Norwich High School for Girls Sixth Form offers Business Studies and Economics at A Level. Both subjects are rigorous academic options favoured by universities and employers. Business Studies and Economics A Level boost employability, with the average graduate of both subjects earning a top-10 starting salary upon leaving university.

Mrs Wells explained: “Economics is the study of how humans use resources such as land or capital to meet people’s needs for goods and services. Business Studies, on the other hand, is an interdisciplinary subject mixing accountancy, HR, marketing, economics and operations. There really is something for everyone within Business Studies and Economics.”

Business Studies and Economics A Levels complement practical, as well as mathematical, subjects. “Many of our students combine Business Studies with Design Technology or Textiles,” said Mrs Wells. “It gives them the marketing skills they’ll need to succeed in the creative industries. The students learn to innovate, adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving world of work.

Members of Years 10-13 at Norwich High School for Girls recently travelled to London to learn more about Economics, Business and Politics.

Highlights of the trip included a tour round the Warner Bros Studio, home of the Harry Potter Experience. Students took part in a ‘Business of Film’ workshop which used the Harry Potter film series as a case study. They learned about the significance of the creative industries to our economy and the wide variety of careers available in TV and film production. This connects to many of the topics we study in A Level Business such as marketing, finance, human resource management and operations.

Visiting the Bank of England museum provided a fascinating insight into the central bank’s role in determining inflation, its history and the key role it has in the UK economy’s financial infrastructure.

In addition to this, students had the opportunity to pitch start-up ideas at a Model Canvas Workshop in one of London’s original shared work spaces: ‘Secondhome’ in Shoreditch. After an informative presentation about London’s Silicon Roundabout, students were invited to work in teams to create a market disrupting service on a par with ‘unicorn’ start-ups such as Uber or Airbnb.

Students also enjoyed a tour of the Houses of Parliament, where they saw both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Norwich High School for Girls students then got stuck into a debate about the abolition of tuition fees.

Mrs Jane Wells, Head of Economics and Business Studies at Norwich High School for Girls, said: “Economic literacy is vital for all of us. Market forces affect our lives on a daily basis, from the cost of our groceries to the kinds of mortgage we can access. But we also need economic understanding to make good political decisions.

“On a week when taxation, inflation and value of the pound were headline news, it was amazing for our students to be able to visit the very places where our economic landscape is determined. They loved learning how the economy works.”

Alumna Darcy Amies studied Business Studies A Level from 2019-21. Now studying Fashion, Marketing and Communications in London, Darcy is full of praise for the business education she had at Norwich High School for Girls.

Darcy said: “My Business Studies class at Norwich High Sixth Form was small enough to allow for a focussed environment but large enough for us to engage in collaborative work. We had a great group dynamic and great support from teachers.

“Business A Level inspired me to study Marketing as part of my degree,” continued Darcy. It taught me so many transferable skills that have helped me hugely during my time at university, and beyond academic settings. From personal experience, I know I would not be succeeding as well at university if I had not chosen to study Business for A Level.

“If you’re unsure about what you would like to study at university, or you want to begin an apprenticeship, Business Studies gives you a great foundation. It develops your understanding of the topics in different degrees, or apprenticeship environments. You can walk into university or the workplace with confidence knowing that you have studied a subject that is continuously changing, evolving, and developing due to external factors, making this course relevant for many different career paths.”

Business Studies and Economics students at Norwich High School for Girls consistently achieve excellent examination results.

Our Economics A Level students have enjoyed a 100% A*-C pass rate in the last five years. Our A*-B pass rate is 75%, higher than the national average.

In 2022, our Business Studies A Level students achieve 100% A*-B grades, with 71% gaining A*/A. Our results placed us within the top three GDST schools for Business Studies.

Our Business Studies and Economics students also participate in an array of entrepreneurial opportunities. The GDST LEAD programme (Leadership and Enterprise Advanced Diploma) exists in partnership with the London School of Economics. Our student entrepreneurs are challenged to create a sustainable start-up company. They complete independent modules on leadership and are mentored by experts from LSE Generate, before pitching their business idea at a showcase event at the LSE.

Mrs Wells said: “GDST LEAD is a fantastic opportunity for our Sixth Form students to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test. It’s an amazing opportunity to study independently towards an advanced qualification from LSE, a world-class university.”

Norwich High School for Girls students will also have the opportunity to participate in the Micro-Tyco scheme, an entrepreneurial training scheme which will begin in January. Later this academic year they will undertake the Young Enterprise 10x Challenge. Here, they’ll be challenged to create a business within four weeks with only £10 investment money.