Economics

Introduction

Contact details

Please contact the Head of Department for more information. A full teaching staff list can be found under 'About Us' 'Staff and Governance'.

Head of Department: Mr B Ahmed    Email: B.Ahmed@ccfplus.com

What your child will be learning (curriculum mapping)

To view the Curriculum Overview document, please click here. 

To view the modules studied each term, please click here. 

Aims and enrichment

Aims

The aim of the Economics curriculum is to develop students’ understanding of how the local, national and global economies work through analysing economic issues, problems and institutions that affect everyday life. The Economics curriculumaims for students to be enquiring, think critically and take a thoughtful approach to the study of economics whilst developing an ability to think as an economist.

Enrichment

The students that study Advanced level economics automatically belong to the CCF Economics Society which has very active members that attend a wide range of events to support their studies.

Examples include:

• Weekend conference of the Institute of Economic Affairs
• Meeting Professor Steven Keen at the University of Greenwich weekend conference
• Guided walk of the “City and the Financial Crash”
• A talk on “The Economics of Austerity” at the Royal Society for Arts.

Key stage 5

Exam Board: Edexcel

If you are intrigued by any of these news headlines, then why not explore further in our Advanced level Economics classes?

Learning about, and keeping up to date with current economic events is at the core of this subject. The exam papers present stimulus material on economic issues, such as those mentioned above, and ask the candidates to explore them with relevant theory and concepts in a series of short and essay style questions. So being interested in, and keeping up to date with, current economic issues is crucial.

At Christ’s College Finchley we teach the Pearson/ Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Economics Specification A (9ECO).

The two year GCE Advanced level course is divided into four themes and can be seen in Box below. The one year AS course comprises the first two of these themes.

Theme 1: Introduction to markets and market failure

This theme focuses on the microeconomic concepts. Students will develop an understanding of:

• nature of economics
• how markets work
• market failure
• government intervention.

Theme 2: The UK economy – performance and policies

The theme focuses on macroeconomic concepts.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• measures of economic performance
• aggregate demand
• aggregate supply
• national income
• economic growth
• macroeconomic objectives and policy.

Theme 3: Business behaviour and the labour market

This theme develops the microeconomic concepts introduced in theme 1 and focuses on business economics.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• business growth
• business objectives
• revenues, costs and profits
• market structures
• labour market
• government intervention.

Theme 4: A global perspective

This theme develops the macroeconomic concepts introduced in theme 2 and applies these concepts in a global context.

Students will develop an understanding of:

• international economics
• poverty and inequality
• emerging and developing economies
• the financial sector
• role of the state in the macroeconomy.

Both theme ones and two that are studied in Year 12, are examined by a one and a half hour written paper comprising section A multiple choice and short answer questions and section B comprising one data response short answer questions from a choice of two.

In Year 13 students build on these two themes and apply their knowledge to more complex concepts and models in Themes 3 and 4. Students need to apply their knowledge and understanding to both familiar and unfamiliar contexts in the assessments and demonstrate an awareness of current economic events and policies.

In Year 13 there will be three exams and each will be of two hours in duration. The first paper “Markets and Business Behaviour” comprises three sections in a combination of multiple choice, short answer questions, data response and extended questions. The second paper “The National and Global Economy” will follow the same format as paper 1. The third paper “Microeconomics and Macroeconomics” will assess the content of all four themes. This will comprise two sections of a data response broken down into a number of parts including a choice of extended open –response questions.