Economics - Year 13

Economics Overview

Term 1- Theme 3-Business behaviour and the labour market: Theme 3- 3.1 Business growth 3.2 Business objectives 3.3 Revenues, costs and profits

3.1.1 Sizes and types of firms 3.1.2 Business growth 3.1.3 Demergers 3.2.1 Business objectives 3.3.1 Revenue 3.3.2 Costs 3.3.3 Economies and diseconomies of scale 3.3.4 Normal profits, supernormal profits and losses

  1. End of unit assessments based on Topic 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, these assessments are completed in timed conditions and are based on A-level exam questions, which helps prepare students for their A-Level examinations
Business growth

When a business increases the size of its operations This could be: Internally Opening new stores Franchising Externally Mergers Takeovers

Public sector organisations

That sector of the economy that is owned and controlled by the government rather than individuals or groups of individuals

Private sector organisations

The sector of the economy that is owned and controlled by individuals or groups of individuals rather than by the government

Principal-agent problem

A situation that occurs when there is a difficulty in getting one party, the manager or director, to work in the best interests of the principal party, the owners

Demergers

The process of splitting a business into separate components

Business objectives

Targets that a business wants to achieve within a set period of time

Revenue

The income received by a firm from selling goods and services

Costs

Expenditures incurred by a firm as part of the firm’s operations

Economies of scale

The advantages enjoyed by a firm, when unit costs fall, as it increases the scale of production

Diseconomies of scale

The problems experienced when unit costs, or average cost per unit, rise as a firm increases the scale of production

Normal profit

The minimum level of profit required by a firm to continue to operate and remain competitive in a market

Supernormal profit

Profit in excess of normal profit that occurs when average revenue > average total cost (AR > ATC)

Losses

The situation where total costs made by a business are greater than total revenue

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Understanding the business side of the economy how firms operate within the UK.

Create a supportive community:

Group work and the development of research will help create an environment where students will support each other.

Term 2- Theme 3: Business behaviour and the labour market: Theme 3- 3.4 Market structures

3.4.1 Efficiency 3.4.2 Perfect competition 3.4.3 Monopolistic competition3.4.4 Oligopoly 3.4.5 Monopoly 3.4.6 Monopsony 3.4.7 Contestability

  1. End of unit assessments based on Topic 3.4, These assessments are completed in timed conditions and are based on A-level exam questions, which helps prepare students for their A-Level examinations.
Efficiency

When the maximum amount of products are produced at their minimum cost whilst maximising their benefit to society

Inefficiency

A situation where a firm does not maximise the amount of products it produces, operates above minimum cost and does not maximise benefits to society

Perfect competition

A hypothetical market structure where all firms sell homogenous products and are price takers

Monopolistic competition

A type of imperfect competition with many firms selling differentiated products.

Oligopoly

A type of market structure where a few firms dominate, the concentration ratio is high

Monopolies

A market structure where there is only one producer in an industry

Monopsony

A market structure where there is a sole (pure monopsony) or dominant buyer in the market

Contestability

The degree to which markets are contestable i.e. the degree of freedom to enter or exit the market, the degree of sunk costs and the degree of perfect knowledge

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Develop and understanding of different market structures and how they influence an economy.

Create a supportive community:

Students work together to understand the concepts being introduced.

Term 1-Theme 4 -A global perspective: Theme 4- 4.1 International economics

4.1 International economics4.1.1 Globalisation4.1.2 Specialisation and trade4.1.3 Pattern of trade4.1.4 Terms of trade4.1.5 Trading blocs and the World Trade Organisation (WTO)4.1.6 Restrictions on free trade4.1.7 Balance of payments4.1.8 Exchange rates4.1.9 International competitiveness

  1. End of unit assessment based on topic 4.1. These assessments are completed in timed conditions and are based on A-level exam questions, which helps prepare students for their A-Level examinations
Globalisation

The integration of international economies leading to a world market

Specialisation

When economic units, such as individuals, firms, regions or countries, concentrate on producing specific goods or services

The goods and services that a country trades and who it trades with

Pattern of trade

Terms of trade

The terms of trade is the ratio of export prices to import prices

Trading blocs

Economic units formed when the governments of a group of countries agree to trade together freely i.e. normally with no trade barriers

World Trade Organisation (WTO)

An organisation whose purpose is to promote free trade by persuading countries to abolish import tariffs and other barriers

Restrictions on free trade

The instruments of policy that are used by governments to limit the free movement of goods and services between countries

Balance of payments

A record of a country’s trade in goods and services, investment income and transfers with the rest of the world

Exchange rate systems

The way in which the value of a domestic currency e.g. £ is determined. Exchange rate systems include floating, fixed and managed exchange rates

International competitiveness

The ability of a business to compete in global markets to become a leader in a given industry across the world

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Student will get an appreciation of how international economies work together and the impact they have on developed and developing economies.

Create a supportive community:

Through group discussion and independent learning, students will develop analytical and evaluative skills.

Term 2-Theme 4- A global perspective : Theme 4- 4.2 Poverty and inequality and 4.3 Emerging and developing economies

4.2.1 Absolute and relative poverty 4.2.2 Inequality 4.3.1 Measures of development 4.3.2 Factors influencing growth and development 4.3.3 Strategies influencing growth and development

  1. End of unit assessments based on Topic 4.2 and 4.3. These assessments are completed in timed conditions and are based on A-level exam questions, which helps prepare students for their A-Level examinations
Measures of development

Indicators used to look at the extent to which countries have improved their economic wellbeing and quality of life

Growth

An increase in the value of real output in an economy over time

Development

The process of improving economic well-being and quality of life

Absolute poverty

When an individual cannot afford the basic needs of life in the country in which they live

Relative poverty

When individuals or households are poor in comparison to the rest of the population

Wealth inequality

This occurs when there is a disparity in the stock of financial assets e.g. houses owned by individuals or households

Income inequality

This occurs when there is a disparity in the flow of earnings of individuals or households

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Understanding the difference between developed and developing economies and how poverty can occur between different types of economies.

Create a supportive community:

Help student recognise issues in the economy and to have differing view and accept that other will challenge their views.

Term 5: Revision of all four themes

Revision for theme 1,2,3 and 4.

  1. Paper 1- Markets and how they work. (theme 1 and 4) Paper 2- Competing in the global economy (theme 2 and 3) Paper 3- The economic environment and business (theme 1,2,3 and 4)
  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Test all assessment objectives in all four themes.

Create a supportive community:

Mentoring and helping each other to achieve the best possible grade in the final examination.