Business A level (Pearson)

Applications Open: 27/11/25

Applications Close: 31/01/26

Entry Requirements: 4 GCSE passes at grade 6 or above including grade 5s in Maths and either English Literature or Language.

How to Apply: Online application using Applicca - https://rochestergrammarschool.applicaa.com/applicaa.com/Year12

Theme 1: Marketing and People

• Meeting customer needs – The market, market research, market positioning

• The market – Supply and demand, price income elasticity of demand, income elasticity of demand

• Marketing mix and strategy – Product/service design, branding and promotion, pricing strategies, distribution, marketing strategy

• Managing people – Approaches to staffing, recruitment, selection and training, organisational design, motivation, leadership

• Entrepreneurs and leaders – Role of an entrepreneur, entrepreneurial motives and characteristics, business objectives, forms of business

Theme 2: Managing Business Activities

• Raising finance – Internal finance, external finance, liability, planning

• Financial planning – Sales forecasting, sales, revenue and costs, break-even, budgets

• Managing finance – Profit, liquidity, business failure

• Resource management – Production, capacity utilisation, stock control, quality management

• External influences – Economic influences, legislation, the competitive environment

Theme 3: Business Decision and Strategy

• Business objectives and strategy – Corporate objectives, corporate strategy, SWOT analysis, impact of external influences

• Business growth – Growth, mergers and takeovers, organic growth, reasons for staying small

• Decision-making techniques – Quantitative sales forecasting, investment appraisal, decision tress, critical path analysis

• Influences on business decisions – Corporate influences, corporate culture, shareholders vs. stakeholders, business ethics

• Assessing competitiveness – Financial statements, ratio analysis, human resources

• Managing change – Causes and effects of change, key factors in change, scenario planning

Theme 4: Global Business

• Globalisation – Growing economies, international trade, globalisation, protectionism, trading blocs

• Global markets and expansion – conditions that prompt trade, assessment of a country as a market and a production location, reasons for global mergers or joint ventures, global competitiveness

• Global marketing – Marketing, niche markets, cultural/social factors

• Global industries and companies (multinational corporations) – The impact of MNCs, ethics, controlling MNCs

Examination only – 3 papers sat at the end of Year 13

6 in Business OR

6 in English (Literature or Language)

5 in Mathematics