Highlights of 2011 Results

The current Business Studies grades are again a great achievement, with the department now teaching more students than ever across Key Stages 4 & 5. Particular areas of achievement were:

• BTEC First Certificate in Business - 100% pass rate in all years.
• A Level Business Studies - 100% students either achieved their predicted grade or higher, for the third year running! 65% of students exceeded their predicted grades!
• Very strong A Level Economics grades consolidating a positive trend.
• GCSE Business and Economics -This cohort had an outstanding 94% A*-C. A fantastic achievement considering it has been the first group to complete this course at QK. Business and Economics GCSE also had a set of impressive Year 10 results, with a huge number of outstanding A & B grades. We look forward to building on this initial success going forward.

Current Developments

The department has introduced a GCSE in Economics with a huge uptake of about 60 Year 10 students. We hope this course will continue the exciting development of an inclusive and stretching curriculum offer in Business/Economics.

The Business Career Academy is going from strength to strength. The 2010/11 cohort achieved extremely good grades. We strongly believe that this is in part due to the motivational benefit of the Academy membership. The Academy Advisory Board has now been officially and formally established which should guide future expansion of this project.

Students really take pride in being part of this excellent group of future business leaders.

In terms of staff changes Mr Albrecht has returned as Head of Business and ICT.

Beyond QK

We continue to increase our contact with the business world and despite the tough economic conditions have been able to conduct a range of workshops and visits to an increasingly broad range of organisations. As ever, we have our paid summer internship program with Career Academies UK which is supported by the "Partners in Business" program and the "QK Guru Lecture" series with 8 Business speakers giving lectures and workshops throughout the academic year. Highlights this year have been the Paris Residential to Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer (the world's 5th largest law firm) and the Head of the Financial Services Authority; Mr Hector Sants speaking to our Economics Students.

We continue to expand and innovate our pastoral support including a new Economics A Level Mentoring Program with Boston Consultancy Group in Year 12, combined with a university applications and internship outreach and support program targeting our high achievers in Year 13.