Business & Economics

As for so many of us, the past year has been one of great challenge for Business and Economics. This has been not just in terms of delivering the curriculum to the standards that we have set for ourselves, but also in our efforts to try to keep everyone enthused; setting, marking, moderating and grading exam papers; stretching our talented students through extra-curricular activities; and supporting our cohort through help clubs. We have all done our best to try to ensure that it has been ‘Business as Usual’ throughout this difficult period.

My colleagues in the department adapted extremely quickly to the new working conditions and, in many ways, we are better for it. Embracing technology like OneNote, Zoom, and Teams proved difficult at first, but these and other teaching aids now form part of our everyday working lives and have enhanced our ability to develop interesting lessons and provide more directed support for the students.

Mr R Tong (Head of Business & Economics)

Economics and Business Society

Miss Courtney has set up the Economics and Business Society, which runs on Monday lunchtimes and is extremely popular with A Level students. Among other things she has organised a talk by Andy Hubbard from Karshare who spoke to the society about entrepreneurship and the importance of resilience when setting up your own business. School Bursar Mr Grenfell Martin then discussed the key responsibilities of a bursar and focused especially on how Covid-19 has impacted his decisions. The students learned about the costs associated with running a school and the distribution of funding. Students have also developed their independent skills by presenting to their peers on a number of topics. One particularly memorable presentation saw Zach (U6ARW) and Joe (U6WGD) present on the topic of ‘The Stock Market’, which provided insight into the different types of stock traders, influences on the stock market, and further market analysis.

Young Enterprise

A group of Lower-Sixth students set up their own company,‘Spruce’, and ran it for the year, generating finance and developing their own eco-friendly products. First, they made and sold scrunchies from fabric offcuts to generate seed finance. Using profit from their scrunchies, they were able to develop their main product: macrame potholders. The recyclable macrame was handmade by the group and they split the work by traditional division of labour methods that Adam Smith would have been proud of! Students sold their products via the Young Enterprise website and through posters around the school, advertising using TikTok and Instagram as well as a WordPress website. The team was ably led by Indigo (L6SEM) and they gained some vital entrepreneurial skills through the process.