Economics and Business Studies Department
General information about the Department
The Department has seven full time members. The majority of the teaching involves
teaching SQA examination classes in Economics, Business Management,
Administration and Accounting from S3 to S6 however since 2011, when the school
began offering the IB Diploma, the department has been teaching IB classes in
Economics and Business & Management.
Courses offered in the Department:
Economics has always been a strength of the department. This session 46 pupils are
taking the Higher course, 18 the Advanced Higher and 42 have begun the National 5
course. The excellent exam results in Economics were noted in the last HMI Report
on the school.
The numbers taking the Higher Business Management have increased year on year
with 105 tin 5 sets this session. Last session 59% of the pupils at this level passed
with an ‘A’. !3 are taking the Advanced Higher this session with 40 taking National 5.
Accounting is well established as a one year Higher for those in S5/6 with numbers
much larger in recent years and increasing numbers achieving ‘A’ grade passes. 22
students are taking this Higher this session. It is also possible within this class to take
a few students for Intermediate 2. Starting with only a few students a few years ago
Higher Administration has proved an increasingly attractive option with 18 pupils
choosing the course this session.
Economics and Business Management are first introduced to pupils in our hands-on
S2 course. Its purpose is to both aid subject choice for S3 classes and to provide a
good understanding of fundamental economic and business concepts to all pupils.
Although numbers have been small the IB results have been impressive with all
students over the two sets of results achieving either a ‘6’ or ‘7’ at Higher Level in
both Economics and the Business & Management.
The Department is very committed to developing business enterprise through its
extensive extracurricular programme. Young Enterprise has always been very
strongly supported in S5 - five companies this session are competing in the Lothian
Region programme. S1 Mini-enterprise has also been a great success. A team from
the Advanced Higher Economics has always been entered into the Bank of England
Target 2 competition winning through to the second round on 5 occasions and coming
third in the country in 2009. In conjunction with the Religious and Philosophical
Studies Department and Modern Studies Department we run a successful Philosophy,
Politics and Economics Society.
ICT
The department has been committed to integrating ICT successfully into learning and
teaching. There is a business suite equipped with twenty Macs, powerpoint projector
and SMART board. All rooms in the department have fixed powerpoint projectors
often with SMART boards. Some rooms have visualisers. The school has excellent
ICT provision throughout the school with IT rooms or sets of networked laptops
which can be booked if required. The department has 20 laptops which can be used
when required. The ICT plan involves catering for all devices and providing whatever
software teachers require.
The Position being offered:
This full time position will require the successful applicant to be able to teach Higher
Business Management (it will be advantageous to have taught this course recently)
and preferably to be able to teach Economics and /or Accounting to Higher level and
possibly Advanced Higher Level. The ability to teach the IB Economics and/or IB
Business & Management courses would be desirable. Probationary teachers with a
good Economics and Business degree would be considered. Applicants would be
expected to have or be eligible for GTC registration.
We would expect the successful applicant to be enthusiastic and creative in their
teaching as well as being able to strengthen the existing strong team ethos in this
department. A commitment to involvement in the extracurricular programme of the
department and / or the wider school is expected.
Any questions about this position can be e-mailed to : p.arlidge@gwc.org.uk
Peter Arlidge
Head of Economics and Business Studies.
August 2014