Our Curriculum

Finance

Subject Leader: Miss N dela Fuente

If you wish to learn more about our curriculum please contact the Subject Lead by clicking on their name above.

Key Stage 5

Award in Financial Education/Certificate in Financial Education

Exam Board: LIBF
Level: 2

Course Overview

The course consists of three units, Unit 1 is Finance, the Individual and Society, Unit 2 is Practices of Managing Money and Unit 3 is Financial Capability, Work and Enterprise. CeFE introduces the student to the impact of finance on the economy and encourages them to consider how this can affect business and the individual. Through this, it develops knowledge and a valuable range of applied and transferable skills and provides a foundation for further study in business and finance-related disciplines, as well as a wide range of other fields that are encapsulated in programmes of study related to social enterprise and vocational professional development (eg self-employed hairdressers, taxi drivers, garden landscapers).

Assessment: 100% examination. A multiple choice examination for Unit 1 and 2 and written examination paper for Unit 3 based on a pre release case study.

Certificate in Financial Studies

Exam Board: LIBF
Level: 3

Course Overview

The course consists of two units, Unit 1 is Financial Capability for the Immediate and Short Term, Unit 2 is Financial Capability for the Medium and Long Term. The course develops the knowledge and skills required for young people to make informed financial decisions by introducing them to the risks and challenges involved in personal finance and the tools for effective planning. Pupils become aware of the need for creating financial inclusion, they explore social-economic trends and their relationship with an individual's circumstances and attitudes.

Assessment: 100% examination. A multiple choice and written examination paper for each unit.

Diploma in Financial Studies

Exam Board: LIBF
Level: 3

Course Overview

DipFS builds on the skills and knowledge acquired through successful completion of the Certificate in Financial Studies and extends this to include areas such as financial sustainability within the wider financial services system, and the long-term impact of debt. Within DipFS course pupils explore the political, economic, social, technological, ethical and legal impacts of personal finance in the short, medium and longer terms. They consider the impact that global events can have upon consumers and how the wider financial services industry is developed.

Assessment: 100% examination. A multiple choice and written examination paper for each unit.

 

Key Stage 5 Curriculum Content

Year 12

Level 2 (AIFE/CEFE)

Unit 1

  • What it means to be a citizen
  • Personal Finance and the Economy
  • What is Money?
  • What is Income?
  • Understanding Tax
  • How the Economic System Works
  • The Economic Impact of Personal Finance Choices
  • How Inflation and Interest Rates Impact Personal Finance
  • Impacts of Economic Cycles and Demographic Changes
  • Foreign Exchange Rates and Change
  • The Personal Life Cycle
  • How the Economic System Works
  • The Economic Impact of Personal Finance Choices
  • How Inflation and Interest Rates Impact Personal Finance
  • Impacts of Economic Cycles and Demographic Changes
  • Foreign Exchange Rates and Change
  • The Personal Life Cycle

Unit 2

  • Financial Planning and Money Management
  • Different Plans for Different People
  • Planning for Now and the Future
  • Budgeting
  • What Can Affect a Budget?
  • Personal Budgets and Spending Choices
  • Using Tools to Manage Money
  • Pay and Tax
  • The Real Cost of Spending
  • Borrowing Products
  • The Implications of Borrowing 

Unit 3

  • Introduction to Financial Capability, Work and Enterprise
  • Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
  • Business Banking and Budgeting
  • How Fraud, Theft and Taxation affect Budgeting
  • People and Business
  • How Businesses Affect Society
  • How People’s Economic Choices Affect Society


Level 3 (CEFES)

Unit 1

  • The Purpose of Money
  • The Personal Lifestyle
  • Payment Methods
  • Everyday Banking
  • Savings Products
  • Borrowing Products
  • Providers
  • Consumer Protection
  • Budgets and Forecasts
  • Dealing with Unexpected Events
  • Dealing with Debt1
  • Earnings

Unit 2

  • Needs, Wants and Aspirations
  • Savings and Investment Products
  • Borrowing Products
  • Dealing with Long-Term Risks
  • Financial Planning and Informed Choices
  • Dealing with Unforeseen Events
  • Ethics and Sustainability
  • Sources of Information and Advice
  • Making an Informed Choice 

Year 13

Level 3 (DIPFS)

Unit 3

  • Personal and Financial Sustainability
  • The Impact of External Factors
  • How the State Can Help
  • Monitoring and Adapting Personal Finance Plans
  • Good Debt, Bad Debt
  • The Impact of Global Events and Ethics
  • The Impact of Recent Changes

Unit 4

  • The Financial System
  • Competition in the Financial Services Sector
  • Sustainability in the Financial Services Sector
  • External Influences on Financial Service Providers and their Products
  • Marketing Materials and their Effectiveness
  • Attracting, Retaining and Satisfying Customers
  • The Impact of the Media on Sustainability of the Financial Services Industry
  • The Impact of Changes and Uncertainty on Financial Products
  • Market Segment and Product Development


Useful Information 

Useful Website Links

MyLIBF - pupils are given access to this website when they are registered on the course.

Suggested Revision Guides and Books

Pupils should use the text books they are provided with to learn the course material.

Out of School Learning (OSL) and Extracurricular Activities 

  • OSL/intervention/extended lessons are introduced following the results of the first examinations in January.
     
  • Visit to LIBF University in London.