Economics
How many times have you wondered why are whales in danger of extinction but chickens aren’t, why is there a light in your refrigerator but not in your freezer or why are newspapers sold in vending machines that allow customers to take more units than they paid for but soft drinks are not? Surprisingly, Economics tries to answer all these questions, along with more predictable ones like what causes a recession or why exchange rates and share prices change. When you ask students to look around, they see interesting things and basic economic concepts can usually give a plausible account of actions and outcomes.
Through studying Economics in the sixth form students will develop an understanding of current economic issues, problems and institutions that affect everyday life and learn to explain a variety of real-world phenomena from an economic perspective. Understanding economics requires a reasonable level of numeracy but it is not mathematical at A-level. A good economist needs to be able to analyse economic data, to interpret graphs and tables, to identify trends, and to explain these using economic theory. This requires a clear mind and an ability both to think logically and to write good quality English.
David Hedison BSc (Econ)
Head of Economics
