subjects at AS and A Level. Both are highly academic subjects so our approach is thorough and expectations from pupils are high.  

Students achieve excellent results and many choose to study the subjects further at university level.  The department aims to make both subjects inspiring and relevant to the real world.  The dynamic nature of economics and business is brought into the classroom with daily newspapers and the internet.  Students are encouraged to achieve their full potential through activities including visits, role play, drama, independent research and presentations as well as competitions.  In 2005-6, five of our students were amongst 11 nationally, to win a financial essay competition.  The girls participate regularly in The Bank of England and Times Interest Rate Challenge and some submitted essays for the 2009 competition run by The Institute of Economic Affairs.  The use of ICT is an integral part of teaching and learning.  Extension lessons are offered to those particularly keen to study the subject further at university.  

Economics and Business Awareness in Year 10

The objective of this eight week course is to introduce girls to a range of business and economics related issues. Connecting their informal knowledge to their creativity, pupils are introduced to real-world issues such as money, tax and pay; budgeting; government involvement in the economy; consumer protection legislation; functional areas of a business; products and pricing and basic marketing strategies. The intended outcome is for girls to have basic knowledge of financial and related matters as they reach the age at which they begin to take responsibility for their own situation.

AS and A Level Economics

Economics is a rigorous subject popular at AS and many students choose to continue with it at A Level and beyond.  They recognise the width and breadth of understanding that economics opens up to the world around them.  We follow the Edexcel AS/A2 syllabus.  The course is a long-established success, covering the main principles of economic theory as well as more applied aspects of economics.  At AS, students study two modules which are:  Competitive Markets and Managing the Economy.  At A Level, the modules are:  Business Economics and Economic Efficiency and the Global Economy.  

Edexcel Website for Economics

AS and A Level Business Studies

Business Studies has been a very popular subject at Putney since it was introduced in 1998.  Many girls also study this at university. The girls are continuously inspired by television business programmes, such as The Apprentice, Dragon’s Den and business news.  To further their understanding of the subject, they frequently carry out research on companies.  Their study relates to the world in which they live and some have been motivated to set up their own businesses. One former student won the 2004 Young Business Person of the Year award.  

We follow the AQA AS Level Business Studies and A Level Business Studies syllabuses.  Students learn about all aspects of business, including Marketing, Finance, People and Operations Management.  They also study all the External Influences on business as well as Objectives and Strategy and how to set up and run a business. The two modules at AS level are Planning and Financing a Business and Managing a Business. At A2 level, the modules are Strategies for Success and The Business Environment and Managing Change.

AQA Website for Business Studies

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."  Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Corp.